This Creamy Limoncello Italian Ricotta Cake Recipe is a light and refreshing gluten free, ricotta dessert with just the right amount of sweetness. So simple and convenient to prepare, it is the perfect way to end any holiday meal.
So here we are, about to begin another year! Time really does fly when you are having fun! Hopefully, this past year has been good to all of you.
It is always nice to end a holiday meal with a refreshing ricotta cheese dessert. I mean, there will definitely be no shortage of cookies: I have made and glazed my Mostaccioli di Mamma cookies; my Pizzelle are all neatly stacked; I could never forget my Soft Amaretti Cookies, and my family will revolt without these Chocolate Snow Caps!
But, despite all that, there is nothing like desserts with ricotta cheese to end a meal, right? Today, I would like to share with you this Lemon Ricotta Cake Recipe. If you recall, I made some Creamy Limoncello a few months ago. I still have a bottle in the freezer that I will use exclusively for desserts.
FOUR reasons to love this ricotta cake:
1- Quick to make: This limoncello dessert recipe takes about ten minutes to assemble. That’s it! Since it only has five ingredients, it really is only a matter of whipping all of the ingredients — ricotta cheese, eggs, sugar, lemon zest and limoncello — together in your stand mixer. and then pouring the resulting batter into your pan. Bake it, and you’re done! How fast and easy does that sound?
2- Make it in advance: This ricotta cheese dessert recipe can be made the day before the big event. Talk about convenience! On the day that you want to serve it, just sprinkle with icing sugar and add your fresh fruits. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries are all wonderful with this cake. Naturally, making this limoncello cake in the summer will give you more fruit options to enjoy it with. But I also love it with apple or pear compote in the fall, and with pomegranate seeds in the winter. The pomegranate seeds in particular give this cake such a glossy, twinkly finish which suits the magic of the holiday season perfectly!
3-Versatility: As I implied above, this easy ricotta dessert is perfect for all seasons — spring, summer, winter or fall. Served with seasonal fruits and a light dusting of icing sugar, it is always a big hit. A light drizzle of limoncello is always appreciated by the adults 🙂
4-Ricotta! Who doesn’t like ricotta desserts? They are so light and refreshing! Ricotta cakes are extremely appreciated, especially after a big meal. In my books, you can never go wrong with ricotta!
Italian desserts we love
Recipe inspiration
Over a decade ago, I picked up a cookbook entitled The Italian Way in a second-hand book store. The simplicity and convenience of this ricotta dessert recipe immediately caught my eye, and I just had to try it out. It’s been a hit with my family ever since I first introduced it!
What I especially love about desserts with limoncello is the refined and elegant taste. Imagine ricotta combined with the lightness of lemon and limoncello… It’s not too sweet and not too dense, but it still feels like a treat to eat.
I would like to take a moment to thank all of you for your continued support of She Loves Biscotti. I am extremely grateful to all of you.
Wishing all of you and your dear ones many blessings of health and happiness for 2021!
Happy New Year 🙂
Bonne Année 🙂
Buon Anno 🙂
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She loves biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this Italian Limoncello Dessert Recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Creamy Limoncello Italian Ricotta Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups ricotta cheese well drained
- 4 eggs
- 4 tablespoons sugar granulated
- 4 tablespoons limoncello creamy or not creamy
- lemon zest from 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (175°C) .
- Grease or use non-stick spray to coat an 8 x 8 square baking pan. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl of stand mixer, whip the ricotta until creamy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the lemon zest and the liqueur. Beat until smooth.
- Pour batter into greased 8 x 8 pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until light golden, firm and set.
- Allow to cool before serving or can be refrigerated and served the next day.
- If desired, garnish with small berries, mint leaves and drizzle with extra limoncello.
Notes
Nutrition
Julie
I made this last night for my birthday while we are in lockdown here in Melbourne, Australia. Two years ago my partner and I were in Italy so we bought a bottle of Limoncello to reminisce. This cake is absolutely delicious. So light and fluffy and not too sweet. I’ll definitely be making it again!
