Light and lovely are the perfect words to describe this classic Italian cake. A twist on the traditional cheesecake which typically uses cream cheese, the ricotta gives this dessert an extra fluffiness. The best part is, it is sometimes even served for breakfast in Italy, so you can have your cake and eat it at any time of day!
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
- ½ teaspoon of baking soda
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 1 ½ cups flour
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan using butter and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand-up mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until combined. Add in the ricotta cheese and blend until light and fluffy (about 4 to 5 minutes).
- Mix in the eggs one at a time. Add in the vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice, and stir to combine. In the same bowl, stir in the baking soda and salt. Lastly, add in the flour and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of bowl to fully incorporate all of the ingredients.
- Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing the collar and base of the pan. Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.
