Lemon Ricotta Cake Almonds (Printable Version)

A moist cake with vibrant lemon zest, creamy ricotta, topped with crunchy toasted almonds.

# What You'll Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
02 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
03 - 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil or melted unsalted butter
04 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
05 - Zest of 2 lemons
06 - 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

→ Dry Ingredients

07 - 1 cup granulated sugar
08 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
09 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Topping

11 - 1/2 cup sliced almonds
12 - 2 tablespoons coarse sugar or powdered sugar

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line bottom with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together ricotta, eggs, olive oil or melted butter, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended.
04 - Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.
05 - Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth top, and sprinkle sliced almonds evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and almonds are golden.
06 - Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then release springform and transfer to wire rack. Cool completely before dusting with sugar.

# Expert Insights:

01 -
  • The ricotta keeps every bite impossibly moist without making it heavy or dense
  • It manages to feel fancy enough for dinner guests but comes together in about twenty minutes
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter is the number one way to ruin the texture so fold gently and stop the second flour disappears
  • The cake continues baking slightly as it cools in the pan so dont be alarmed if the center seems a tiny bit jiggly when you first pull it out
03 -
  • Use a microplane for the lemon zest to get those lovely fine ribbons that distribute evenly throughout the batter
  • Room temperature ingredients combine more easily so take everything out at least thirty minutes before you start

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