Ricotta Blueberry Cake

A blueberry loaf cake cut into slices and a lemon.

5 from 35 votes

Ricotta Blueberry Cake is a moist ricotta cake made fresh tasting with lemon and fresh blueberries! Enjoy it as is or topped with lemon icing for the perfect breakfast or afternoon treat!

Prep Time25

Cook Time50

Total Time1 5

Course: Cake

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 324kcal

Author: Natalie

Equipment

Ingredients

Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
3 eggs room temperature
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract (optional
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup almond flour all-purpose can be substituted
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cup blueberries fresh or frozen, if using frozen, do not thaw
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour for tossing with the blueberries

Lemon Icing (Optional)

⅔ cup powdered sugar
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon lemon zest optional
pinch kosher salt optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
If you're using fresh blueberries, wash them and and pat dry with paper towels. Use your hands to gently toss the fresh blueberries in a bowl with 1 tablespoon flour to coat them. Set aside.
If you're using frozen blueberries, keep them in the freezer until it's time to add them to the batter. Do not thaw frozen blueberries and don't toss them in flour.
Add the sugar to a large mixing bowl. Add the lemon zest and rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingertips.
Next, add the butter and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the ricotta and beat until mostly smooth and combined (small lumps are fine).
Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the lemon juice, and vanilla and almond extract and beat to combine.
Add the dry ingredients and fold together with a spatula until just combined (do not overmix). Use a spatula to fold in the blueberries.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. If you notice the top of the cake browning halfway through baking, you can tent it with aluminum foil. Oven temperatures can vary, so start checking for doneness at 50 minutes.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before adding the optional icing or slicing.

Lemon Icing (Optional)

In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar, lemon zest, pinch of salt and lemon juice. Add a little extra lemon juice if needed. The glaze is best if thick but add a touch extra lemon juice if needed to make it pourable.

Notes

Blueberries: Fresh blueberries are preferred, but frozen work well too. If using frozen, skip the flour tossing step and do not thaw before adding to the batter. Note that frozen berries may tint the batter slightly blue.

Ricotta: Use whole milk ricotta for the best results. If your ricotta looks watery or has liquid pooling in the container, drain it briefly through a fine mesh strainer before using.

Lemon(s): You will need about 1 large lemon for the cake batter. If you are making the lemon glaze, have a second lemon on hand.

Tenting the cake: If the cake is browning too much, cover it with a foil tent. To do this, tear off a sheet large enough to overhang all sides, fold it in half once or twice to create a tent shape, and drape it over the cake making sure the foil isn't touching the surface.

Storage: This cake can be kept at room temperature the day it is made. After that, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition