Savor the bright citrus character of Lemon-Ricotta Olive Oil Cake, enriched with buttermilk and vanilla bean paste. Each tangy layer is glazed generously with lemon simple syrup and covered with creamy frosting.
Lemon-Ricotta Olive Oil Cake with Lemon Cream Frosting
Makes 1 (8-inch) cake
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- ÂĽ cup ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Âľ cup olive oil
- Lemon Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
- Lemon Cream Frosting (recipe follows)
- Garnish: thinly sliced lemon, lemon leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray with flour, and line bottoms with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla bean paste at high speed until pale yellow and fluffy, about 4 minutes. When the whisk is lifted, the egg mixture should fall from the attachment in a ribbon pattern that sinks into the batter after a few seconds.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, milk, and buttermilk until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Reduce mixer speed to medium, and slowly pour in olive oil. Reduce mixer speed to low; gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture alternately with ricotta mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, scraping down bowl and beating just until combined after each addition. Divide batter between prepared pans, tapping pans to remove air bubbles.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Let cool in pans for 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on a wire rack, at least 1 hour.
- Using a serrated knife, trim off tops of cake to create even layers. Brush each cake layer generously with Lemon Simple Syrup. For a rustic look, spread Lemon Cream Frosting thickly between layers and on top of cake, and thinly around sides of cake. Garnish with thinly sliced lemons and lemon leaves, if desired.
Lemon Simple Syrup
Makes approximately ½ cup
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine sugar, ½ cup water, vanilla bean paste, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil; remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Lemon Cream Frosting
Makes approximately 2 ½ cups
Ingredients
- 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
- ÂĽ cup ricotta cheese
- ½ cup plus ⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons Lemon Simple Syrup (recipe above)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1½ teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and ricotta at medium speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low, scrape sides of bowl, and add confectioners’ sugar. Beat until smooth, about 3 minutes more. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl. Add Lemon Simple Syrup, vanilla bean paste, honey, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Beat at medium speed until fully incorporated.
- Transfer to a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes before using.
For more delectable olive oil–infused recipes, see “A Golden Touch of Olive Oil” on page 85 of the October 2017 issue of Victoria.Â
