First, if you live in Houston and still don’t have power, I am so sorry. This last storm was painful and I’m nervous about hurricane season! My house in Houston doesn’t have power either and I’ve lost tons of ingredients. I understand that if you’re without power, you won’t be baking anytime soon. But file this away to celebrate once you have air conditioning and electricity!
Last weekend, we celebrated my mom’s birthday on my sister’s deck in Idaho. The menu was mostly “prep ahead” which kept it stress-free. Grilled Honey Soy Flank Steak; Cheese Bread (sorry, not sorry); asparagus blanched ahead of time in salted boiling water and then dunked in an ice bath, we warmed it up while the cheese bread was cooking and then drizzled it with reduced balsamic and creamy sheep’s milk feta; a mixed green salad with fresh herbs and super simple salad dressing and this one-bowl cake for dessert.
We often make this cake in Smart in the Kitchen cooking classes because it’s a one-bowl dessert that’s simple to put together and cooks in about 50 minutes. While it contains ricotta, there are notes in the recipe for a non-dairy variation. I’ve also made this cake with orange zest and orange juice instead of lemon juice or Grand Marnier and orange zest or tangerine zest and tangerine juice — yum!
I can’t remember when I first started tweaking and developing this recipe, and I think it was adapted from this Lidia Bastianich recipe. She uses milk instead of ricotta and a few other differences. I’ve made so many tweaks in classes over the past two years that it’s a completely different recipe. I have another lemon olive cake recipe on my blog that is much more time-consuming and fussy. This one is simple, not too sweet, and doesn’t make a mess of dishes. Sign me up
Here’s the step-by-step process of how to make it.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add three large eggs to a bowl. It doesn’t matter if the eggs are medium. Or extra-large. Don’t stress. Crack the eggs on the counter, not on the side of the bowl. You’re less likely to get eggshells in the bowl that way. If you’re nervous about the eggshells, crack the eggs in a separate small bowl and inspect them for shells before pouring them into the larger mixing bowl — I used to do this when I had small helpers in the kitchen.
Step 2: Add 15 ounces of ricotta and whisk to combine. I like to use full-fat ricotta, but the recipe will still turn out great if you prefer to use low-fat. I haven’t tested this with almond ricotta, but try it if you’re dairy-free. Note: In my original recipe, I used 1 1/2 cups ricotta, but the ricotta I use comes in a 15-ounce container, so I changed the recipe to call for 15 ounces. If you have a larger container of ricotta and want to measure 1 1/2 cups, go for it. Either measurement works and is delicious. That’s the beauty of this recipe — it’s not too precious and finicky.
Step 3: Add 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil and whisk to combine. Use good quality extra virgin olive oil. Don’t use lemon-flavored olive oil for the love of all things delicious. I don’t like flavored olive oils, I prefer a good extra virgin olive oil and then I’ll add my own flavorings, thank you and good night.
Step 4: Add the zest of two lemons. I like to use a Microplane to get the job done. Whisk to combine.
Step 5: Add the juice of two lemons. When you cut the lemons in half, put them in your citrus press cut side down. That might feel like a “duh” but I teach cooking classes for a living and I can’t tell you how many people put lemons in the other way. Whisk to combine.
Step 6: Add 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar. You could probably cut this down to 1 cup if you want. Whisk to combine.
Step 7: Add one teaspoon of kosher salt. I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt and stock up on Amazon because I don’t always see it at my local grocery store.
Step 8: Add 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and whisk to combine.
Step 9: Add 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour. Gently spoon the flour into the measuring cups and level off the flour with the back of a chef’s knife or dinner knife. I’ve also made this with gluten-free baking flour and it turns out great. I typically use King Arthur 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour. I used a whisk to gently combine the batter, but I usually switch to a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. The trick is to not over-mix the batter at this point. You want to stir just until the flour is mixed to keep the cake light and airy.
Step 10: Pour the batter into an 8x8 pan that’s lined with parchment paper and sprayed with olive oil or avocado oil. These sprays have minimal flavor, so don’t worry too much. I prefer to use single-ingredient sprays because they’re better for you. I prefer these USA square pans with sharp corners, but I didn’t have that pan where I am. You can crisscross the parchment paper and double it so it hangs over both sides, but the cake came out fine with parchment overhanding on just one side.
Step 11: Top with 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of turbinado or demerara sugar. You can keep it to a tablespoon if you want to cut down on the sugar a bit, but I like to have a thin and even sprinkling of the coarse sugar to have a crunchy topping. Bake for 50 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
I have a PDF version of the recipe below that you can print out, and it’s also typed out below. I hope you love this cake as much as I do. Send me a photo if you make it for friends or family this summer. Any questions? Jump into chat or leave a comment!
One Bowl Lemon Ricotta Cake
I’ve made this with the same amount of limoncello instead of lemon juice and it’s delicious. If you can get your hands on Meyer lemons, use those! But regular lemons are just as tasty. Here’s a fun read on several different varieties of lemons. I grew up in an area of Southern California with lemon groves and we’d get in lemon wars from the vinyl banana seats of our bikes, just a teensy aside.
Olive oil spray
3 large eggs
1 15-ounce container of whole-milk ricotta cheese
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (or avocado oil)
Zest and juice of two lemons (should equal about 2 ½ tablespoons)
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free baking flour)
1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons turbinado or demerara sugar, for sprinkling on top before baking
Powdered sugar or whipped cream, optional for serving
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Use an 8x8 square baking pan and line it with parchment paper with the sides hanging over; it makes removing the cake from the pan easier. Spray the inside of the parchment paper with olive oil or avocado oil spray. (Note: I only use single-ingredient oil sprays, they’re much better for you and work great.)
In a large bowl, whisk together (by hand) the eggs and ricotta until blended. Add olive oil, lemon zest, and juice and whisk again until blended. Add the sugar and salt and whisk again to combine. Add the baking powder and whisk again to incorporate. Add the flour and use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to gently incorporate until the flour is no longer visible. (Tip: Overmixing flour will make your baked goods dense and tough, so gently stir and as soon as you don’t see any more flour, you’re done mixing.)
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with turbinado or demerara sugar. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, the cake is slightly golden in the corners, and it pulls away from the sides of the pan, for 50 to 55 minutes. If you have an instant-read thermometer (I love my Javelin) it should register about 200ºF in the middle of the cake, without touching the bottom of the pan. Let the cake completely, then carefully pull it out of the pan with the edges of the parchment paper.
Notes:
You can also make this in an 8” or 9” round pan and it would work for a layer cake.
Instead of ricotta, I’ve made this with both plain Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, both turned out well!
My original recipe used 1 ½ cups of ricotta, but one container of the ricotta I buy is 15 ounces, so I tested it with that amount. It turned out great. Have you seen the SNL skit about weights and measures? It hits home. “Nobody knows.”
This is so close to being dairy-free. I haven’t tested it but try using Kite Hill dairy-free ricotta or your favorite dairy-free plain yogurt.
I’ve also made this with the zest and juice of one orange and it’s delicious.
I’ve made this with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-free Baking Mix as well as their Paleo Flour instead of all-purpose flour and it turns out great. But follow the same rule as all-purpose flour but for a different reason: don’t over-mix or the batter will become gummy and dense.
Equipment:
Pre-cut parchment paper or in a roll
Microplane, for zesting
This isn’t the best photo because I snapped it quickly after my mom blew out her candle! The strawberries were sliced earlier in the day. Two pints tossed with the juice on one lemon and about a tablespoon of sugar.
It’s definitely delicious and strawberries make it special. We all loved it.