My obsession with baking with almond flour started with this Almond Cake. Since then, I have made and shared countless ground almond cakes. Almond Flour Chocolate cake, Strawberry Almond Cake, Flourless Carrot Cake, Apple Cake with Almond Flour, and Almond Flour Lemon Cake are to name a few.
And since I had some extra ricotta cheese hanging around, I decided to use my favorite flour and make this Italian lemon ricotta almond cake as a new addition to the collection.
Ingredients
The ingredients for Italian almond ricotta cake are what you would typically find in flourless dessert recipes.
Gather together unsalted butter, organic cane sugar, eggs, whole milk ricotta, lemon zest and juice, vanilla extract, almond extract, almond flour, sea salt, sliced almonds, and (optional) confectioner’s sugar.
It is best if all your ingredients are at room temperature, so if you can, be sure to plan ahead.
Ingredient Substitutions and Notes
- Sugar: Feel free to substitute white granulated sugar at a 1:1 ratio for the cane sugar.
- Sugar Substitute: If following a keto diet, try Swerve (affiliate link), a 1:1 low-carb sugar substitute.
- Ricotta: Use whole milk store-bought or homemade ricotta cheese for the richest texture and flavor. If you are lucky enough to live near an Italian market, you can check there for fresh ricotta cheese, too.
- Almond Extract: Although I find the almond extract to add that special Italian flair, you can omit it if you are not a fan of the extra almond flavor.
- Almond Flour vs Almond Meal: Almond flour is made from whole blanched almonds and ground to a finer texture, whereas almond meal is made from whole almonds with the skin. Almond flour is preferred and easily available in grocery stores or online. Or, check out my detailed post on how to make almond flour at home.
How to Make Ricotta Cake with Almond Flour
Italian almond cake is much easier to make than you might think. Here’s how to do it:
- Prep equipment: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan with parchment paper. Grease the paper and sides of the pan with butter.
- Cream butter and sugar: With an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl at medium to medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Beat in egg yolks: Add the egg yolks and beat until combined.
- Add wet ingredients: Add ricotta cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and almond extract, if using. Beat together until smooth and combined.
- Add dry ingredients: Add almond flour and salt to the ricotta mixture. Fold together until no clumps of almond flour remain. The batter should be smooth and slightly thick.
- Beat egg whites: Wash and dry the beaters. Then, beat the egg whites on medium speed to stiff peaks form. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
- Fold in egg whites: Stir one-third of the whipped egg whites into the batter. Then, gently fold the remaining egg whites in with a spatula until no streaks of egg white remain. Do not overmix.
- Pour into cake pan: Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with flaked almonds. Press them down slightly, so they stick.
- Bake: Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the edges of the cake are golden brown. The center of the cake may still be slightly wobbly. Place on a wire rack and let cool until set, about 1 hour.
How to Serve
For a final finishing touch and flourish, sprinkle powdered sugar over the lemon almond ricotta cake just before serving. Then, serve it as:
- Breakfast: Enjoy a thick slice with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
- Brunch: Cut it into small squares and serve it at your next brunch gathering.
- Afternoon Treat: Slice a wedge to enjoy as a delightful pick-me-up.
- Dessert: Serve as a sweet and lemony after-dinner treat with maple whipped cream, fresh berries on the side, or a drizzle of blueberry puree. A wonderful treat to bring to a special occasion, dinner parties, and summer BBQs, too.
Variations
- Keto Ricotta Cake: Replace the cane sugar with a 1:1 granulated low-carb sweetener, such as Swerve (affiliate link).
- Orange Zest: Replace the lemon zest and juice with orange zest and orange juice.
- Raspberry Ricotta Cake: Add ½ – 1 cup of fresh raspberries. I recommend coarsely chopping and scattering them about once the batter is already in the cake pan to avoid squishing the berries.
- Almond Ricotta Bars: Bake the cake in a 9 x 9-inch square baking dish. Slice into bars when ready to serve.
How to Store Leftovers
The gluten-free ricotta cake is best enjoyed the day it is made, either at room temperature or warm. That being said, you can store leftovers to enjoy later.
- Storage: The leftovers of this flourless lemon ricotta cake will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- Freezing: I do not recommend freezing the cake, as this can impact the texture.
Expert Tips
Here are a few helpful tips for the best almond flour ricotta cake on your first try:
- Use glass or stainless steel mixing bowls. Eggs do not whisk properly in plastic bowls.
- Use room temperature ingredients. This creates a smooth batter.
- Separate the eggs using the ‘pooling’ method. Crack all four eggs into a medium-size glass or stainless steel bowl. Then, scoop out the yolks with your fingers, gently tossing them back and forth in your hand to whisk away any excess egg white. Place the egg yolks into a small bowl until ready to use.
- An electric hand mixer makes for fewer dishes. I like to separate my eggs in the bowl I am going to whip the egg whites in. Then, I prepare the batter up until adding the almond flour and salt, wash the beaters and proceed to whip the egg whites. Less mess and more fun in the kitchen.
- When beating egg whites, make sure the bowl and beaters are squeaky clean. The egg whites will not aerate properly if there is even a speckle of dust, fat, or oil.
- Scatter the sliced almonds evenly over the surface. Make sure to cover the center and all those edges.
FAQs
Yes, since almond ricotta cake has cheese, it’s best kept in an airtight container in the fridge. The cake will stay fresh for up to 4 days.
I do not recommend replacing the almond flour with all-purpose flour as they are not a 1:1 replacement in baking. This Italian dessert made with ricotta cheese is meant to be flourless and almond flour accomplishes this task quite well.
