Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Cake

Yes. Ricotta. Ricotta cheese contributes a tender, moist texture and a subtle tanginess to the cake, balancing the sweetness of the sugar and the brightness of the lemon. Additionally, the creamy ricotta helps to create a rich, velvety crumb for this Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Cake and a delicate, airy structure, making the cake feel both decadent and refined.

If you’ve never had a ricotta cake before, think of this as your exquisite entree to a life well-lived.

About this Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Cake

This Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Cake is a pound cake like none other. There is an absolutely perfect amount of lemon and bursting blueberries in the cake, warmed up by a beautifully balanced vanilla simple syrup and a jaw-droppingly gorgeous sweet/tart blueberry glaze. If you’re ready to upgrade your favorite lemon desserts, and if you’re willing to open your mind to the possibility of ricotta cheese in a cake, then you’re ready to make one of the most incredible desserts that you’ve ever had.

Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Cake Ingredients

Lemon Juice: The cake calls for 63 grams (1/4 c) of freshly squeezed lemon juice, in addition to the sour cream. The lemon juice technique means that you never, ever have to use lemon extract in this cake. Please don’t use the lemon juice in a bottle. It contains preservatives that may end up in the final product of your cake.

Lemon Zest: You’ll use the lemon zest to make lemon vanilla sugar for your cake. The technique of rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar releases the oils from the zest, which gives a big boost of lemon flavor. This is another reason why you can leave that lemon extract in your cupboard.

Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar creates a sweet balance for the tartness of the lemon in this cake. However, did you know that granulated sugar is also responsible for caramelization? That beautiful crust on the outside of your pound cake? It is largely because of the sugar in your recipe!

All-Purpose Flour: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I love the pleasantly plump texture of a good pound cake. In my experience (and with my cakes), that beautiful texture comes from all-purpose flour. That particular flour is absolutely perfect for this cake.

Baking Soda: Lemons and blueberry are acidic ingredients. Because of that, baking soda was the proper leavening for this pound cake.

Kosher Salt: Salt is very important in any dessert; it balances the sugar and keeps the dessert from becoming cloyingly sweet. If using table salt for this recipe, cut the amount in half. In this dessert, the sugar/lemon/blueberry/salt balance works beautifully!

Unsalted Butter: This particular cake has an amazing balance of sweet and tart, and it really needs salt to balance the whole thing. That being said, it’s important to really control the amount of salt in this recipe, so I’m recommending unsalted butter for this recipe. Also, butter helps this cake become lighter! Specifically, the process of creaming butter and sugar creates air pockets that assist with cake rise.

Ricotta Cheese: Ricotta cheese is like a superhero for your cake, using its moist and tangy powers to save the day by tenderizing the crumb and keeping it from getting too dense. The acidity in ricotta also triggers a chemical reaction that makes the cake brown to perfection, giving it that gorgeous golden crust. Ricotta cheese adds a rich, creamy flavor and a tender, moist texture to the cake, balancing its sweetness and creating a velvety crumb that’s simply irresistible.

Eggs: The protein in the eggs adds structure to the cake, while the fatty yolk adds delicious flavor. This recipe calls for four eggs, which might seem like a lot. Trust me, it’s perfection.

Vanilla Bean or Vanilla Extract: You can use either; this is a matter of personal preference. If you’d prefer to have the fruit flavors come through more boldly, use the vanilla extract.

Sour Cream: Sour cream and lemon juice are like the ultimate BFFs in this recipe – when mixed together, they create a beautiful balance of acidity and creaminess that makes the cake’s blueberry and lemon flavors pop. The acidity in the lemon juice awakens the sour cream’s tangy side, causing a delightful reaction that tenderizes the cake’s crumb and adds a burst of citrusy freshness.

Beginners Start Here

If you’re new to baking, or if you want to learn how to do some of the more tricky baking techniques, here are a couple of super helpful articles from the BwB site that will help you get set up for success with this Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Cake.

• My Favorite Bundt Pans
• Meet Your Kitchen BFF–Your Digital Kitchen Scale!
• Technique Tips for the Best Pound Cakes (& Big News!)
• How to Cream Butter and Sugar (With New Video!)
• Baking 101: How to Measure Ingredients
• How to Grease a Bundt Pan
• The Best Tools for Perfect Pound Cakes
• Knowing When to Stop a Technique
• Begin with Butter Home Baking Academy | Perfect Pound Cakes Class!

These resources are super helpful to help you build consistency and confidence on your baking journey. Happy Reading!

Important Tools Used in this Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Cake

I am immensely happy to announce that Begin with Butter has its own Amazon Storefront, where you can find all of the amazing equipment that I used in this special cake! Want even more specific links? Check out the links, below.

