Torta di Ricotta e Limone

Name: Torta di Ricotta e Limone
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Siciliana
Ingredients: 500 g fresh ricotta; 180 g caster sugar; 3 large Eggs; 2 whole unwaxed sicilian lemons; 100 g Plain flour; 8 g Baking powder; 1 g Fine sea salt; 10 g Butter; 15 g icing sugar

A moist, tender Sicilian home-style cake made with fresh ricotta and fragrant lemon zest, naturally rich without heavy fats.

🇮🇹Italy· Sicily

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 65 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 230 kcal

Ingredients

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Servings

500 g fresh ricotta — drained in a sieve for 1 hour; sheep's milk preferred
180 g caster sugar — fine white sugar
3 large Eggs — at room temperature
2 whole unwaxed sicilian lemons — finely grated zest of both, plus 40ml strained juice
100 g Plain flour — tipo 00 or standard plain flour
8 g Baking powder — about 2 level teaspoons
1 g Fine sea salt — a generous pinch
10 g Butter — for greasing the tin
15 g icing sugar — for dusting before serving

Equipment

•22cm springform cake tin
•Baking parchment
•Whisk or electric hand mixer
•Fine microplane grater
•Spatula
•Wire cooling rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 230 kcal
fat: 8 g
carbs: 31 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 9 g
calories: 230 kcal

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 175C (155C fan) and grease a 22cm springform cake tin with butter.
2
Line the base of the tin with non-stick baking parchment.
3
Place the well-drained ricotta and caster sugar into a large mixing bowl.
4
Beat the ricotta and sugar with a whisk until smooth and creamy.
5
Add the eggs one at a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition.
6
Grate in the lemon zest and pour in the strained lemon juice.
7
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl.
8
Fold the dry ingredients into the ricotta mixture gently with a spatula until just combined.
9
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface evenly.
10
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden on top and set with a slight centre wobble.
11
Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin on a wire rack.
12
Release the tin, transfer to a serving plate and dust lightly with icing sugar.

Chef's tips

Always drain your ricotta over a sieve before starting to prevent an overly wet, dense batter. Use unwaxed, intensely aromatic lemons to capture the authentic Sicilian citrus flavour. Do not overmix once the flour is added, or the crumb will become rubbery.

Ingredient substitutions

sheep's milk ricotta → cow's milk ricotta, well-drained
plain flour → fine cornflour or potato starch for a gluten-free crumb

Storage

Keep the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and bring to room temperature before serving.

Reheating

This cake is best enjoyed at room temperature or chilled, not reheated.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Skipping the ricotta draining step, which leaves excess moisture and makes the cake soggy.
•Grating the bitter white lemon pith along with the fragrant yellow zest.
•Slicing the cake while hot, causing it to collapse rather than hold clean wedges.

Serving suggestions

Serve at room temperature with an espresso or a cup of black tea.Accompany with a spoonful of fresh berry compote or macerated strawberries.Serve slightly chilled during hot summer months.