Description
Sweet and creamy limoncello ricotta cake promises pure Italian dessert bliss with zesty lemon notes. Delicate crumb and luxurious ricotta create a memorable finale for home cooks wanting authentic Mediterranean flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (240 ml) ricotta cheese
- 0.75 cup (177 ml) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1.5 cups (354 ml) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 cup (60 ml) limoncello liqueur
- 2 tbsps fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 0.25 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 0.25 cup (60 ml) limoncello liqueur
- 2 tbsps lemon juice
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 2–3 tbsps limoncello or lemon juice
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and thoroughly grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter and flour.
- Dry Mixture: Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, creating a uniform dry foundation for the cake.
- Creaming: Utilize an electric mixer to whip butter and sugar until light, fluffy, and significantly increased in volume.
- Wet Integration: Incorporate eggs one at a time, blending thoroughly to maintain a smooth, cohesive batter.
- Flavor Infusion: Gently fold ricotta, limoncello, lemon zest, and lemon juice into the creamy mixture until completely harmonized.
- Batter Formation: Delicately combine dry ingredients with wet mixture, stirring minimally to preserve the batter’s delicate texture.
- Baking: Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the surface evenly, and bake for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Syrup Creation: Simultaneously, craft limoncello syrup by simmering sugar, limoncello, and lemon juice in a small saucepan until sugar dissolves completely.
- Moisture Enhancement: While cake is warm, perforate the surface with a skewer and slowly drizzle limoncello syrup, allowing deep penetration.
- Cooling Process: Transfer cake to a wire rack, allowing complete cooling and temperature equalization.
- Glaze Preparation: Whisk powdered sugar with limoncello or lemon juice until achieving a smooth, pourable consistency.
- Final Touch: Generously drizzle glossy glaze over the completely cooled cake, creating an enticing final layer of sweetness.
- Serving: Slice and present at room temperature, inviting guests to indulge in this zesty, decadent dessert.
Notes
- Prevent Dry Cake: Avoid overmixing batter to maintain moisture and tender crumb; mix just until ingredients are combined.
- Master Syrup Absorption: Poke holes while cake is warm to ensure deep, even limoncello syrup penetration for maximum flavor infusion.
- Temperature Matters: Use room temperature ingredients to create smoother, more consistent batter and better cake texture.
- Zest Secret: Grate lemon zest directly into sugar to release essential oils, intensifying the citrus flavor throughout the cake.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 36 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg