Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Line the bottom of a 20 cm springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides with a little butter. Wash the 2 lemons thoroughly, zest them using a fine grater to get 1 tablespoon of zest, then squeeze them to yield about 30 ml of fresh lemon juice. Drain any excess liquid from the ricotta cheese.

2. 2

   Crack the 3 room-temperature eggs into a large mixing bowl and add 150 g of granulated sugar. Using a hand whisk or electric mixer on medium speed, beat the mixture vigorously for 3 minutes until it becomes pale yellow, slightly thickened, and foamy. This step incorporates air into the batter for a lighter cake texture.

3. 3

   Melt the 60 g of unsalted butter and let it cool slightly so it is not scalding hot. Pour the melted butter, 250 g of drained ricotta cheese, the lemon zest, and 30 ml of fresh lemon juice into the egg mixture. Whisk gently on low speed or with a hand whisk for about 1 minute until completely smooth and free of large cheese lumps.

4. 4

   Place a fine strainer over the bowl and sift in 120 g of all-purpose flour, 8 g of baking powder, and 1 g of fine salt. Switch to a silicone spatula and gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet batter using light circular motions just until no white streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix, or the cake will become dense.

5. 5

   Pour the smooth cake batter into the prepared springform pan and level the surface using your spatula. Transfer to the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake at 175°C for 30 to 35 minutes. The cake is ready when the top is golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out dry with a few moist crumbs.

6. 6

   Remove the cake from the oven and set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Run a thin butter knife around the inside edge to loosen the sides, then carefully release the springform ring. Allow the cake to cool completely on the rack before slicing. Serve slices at room temperature with a light dusting of powdered sugar.