Can’t get enough of almond flour recipes? Here are a few more:
- Almond Meal Banana Bread
- Almond Flour Zucchini Bread
- Paleo Almond Flour Bread
- Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes
- Need more inspiration? Check out all our almond flour recipes
If you try this Almond Ricotta Cake recipe or any other recipe on Foolproof Living, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories.
Almond Ricotta Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, room temperature, plus more for greasing
- 1 cup organic cane sugar , or white granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature, separated
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta, (8 oz.) store-bought
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, from approximately 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract, optional
- 2 cups almond flour, (8.4 oz.)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- 2-3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar, optional – for serving
Instructions
- Prep equipment: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place a round of parchment paper on the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan or springform pan. Lightly grease the paper and sides of the pan with butter and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. With an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Beat in egg yolks: Add the egg yolks and beat on medium speed until combined.
- Add wet ingredients: Add ricotta cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract and almond extract, if using, and beat until combined.
- Add dry ingredients: Add almond flour and salt to the ricotta mixture. Fold together with a spatula until no pockets of almond flour remain and the batter is smooth. The batter will be slightly thick. Do not be alarmed if it looks a bit curdled.
- Beat egg whites: Thoroughly wash and dry the beaters. In a medium bowl (or the same bowl you used to separate the eggs), beat the egg whites on medium speed to soft peaks, about 3 minutes.
- Fold in egg whites: Stir ⅓ of the beaten egg whites into the batter to lighten it. Then, gently fold the remaining egg whites in with a spatula until just combined. The batter should be evenly moistened with no streak of egg whites remaining. Do not overmix.
- Pour into cake pan: Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan and sprinkle the top with sliced almonds, pressing them down slightly into the batter, so they stick.
- Bake: Bake for 50 minutes, or until the edges of the cake are golden brown and the top is a light golden brown. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool completely about 1 hour.
- Serve: To serve, run a knife around the cake to loosen it. If using a springform pan, release the sides of the pan. If using a cake pan, gently flip the cake onto a plate, peel away the parchment, then flip it back over onto a serving plate. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar, if preferred. Slice into wedges and enjoy!
Notes
- Storage: The leftovers of this flourless lemon ricotta cake will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- Freezing: I do not recommend freezing the cake, as this can impact the texture.
- Keto Ricotta Cake: If you want to make this recipe keto-friendly replace the cane sugar with a 1:1 granulated low-carb sweetener, such as Swerve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi
For this ricotta lemon cake would it still be ok if i use less sugar than 1 cup ? I have been reducing sugar in many recipies for a while mow. 1cup seems a lot for me…
Hi Louise,
You absolutely can. I would start with half a cup and go from there. And if you feel like it needs more sweetness, you can always drizzle it with honey or maple syrup while serving.
I hope this helps. Please let me know how it turns out if you end up trying.
Cheers!
I’ve made this before and it was great! Planning to make it this week too. You say you prefer it made a day in advance – should I store it at room temperature or in the fridge?
Hi Nelya,
I am glad you liked it.
I would store it in room temperature if you are planning to consume it on the next day. If you have leftovers after serving, then you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Just made this cake and absolutely love it! Definitely making again!!
Hi Nelya,
Himmm.. Honestly, I am not sure. I have never made this cake with medium cornmeal to tell the truth.
I want to say it is better to try it with fine cornmeal but it is hard to say without trying.
I hope this helps.
Cheers!
I think I will try it this weekend and let you know how it turns out 🙂
YAY! I hope you like it.
This is a very light and minimally sweetened cake. Perfect to serve with coffee or tea 🙂
Oh – also, do you think it’s just as good made a day ahead? Or would you rather recommend to make this the day of?
I think so. Though be aware that almond flour baked goods are usually very moist. I’d be sure to store it in an airtight container on the counter (for up to 3 days) or in the fridge (for up to 5 days).
Hope this helps.
Hi, this sounds yummy… can I use mascarpone cheese instead of the ricotta?
Hi Mayorisky,
It might work, but it is hard to tell without trying.
The only thing that makes me worried is that mascarpone has a higher fat content so it might be a little more moist than the version with ricotta. If that is okay with you, I would give it a go.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for stopping by.
Himmm. I am not sure, but I think it would be fine. To be quite honest, I have never tried it with semolina to tell you that it would work 100%.
Please let me know how it turns out if you end up making it. Thanks.
Hi Laura,
I don’t think that buckwheat flour would work for this recipe as their textures are different. Because what makes this cake so good is the thick polenta used instead of flour.
Hope this helps.
The flavors, textures and subtle sweetness to this Italian Almond Cake are attributes I crave! The combination of almond meal and lemon sounds inviting and absolutely divine Ayşegül. Thank you for sharing this delectable recipe! Gorgeous!
Hi Traci,
So happy to hear that you liked it. Thanks for coming by!
Oooh how I wish I had a slice of this lemon ricotta cake right now in front of me! It looks positively delectable, Aysegul! I love how moist and tall it is! Also, that is so great that it’s only sweetened with cane sugar – much healthier than other baked goods. You’ve done a gorgeous job here <3
I know.. The fact that it uses honey instead of sugar is my favorite thing about it too.
Thank you Beeta!
I am gluten free and will definitely give this recipe a go. Your post about ‘not so foolproof.com’ had me laughing out loud. Gluten free baking is a challenge to say the least. I have found letting the batter rest for 30 minutes before baking helps a lot. Learned that from the good folks at America’s Test Kitchen.
I know, right? I was so frustrated..
Yes, it is a challenge, but like everything else I need to learn from other people.. Start slow, try many recipes, and then create my own ones..
I’ll your 30-minute batter rest idea in mind for the next time.
Thanks Monica!