Almond Ricotta Cake Recipe

Lemon ricotta cake with almond flour sliced on a plate

Here is an Italian Ricotta Cake made with almond flour and lemon. Creamy, zesty, and perfect when you need a delicious flourless cake that you can make with just a few basic ingredients. Gluten-free and keto friendly (with only one ingredient swap)

Course Cake, Gluten-Free Cake

Cuisine American/Italian, Italian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 50

Cooling Time 1

Total Time 2 10

Servings slices

Calories 491kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

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