Maria
So thrilled to read this Julie. Thanks for taking the time to share.
Lisa
I’m going to make this for Italian Dinner Night tomorrow. I’ve noticed two ricotta cheeses
In stores now. One regular and one dessert. Should I use the dessert or the regular cheese?
Maria
Thanks so much for your interest Lisa. I just got to this comment… hope I’m not too late… I use the regular. Enjoy!
Mena
Yum.
I couldn’t believe it would work with just these few ingredients, but it DID! So quick and easy. The perfect dessert when friends call and say they’re dropping by that evening. Zip into the kitchen and you’ll have this in the oven in 10 minutes. Ple ty of time to cool before your friends arrive
Maria
Thanks so much for taking the time to share Mena. Thrilled to hear you enjoyed this simple dessert.
Debbie
Hi Mari a, i’m going to try this it’s sounds good i already make a ricotta pie every easter can’t wait to try this .
Thanks Debbie
Maria
Enjoy Debbie!
Maya
Hi Maria, wondering if I can replace the 4tbsp of Limoncello with just lemon juice and a bit of lemon zest? Would it be too sour?
Maria
Hi Maya, Yes, I agree, I think it would probably be too sour… I also think it would affect the texture of the cake. Thanks for stopping by.
Patricia Certisimo
Hi Maria,
This looks wonderful! I was wondering if you could double the recipe and bake in a 9 x 13 pan.
Maria
Thanks so much, Patricia. Although I have never tried, I think it should work out fine. I would love to hear about your results if you do decide to try it. Thanks for stopping by.
Donna Pawlus
Hi Patricia, I doubled the recipe and used a glass 9×13 pan. I also used my food processor instead of a mixer. I was nervous about that but it all worked seamlessly. The recipe was elegant, light and Delish. 30minutes in my oven.
My boss said, “that’s a keeper !”
Marcy
We made these cakes in a cooking class, dividing the recipe in half and baking them in 6″ cake pans. Then we turned them out and topped them with a fresh raspberry coulis with a bit of the limoncello added in. So pretty, and they came out of the pan perfectly, and tasted delicious. Thanks for a beautiful, simple recipe!
Christie
Hi:
I’ve had a devil of a time trying to locate an 8 x 8 baking pan. I am wondering if you have any suggestions/changes to baking it in a glass 8 x 8 dish? Or should I just get an 8 x 8 aluminum tin from the grocery store? Your guidance would be much appreciated. I intend to make this dish for Thanksgiving… Love that it’s gluten-free! Looking forward to trying this out
Maria
Hi Christie, I think the glass baking dish should be fine. I would line it with an overhang of parchment paper so that you can then “lift” the cake out of the pan.
Another idea: I haven’t tried it yet, but I think if you have a round pan with removable bottom, that might work as well. I would say 9 inch round would work best. An 8 x 8 cake pan gives you an area of 64 inches, the same for a 9 inch round pan. Easy removal of the sides makes it easier to plate.
Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with. Happy Thanksgiving!
Dee
Not as good as I thought it would taste. Needed a tad more sweetness. To compensate I mixed lemon zest, limoncello and sugar then put a drizzle on each serving.
Maria
Thanks for taking the time to comment Dee. The amount of sugar can easily be increased for a sweeter dessert. I prefer to sweeten with fruit.
Nancy Levy
Do you serve the cake from the pan or can you flip it onto a serving plate?
Maria
I will usually serve from the pan. If you want to plate the ricotta cake, I would place a piece of parchment paper with some overhang before pouring the batter…when the cake is baked, simply lift out of the pan and transfer to a serving dish. Great question Nancy. Thanks for stopping by.
Nancy Levy
Thank-you. I will try that. Also–how do you get the raised edge as in the picture?
Maria
Hi Nancy, you will see that the cake puffs up as it is baking and then when it cools down, it slowly sinks a little… that’s how the edge is formed. Thanks so much for stopping by, appreciate it!