Almond ricotta cake
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This one-bowl almond ricotta cake is a breeze to make. You’ll love its wonderful moist crumb and out-of-this-world lemon almond flavor. I mean, LOOK AT THAT SLICE.
An amazing weekend or holiday dessert that is easy, simple, and delicious.
I absolutely adore all things almond, and I’m a massive ricotta fan, especially this time of year. In Italy, we often use fresh ricotta cheese and almonds around Easter. They are perfect for delicious pies, cookies, and incredible desserts. Remember my easy almond cookies and epic lemon ricotta cake?
So today, I’m excited to celebrate the upcoming spring with this impressive yet simple almond ricotta cake recipe that sounds like the perfect combination of ingredients I love.
I tested this one quite a few times, so trust me if I say this one is almond ricotta cake perfection. It’s moist and crumbly thanks to almond meal and creamy ricotta, filled with bright lemon and almond flavor, and topped with crisp almonds.
The other thing is that this cake is EASY. You mix wet ingredients and all of your dry ingredients in one bowl, and you’re done.
The result is an incredibly moist almond and ricotta cake. I love the texture, the flavor, the flaked almonds and the sugar on top, which make it beautiful and elegant.
This simple, lovely cake is the perfect weekend dessert, great to celebrate springtime and impress friends and family. Yep, I know you’ll love this one!
List of the ingredients
- Ricotta cheese
- Almonds
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Eggs
- Lemon
- Vanilla & almond extract
How to make almond ricotta cake
(Note: this is a quick description; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Whisk eggs and sugar until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture looks pale. You can use an electric beater or a balloon whisk.
- Add the ricotta cheese, oil, lemon juice, almond and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- Mix flour, almond meal, salt, baking powder, and lemon zest in a separate bowl. Then, stir these dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well combined. The batter is quite thick and not smooth.
- Transfer to a prepared cake tin (I recommend a loose-bottom cake tin for this recipe), sprinkle with plenty of almond slices, and bake for about 30 minutes.
- Let it cool slightly, transfer the cake to a serving plate, and dust it with powdered sugar to make it elegant and perfect for the holiday table.
- Serve at room temperature, preferably with fresh berries or a dollop of chocolate cream cheese for extra yumminess. And when you’re ready, dive in.
Recipe Notes & tips
A quick look at the ingredients
Ricotta: Either standard ricotta sealed in containers or fresh ricotta from the deli counter is perfectly fine for this cake. And if you happen to have ricotta leftovers, these ricotta recipes will give you more ideas for making pasta dishes, dips, or sweet desserts.
Almonds: When I say almond meal, I mean ground almonds. You can find almond meal in the nut section of grocery stores or make your own by blitzing raw almonds in a powerful blender until they become a fine powder. Peeled or unpeeled almonds are fine, but make sure they are unsalted.
Flaked almonds: For sprinkling. Although not essential, these thin almond slices add extra texture, making this almond ricotta cake gorgeous. You can find them in the nut section next to the almond meal. But if you feel confident using a knife, chop or sliver your whole almonds instead of using pre-packed flaked almonds.
Vegetable oil: Easy to add to the batter, vegetable oil makes the cake moist and dense.
Flour + baking powder: The recipe uses all-purpose flour mixed with baking powder to make this cake rise nicely.
Eggs: They give structure – use them at room temperature.
Sugar: Caster, superfine, or even powdered sugar works well in this recipe as they dissolve correctly into the batter. You can also use granulated sugar for convenience if it’s all you have.
Lemon, vanilla & almond extract: For the best flavor, we use lemon zest for a bright lemon flavor and vanilla and almond extract to enhance the beautiful almond notes. And don’t forget to add a little salt to bring out extra flavor!
Almond ricotta cake variations
While this cake with almond and ricotta focuses more on the lemon almond flavor, and we love it as is, you’re welcome to add a little twist:
- Jazz up the flavor: If you’re not a big fan of lemons, use orange juice and zest instead of lemon.
- Try different mix-ins. Dark chocolate chips or a dash of cinnamon are good additions if you skip the lemon and prefer warmer flavors. Add cranberries or sultanas to the mix.
Storage Tips
This ricotta almond keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days. I recommend using a cake container or wrapping the cake with cling film to protect it from absorbing fridge odors and drying out. It also freezes beautifully, making it an excellent make-ahead dessert.
more sweet ricotta recipes you’ll love!
But where are my ricotta cake lovers?! Don’t forget to check out these epic ricotta dessert recipes and my favorite ricotta treats below!
Lastly, if you make this delicious almond ricotta cake or have any questions, just let me know in the comments or rate the recipe. I would love to hear from you!
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Almond Ricotta Cake
Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized eggs
- ¾ cup (150 grams) caster or fine sugar (granulated is fine too)
- ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (250 grams) ricotta
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice or milk
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (180 grams) almond meal
- 1 ½ cup (185 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 355°F/180°C and grease or line a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan with parchment paper. A loose-bottom cake tin would be perfect for this recipe.
- Use an electric beater or a balloon whisker to beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks pale.
- Add the ricotta cheese, vegetable oil, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and vanilla almond, and mix until smooth.
- Combine the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in a separate bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir until well combined (the batter is quite thick, not runny, and not smooth).
- Transfer the cake batter to the prepared cake tin, level the top with the back of a spoon, and sprinkle with flaked almonds. Bake in the middle rack for 30 minutes or until you insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake and it comes out clean. In my oven, it takes 30 minutes, so make sure to take the cake out of the oven as soon as it's done.
- Let the cake rest for 10 minutes on a cooling rack, then remove it from the tin. This is easy if you use a loose-bottom pan; otherwise, turn the pan upside down and gently ease the cake out and onto the cooling rack or plate. Dust with powdered sugar and serve at room temperature. It's delicious on its own!
Made this last weekend and it was delicious! Everyone loved it! 🙂
Is almond meal the same as almond flour?