Snack cakes are my love language, and lemon poppy seed ricotta cake says it all. Moist ricotta, sunny lemon zest, and poppy seeds for crunch ~ it’s everyday baking at its best.
Lemon Poppy Seed Ricotta Cake is the kind of cake I bake when I don’t know what I want to bake. It’s easy (almost relaxing!) to put together and the ricotta makes one of my favorite flavor profiles extra special.
Whole milk ricotta cheese gives this cake its moisture and tender crumb. If you’ve had my Almond Ricotta Cake you know what I mean!
Lemon zest brings that aromatic citrus perfume (give me zest over juice any day.) It all starts with my famous lemon sugar!
And those cute little poppy seeds add crunch and charm. Did you know they only stay fresh for a few months before turning rancid? Best to keep them in the freezer.
The glaze! Definitely don’t skip it, it’s the finishing touch that makes every bite sing.
Baker’s Note: Pan Flexibility
One of the reasons I love snack cakes is that they’re happy to adapt. Just adjust the bake time a bit depending on the shape:
- 9-inch square → about 35 minutes (my baseline).
- 9-inch round or springform → 35–40 minutes.
- 8-inch square → 40–45 minutes.
- Loaf pan (9×5) → 45–55 minutes.
- Muffins or cupcakes → 18–22 minutes.
- Layer cake (9-inch rounds) → double the recipe, divide evenly between the pans, and bake 30–40 minutes.
When you have too much batter for a pan don’t over fill it ~ use the extra for muffins. Always test with a toothpick in the center ~ when it comes out with just a few moist crumbs, you’re good to go.
planning ahead? lemon poppy seed ricotta improves overnight!
Baker’s Note: It’s true, snack cakes like this often taste even better the next day as the flavors settle and the crumb softens. The glaze will lose a little of its initial “sheen,” but it soaks in just enough to make each bite extra lemony. So snack on it asap, but leave some for tomorrow!
Storage: Because of the dairy, I wouldn’t leave it out longer than a day. Covered loosely at cool room temperature is fine for the first 24 hours. After that, refrigerate.
Freezer friendly: This cake freezes like a dream. Cool completely, wrap well in plastic + foil (or use a freezer bag), and store up to 3 months. You can freeze the whole cake or individual slices for quick treats. If glazing, freeze without glaze and add it fresh after thawing for the prettiest finish.
Lemon poppy seed ricotta cake is the kind of bake I keep in the kitchen all week ~ a skinny slice with coffee in the morning, another after dinner… it disappears fast.
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Lemon Poppy Seed Ricotta Cake
Equipment
- 9×9 square baking pan
- stand mixer or electric beaters
- food processor optional
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup white sugar
- zest of one large lemon, peeled with a serrated vegetable peeler. Try to avoid getting too much of the bitter white pith.
- ½ cup unsalted butter , (room temperature)
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs , room temperature
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp poppy seeds
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
glaze
- 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and butter your baking dish. I like to line it with a sling of parchment paper so I can remove it for easy glazing and serving, but that's optional.
- If your ricotta is wet or loose, pop it in a strainer over a bowl to drain while you get on with the cake.
- Make my famous lemon sugar first: put the sugar and the lemon peel into your food processor and process until the sugar is moist and pale yellow, with no big chunks of zest left (you will see tiny flecks of yellow in the sugar.
- Transfer the sugar to a stand mixer or a bowl with electric beaters and cream the lemon sugar with the softened butter and oil until light and fluffy. Smells good already!
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each one. Blend in the salt and vanilla, the ricotta, and poppy seeds.
- With the mixer on low add in the baking powder and flour, a bit at a time. Finish with a silicone spatula to make sure everything, especially the bottom of the bowl, is well incorporated.
- Turn into your prepared pan and spread out evenly. Bake in your preheated oven for about 35 minutes. The cake will be risen and a light golden on top. You can check with a toothpick ~ moist crumbs are fine but if you see wet batter, bake the cake a little longer but be careful not to over bake or the cake can dry out.
- Let the cake cool on a rack before glazing.
make the glaze
- Stir together the powdered sugar and enough lemon juice to make a spreadable glaze. Add more lemon juice to thin it down, or more sugar to thicken it. Spread across the cooled cake and let the glaze set up before serving.
Notes
more Great Island style snack cakes!
Easy and delicous!
OMG this cake recipe is delicious. Yes, the glaze adds the additional layer for a scrumptious taste–don’t omit it! Easy instructions to follow and whips up quickly. Everyone should try this recipe.
Another winner Sue! The picture alone made me want to try it. And Ive never baked with poppyseeds before, this was a first!
I made this today for my hubby’s birthday and it was a real hit. Just one thing you have missed and that is when do you add the ricotta cheese? Looks like this step has been missed. I just stirred the ricotta in gently after I realised this at the end of step 5. It was loved by everyone and very tasty anyway 🙂
The ricotta is added after the eggs, thanks Doris, I’m so glad you loved it!