Almond Ricotta Cake Recipe
Serves 8
20 mins prep
50 mins cook
60 mins Cooling Time
130 mins total
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)
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!
