Ricotta Olive Oil Cake Recipe
Published September 21, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This incredibly moist and flavorful Ricotta Olive Oil Cake Recipe loaded with lemon and almonds will quickly become your favorite. You will not believe just how tasty and tender this cake is.
In my family, we need a sweet to finish every meal, and if there’s a cake, there are extra smiles. If you have a similar family, then you must try my Funfetti Cake or Tres Leches.
Olive Oil Cake
Olive oil cake is a simple cake that uses olive oil to help flavor and hydrate the cake for flavor and moisture. The flavors of the olive oil are subtle, but the result is a very moist cake with gentle lemon flavors from the lemon zest. While this is a classic Mediterranean cake, I push in on the Italian region and use Ricotta cheese to assist with flavor and moistness.
This is a very easy-to-make cake and is one of my most popular cake recipes. Do not let the “olive oil” in this recipe frighten you. It is extremely light and fluffy and nothing short of delicious. See the video below for detailed instructions for making this.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Ricotta – Use a good full-fat ricotta cheese. If you can get ahold of a true sheep’s milk ricotta, even better.
- Oil – Use good virgin olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil will give too strong of a flavor.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar is what you will need for this recipe.
- Lemon – The zest of lemon will give great flavors to this olive oil cake.
- Eggs – Large eggs that are chilled or at room temperature work great.
- Flour – You will need all-purpose flour and almond flour for this recipe.
- Leavening Agents – Both baking powder and baking soda is used in this cake.
- Salt – I always use sea salt in my recipes.
How to Make a Ricotta Olive Oil Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the ricotta, olive oil, sugar, and lemon zest until completely combined.
Next, add in one egg at a time and mix to incorporate before adding in the next one.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. Whisk well to ensure all clumps are removed.
Transfer the dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and whisk together until everything is combined.
Pour the batter into a 9″ springform pan and bake for 60-70 minutes or until golden brown on top of the cake and firm in the center. You can add a parchment paper round to the bottom of the pan.
Place the lemon ricotta cake onto a wire rack and let it cool to room temperature before decorating and serving.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this cake up to 1 day ahead of time.
How to Store: Cover and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. Place it in the refrigerator and cover it for up to 5 days. You can freeze this covered for up to 3 months and thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before serving.
How to Serve: Pull the cake out and let it sit for 1 hour at room temperature before serving.
Chef Notes + Tips
- Use finely ground almond flour. This is also known as almond meal.
- There are a few ways that you can finish off this cake. You can do it by simply sprinkling on some powdered sugar, or you can decorate it with some whipped cream, lemon slices, and fresh mint.
- For more lemon flavor, feel free to add lemon juice from 1 lemon.
- This is not a gluten-free cake.
- Feel free to also serve with fresh berries.
- Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the wet ingredients if you want added flavor.
More Cake Recipes
Video
Ricotta Olive Oil Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups of ricotta
- 2/3 cup of olive oil
- 1 ½ cups of sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ cups ap flour
- 3/4 cup of almond meal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/3 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the ricotta, olive oil, sugar, and zest until completely combined.
- Next, add in one egg at a time, and they are completely mixed in.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. Whisk well to ensure clumps are removed.
- Transfer the dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and whisk together until everything is combined.
- Pour the batter into a 9" spring form pan and bake for 60-70 minutes or until browned on top and firm in the center.
- Place the cake onto a cooling rack and let it cool to room temperature before decorating and serving.
Made it for my birthday and spread fresh raspberry jam on the top 100% delicious
excellent!
This has been one of my favorite recipes to make because it is so easy and tastes amazing. It is moist and not too sweet. I like it warm with some whip cream. I also add 1 tspn of Almond extract which complements the almond meal and a little squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Love it!
This is one of the easiest and tasty cakes I ever made! I was hesitant that it wouldn’t be lemony enough for me, but have no fear – the zest was enough. The flavors were better the next day as well. The cake has a delicate crumb and the subtle texture of the top “crust” was delightful. If you are looking for a showstopper that doesn’t take half a day to make, this is the recipe to try!
Perfect!
Served it at a bbq, amazing recipe.
Perfect!
This cake is so delicious! And easy to make.
Awesome!
Warning: DON’T make this cake when you are hungry!!!!!! The hardest part is waiting for the cool and the smell is too tempting!!! Awesome dessert! Easy too. I love making things and after the 1st try I get it right.
Thanks Chef!!!!
From one of your dedicated commies!
thanks for giving it a shot!!
We certainly did.Chef Parisi this was a winner winner easy cake to make .IT WAS DELICIOUS WE ALL LOVED IT..♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Perfect!
We loved this elegant and easy to make recipe. It’s a great way to follow up a spring or summer time meal.
Yes. so good!!
I have made this a few times and its always come out DIVINE! Light, fluffy, moist and delicious. Each time, I have doubled the lemon rind and used a bit less than 1c sugar, and its wonderful! A bit more tangy and less sweet – just the way I like it! QUESTION: I would like to bake this for my mother who is gluten-intolerant. If I use all almond meal, instead of both almond and AP flour… How much almond meal should I use? And what else should I adjust or add to make it work well?
Amazing!
This cake is so easy to make. It sure doesn’t taste like it, though!! I think the flavor and texture were better the second day than the first, and if you are dusting with powdered sugar wait to dust it till you are ready to serve or just before guests arrive. DON’T SMIP THIS RECIPE!!!