Lemon blueberry ricotta cake is one of the easiest desserts ever! With no mixer required, this simple dessert comes together in no time and is perfect for holidays, brunches, or anytime you’re craving something sweet.
Lemon blueberry ricotta cake is one of those desserts that’s perfect for nearly any occasion.
Simple enough to throw together for an impromptu gathering, but decadent enough for special occasions and holidays.
Not only is this cake visually appealing, but the taste and texture are also wonderful thanks to the blueberries, lemon, ricotta, and vanilla.
And the best part is how easily it comes together.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Preheat the oven to 350f and prepare a 9″ springform pan by greasing the sides and lining the bottom with parchment paper. Melt 8 tablespoons (113g) of butter and allow to cool. Zest 1 lemon and juice enough for two tablespoons. In a medium-sized bowl, combine 1 cup (120g) of all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
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- In a large bowl, whisk together 3 large room-temperature eggs with 3/4 cup (150g) of granulated sugar until light and frothy.
- Add the cooled melted butter and whisk until incorporated, then add the lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon of Fiori di Sicilia (optional). Whisk until combined.
- Add 16 ounces (460g) of whole milk ricotta cheese and whisk for 1 minute.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Place the springform pan on a baking sheet (to prevent leakage) and pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and use a spatula to ensure even distribution.
- Toss 1 1/2 cups (200g) of fresh blueberries in 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar and sprinkle the blueberries on top of the batter.
- Bake in the oven for 55-60 minutes until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for at least 20 minutes, then run a sharp knife along the edge of the cake to separate it from the springform, and remove the springform top. Dust with powdered sugar right before serving and enjoy!
Top tips for lemon blueberry ricotta cake
- Ricotta. If you’re using a very wet ricotta, such as Polly-O brand, I suggest draining some of the water from it through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Drier ricottas, like Galbani brand don’t have much liquid and shouldn’t require as much draining.
- Flavor. Vanilla extract is a must for this recipe, but to amp up the flavor even more I also added Fiori di Sicilia which is a combination of citrus and vanilla and is wonderful to add to any citrus flavored dessert. If you can’t find it, you can also use orange blossom water, or millefiore in its place. If you can’t find any of these, don’t worry – the cake will still be delicious without them, I promise!
- Pan. I prefer to use a springform pan for this blueberry ricotta cake since it’s easy to remove. Some springform pans can leak so I recommend placing the pan on top of a baking sheet to prevent any leaks into the oven.
- Blueberries. I prefer to use fresh blueberries for this recipe but you can use frozen if that’s what you have available.
More sweet treats
We think you’ll love these other wonderful desserts!
- Italian cheesecake – loaded with orange zest, and ricotta, and topped with blueberry sauce.
- Peach blueberry crisp – peaches, blueberries and a crumbly oat topping.
- Orange olive oil cake – this one tastes like Sicily, but in dessert form.
- Pastiera Napoletana – traditional sweet grain pie that’s usually made for Easter, but great any time of year!
If you’ve enjoyed this lemon blueberry ricotta cake recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and tell us about it in the comments below.
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Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Cake
Lemon blueberry ricotta cake is an easy and tasty dessert that includes ricotta cheese, fresh lemon zest and juice, blueberries, and vanilla.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons (113g) butter melted and cooled
- zest of one lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 16 ounces (460g) whole milk ricotta cheese see notes below
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia optional
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar plus more for dusting
- 1 1/2 cups (200g) fresh blueberries
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350f and prepare a 9" springform pan by greasing the sides and lining the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until light and frothy.
- Add the melted butter and mix until incorporated, then add the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, Fiori di Sicilia, and ricotta and whisk until combined.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Place the springform pan on a baking sheet and pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth using a spatula.
- Toss the blueberries with the powdered sugar, then sprinkle the blueberries on top of the batter.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool for 10-20 minutes before removing the springform. Dust with powdered sugar before serving and enjoy!
Notes
- Fiori di Sicilia is an optional flavoring. Orange blossom water or millefiore can be substituted, or omitted entirely.
- If using a very wet ricotta, like Polly-O brand, you can drain the ricotta through a cheesecloth to remove excess liquid. If using a dryer ricotta brand, such as Galbani, draining shouldn't be necessary.
- This recipe was written for a conventional oven. For convection ovens, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and begin checking for doneness at the 75% mark.
- Lemon blueberry ricotta cake can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 375kcal | Carbohydrates: 37.9g | Protein: 10.7g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12.6g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 225mg | Potassium: 194mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 22.9g | Calcium: 161mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Made this cake this Morning, looks great, cooling right now. Directions , easy to follow,Thanks another keeper
So happy you enjoyed, Joann!
Overall this was great, but not sure if I slightly over or undercooked it! Outer edge was almost like a dense pound cake, while the center was a bit denser/moister like a cheesecake.
Couldn’t find Fiori di Sicilia locally, so had to omit it. Curious what brand you use? I’m seeing 2 different types. One type is more like vanilla extract with ingredients that read “ethyl alcohol, water, natural flavor” and the other type only has 1 ingredient “essential oils of citrus fruits”.
Hi Sam, we’re so happy you enjoyed. We use the King Arthur Fiori di Sicilia – it’s available on their website.
Can you freeze?
Hi Margaret, yes, you can freeze the cake.
Can I use a round cake pan for this recipe?
Thank you
You can, but the springform makes it easier to remove.
Lemon Ricotta Blueberry Cake was delicious. Sent to daughter in Arizona. Her family enjoyed it.
She has been visiting us in Connecticut this month and made it. We not only had one piece, we
all had a second sliver! When she left, she took 1/4 of the cake to share, also! 😄
We all loved it.