I do get paid a commission when you purchase, but these are the tools that I use all the time in my own kitchen.

If you have these tools already, great! Think of this as a checklist to help you build the confidence that you’ll need to execute this recipe!

• Oven Thermometer
• Digital Food Scale
• KitchenAid Hand Mixer
• KitchenAid Stand Mixer 
• Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set
• OXO Spatula Set
• Sifter

This Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Cake is, quite simply, exquisite. She is an elevated take on a classic bake, and one that I hope will become a part of your regular baking rotation.

Happy Baking!

Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Cake

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Indulge in the sunshine-filled flavors of our Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pound Cake, where tangy lemon, sweet blueberries, and creamy ricotta come together in a moist and decadent treat that’s sure to brighten up your day.

Ingredients

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For the Cake:

• 384 g (3 c) all-purpose flour, plus 2 tbsp for the blueberries
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 500 g (2.5 c) granulated sugar
• 1 vanilla bean or 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 75 g (1/3 c) unsalted butter
• 165 g (2/3 c) whole milk, full-fat ricotta cheese
• 4 eggs
• 227 g (1 c) full-fat sour cream
• 63 g (1/4 c) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 384 g (1.5 c) blueberries, fresh or frozen

For the Vanilla Simple Syrup:

• 84 g (1/3 c) water
• 67 g (1/3 c) granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Blueberry Glaze:

• 240 g confectioner’s sugar
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1.5–2.5 tbsp whole milk
• 2 tbsp Blueberry Cardamom Sauce (sans cardamom) or blueberry preserves (like these Bonne Maman Blueberry Preserves)

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Instructions

To Make the Batter:

1. Set your oven to a true 325°F.  An oven thermometer is extremely useful here, since most ovens will not reach 325°F when set to 325°F.
2. Zest and juice three medium lemons (or four small lemons).  Separate the zest from the juice in two small bowls.
3. Combine the sour cream and 63 g of lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside.
4. In another medium bowl, combine the granulated sugar, 1 tbsp of the lemon zest, and vanilla beans (if using). Scrunch the lemon zest into the granulated sugar to release the citrus oils and combine the vanilla beans. (Alternatively, you can place the sugar, vanilla beans, and lemon zest in a deli cup and shake shake shake!)  Once done, set aside.
5. Sift together the all-purpose flour, kosher salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.  Set aside.
6. Add the room-temperature butter to the bowl of your stand mixer or a large mixing bowl.  Mix with a hand mixer or stand mixer until the butter is completely smooth. Add the ricotta cheese and blend just until combined and the fats are smooth. Add the infused granulated sugar and cream until the mixture is light and fluffy. *note: the butter and sugar will not be as firm as an all-butter mixture, but you are on the right track!
7. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing each egg until completely incorporated into the mixture.  Scrape the sides and bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
8. If using vanilla extract, add the vanilla and mix thoroughly. (If using vanilla beans, you don’t need to do this step)
9. Add half of the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
10. Add all of the sour cream/lemon juice mixture and mix until just combined.
11. Add the second half of the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
12. In a small bowl, add the blueberries and two tablespoons of flour.  Stir to coat the blueberries, then place the blueberries into a fine metal strainer and shake over an empty bowl to remove the excess flour. Fold into the batter carefully, to avoid breaking the berries.
13. Prepare your bundt pan as your normally would (I use the butter/flour method, and you can see how to do that right here!).
14. Add the batter to the pan.
15. Bake for 70-80 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer reads 210°F-215°F.  Note: This one takes a little longer to bake because of the fresh berries, so make sure to account for that when you’re prepping!
16. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack, in its pan, for ten minutes.  Place a piece of parchment paper under the cooling rack!
17. After ten minutes, invert the cake onto the cooling rack.

To Make the Vanilla Simple Syrup:

1. Add sugar, salt, and water to a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Remove from the heat as soon as the sugar and salt are completely dissolved.
2. Add pure vanilla extract and stir to combine.
3. Allow the cake to cool in its pan for ten minutes, then invert and place on top of a cooling rack.  Brush simple syrup on the cake and allow to cool completely.

To Make the Blueberry Glaze:

1. Add the confectioner’s sugar, fine sea salt, 1.5 tablespoons of whole milk, blueberry sauce, and vanilla extract to the bowl.  Mix with a small whisk until smooth. If necessary, add up to 1 more tbsp of whole milk or lemon juice, 1 tsp at a time. The final glaze should have the consistency of thick honey.
2. Use a spouted measuring cup or spoon to add the glaze to the completely cooled cake.
3. Enjoy!

• Author: Shani