We’re so happy you all enjoyed it, Lee!
WHY DI I HAVE 2 RECEPIES FOR THE ABOVE LEMON BLUEBERRY RICOTTA CAKE FROM YOUR RECEPIES THAT HAVE DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF INGREDIENTS,eg.
ONE SHOWS 3 EGGS THE OTHER 6 EGGS- 8 T BUTTER -16 T BUTTER, AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER INGEDS ALL FROM THE SAME AUTHER BUT NOTHING SHOWING ON EITHER RECIPE THE SIZE OF THE END PRODUCT .1 1/2 C BLUEBERRIES -3 CUPS OF BLUEBERRIES. CAN YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN.?
tHANK YOU
Hi there, you likely clicked the “2x” button on the recipe card to scale the recipe up and double the ingredients.
Absolutely delicious! I made this last summer. I’ll be making it again to bring to a family get together in Massachusetts. Love this cake!
We’re so happy you love the cake and appreciate the comment, Trish!
The cake was a great hit with my family. Just curious have you ever made it with fresh raspberries?
I’m so happy you liked it, Trish! I haven’t tried it with raspberries but I bet it would work.
Fantastic! I’m going to serve this on the 4th of July topped with whipped cream and strawberries. A bit over the top but it’s all about the red, white, and blue on 7/4.
We’re so happy you liked the recipe! Strawberries and whipped cream will be a great addition for the red white and blue!
I served this to my bridge group today. Everyone loved it. Can the left overs be frozen?
Hi Kathy, yes, you can freeze the leftover cake.
I wonder if you could make this in a Bundt pan
Hi Colleen, thanks for the comment. I haven’t tested this recipe in a bundt pan so I can’t say for sure. I do prefer the springform for this cake since it’s easy to remove.
Would love to try this, but can you use frozen blueberries?
Hi Joseph, yes, you can use frozen blueberries.
Love easy healthy desserts especially if you use natural plant sweeteners. The cheese is good for everyone in moderation as with most foods.
Hi Carol, thanks for the comment and happy you enjoyed this one!
I’ve made this cake twice now, well actually 3 times because one time I left the cake to cool on the kitchen table and my dog got to it and devoured it hahaha
The £25 I spent on the Fiore di Sicilia was money well spent. It elevates the cake to the next level.
The first time I made it I used parchment paper to line the pan. The second and third times I sprayed the bottom and sides of the pan with cooking spray and the cake turned out much better. It came easily out of the pan and the bit of oil added a bit of crust to the sides and bottom and improved the flavour. The first time I also sprinkled the blueberries on top of the batter per your recipe, but the second time I mixed them into the batter before pouring and the result was that the blueberries and their flavour were more evenly distributed through the cake.
Hi Janelle, so happy you enjoyed this one enough to make it a few times. Great to hear you like the fiore di sicilia as well. Thanks so much for the comment!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE…I’m your biggest fan!
Hi Sharon, so happy you enjoyed and thanks for the comment!
I just made this from the printed recipe. It did not say to drain the ricotta. I saw this after I looked at the recipe on line and it was made. Tasted good and was easy but I hope after storing in fridge it will not be too moist. I hope you revise this step and put it in the ingredient list i
Hi Lucy, draining the ricotta isn’t necessary unless there is a lot of water in the ricotta. If you’re using a brand like Polly-O that tends to be on the wetter side, you can drain it but it’s not absolutely necessary like it would be when making Italian cheesecake. We’ve made this recipe many times and have not drained the ricotta and have always had success. We did update the notes section in the recipe card to note that it can be drained.
Well Jim, another great recipe! Everyone loved it and will be added to our dessert repertoire. Thanks again.
Hi Joe, I’m so happy you all enjoyed this one and really appreciate the comment!
Made this for Easter. Just lovely! Easy to make. Great comments from family members. Thanks, Jim!
Hi Gilda, we’re so happy you enjoyed the cake and appreciate the comment!
I made this today on this rainy day in the PNW. It turned out lovely and was delicious! I wasn’t sure what texture to expect with the combination of ricotta and only a cup of flour. It was creamy and extremely moist with just enough sweetness. I substituted Grand Marnier for the fiori di Sicilia. I used the full 1.5 cups of fresh blueberries, which thoroughly covered the cake top in a 8.5” springform pan. One cup would have been enough leaving more space for the cake batter to rise up and brown.
I’m so happy you enjoyed this one, Eveylyn, and really appreciate the comment!
I made this for the first time on Sunday to follow my Bucatini Ragu with chicken, it is a little bit of work but turned out very good!
I would add to the instructions that you should grease the spring-an sides very well, and expect this to rise to the top. I had to bake mine about 10 minutes longer, and when you remove it from the oven it drops down quite a bit.
I will have to make another this weekend for Easter!
Hi Tom, I’m happy you enjoyed the recipe. We do address greasing the springform pan and lining it with parchment paper in the recipe. Hope you enjoy it when you make it again for Easter!
I am debating on how to replace the flour. I have almond flour, Bob’s Red Mills All purpose Gluten Free Flour or Bob’s Red Mills 1:1 Flour.
Recipe looks great!
Hi Gisele, I haven’t tested this recipe with GF flour, but have heard good things about Bob’s 1:1, as well as King Aruthur’s Measure for Measure as a replacement for flour.
Made this last night. Very good 10! Also easy to put together. I found it took about 65 minutes.
Hi John, I’m so happy you enjoyed the cake and really appreciate the comment!
Wondering if I can make this in an 8” pan? Any advice?
Hi Josie, you can use an 8″ pan although the time in the oven may differ slightly. You may need a few extra minutes to account for the thicker cake.