Easy Berry Lemon Ricotta Cake That Literally Melts in Your Mouth

Berry Lemon Ricotta Loaf Cake (Italian-Inspired Recipe)

This berry lemon ricotta loaf cake is my own twist, inspired by a traditional Italian recipe I learned in Tuscany. While ricotta and lemon are classic in Southern Italian baking, I’ve added my personal twist with juicy berries and a hint of nutmeg to create a loaf that’s soft, moist, and bursting with vibrant flavor. This was my 4th attempt tweaking the ratio of all ingredients and I love it exactly this way.

The ricotta keeps the crumb light and tender without being heavy like cheesecake, while the lemon juice and zest bring freshness in every bite. This loaf literally melts in your mouth, and the berries add little bursts of sweetness, making it perfect served plain or topped with extra fresh or frozen berries for a colorful, fruity finish.

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Why You’ll Love This Berry Lemon Ricotta Loaf

✔ Inspired by traditional Italian ricotta cakes with a personal twist
✔ Moist, zesty lemon loaf packed with juicy berries
✔ Soft, airy texture that literally melts in your mouth
✔ Easy to make with simple, wholesome ingredients
✔ Perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea, or dessert
✔ Can be served plain, with fresh or frozen berries, or topped with mascarpone

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Ingredients

For the cake:
   •   125g butter, softened (≈ ½ cup or 1 stick)
   •   120g caster sugar (≈ ½ cup)
   •   60g brown sugar (≈ ¼ cup packed)
   •   2ml vanilla extract (≈ ½ tsp)
   •   Zest of 2 medium lemons and juice of 1 ½ lemons
   •   3 medium eggs, room temperature
   •   300g fresh ricotta (≈ 1 ¼ cups)
   •   60g plain unsweetened yogurt (≈ ¼ cup)
   •   200g 00 flour or all-purpose flour (≈ 1 2/3 cups)
   •   2 tsp baking powder
   •   3–4 pinches sea salt
   •   2 pinches ground nutmeg
   •   120g frozen berries, such as raspberries, redcurrants, and blueberries (≈ 1 cup)
   •   Extra fresh or frozen berries for topping

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Optional lemon glaze:
   •   1 tbsp brown sugar
   •   1 tbsp lemon juice
   •   ½ tbsp butter (≈ 7g or ½ tbsp)

Method
1. Prepare the tin: Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Line or grease a loaf tin.
2. Cream butter and sugar: Beat butter with both sugars until pale and fluffy. Mix in vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice slowly to prevent curdling.
3. Add eggs: Beat in eggs one at a time until incorporated.
4. Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
5. Combine: Fold in a third of the flour, then add ricotta and yogurt until smooth. Fold in remaining flour and gently stir in frozen berries. Top with extra frozen berries.
6. Bake: Pour batter into tin. Bake 55–65 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
7. Cool: Rest in tin 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

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Optional Toppings
   •   Lemon Glaze: Simmer sugar, lemon juice, and butter until smooth. Brush over warm cake.

   •   Lemon Mascarpone: Mix mascarpone, lemon juice, zest, and a touch of icing sugar. Chill until serving.

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To Serve

Slice this berry lemon ricotta loaf and enjoy plain or topped with extra fresh or frozen berries, mascarpone, or a drizzle of lemon glaze. It is perfect alongside coffee or tea for a cozy treat or an elegant dessert.

This is my personal take on a Tuscan-inspired classic, a soft, fruity, lemony loaf that literally melts in your mouth and is as beautiful as it is delicious.

For more delicious recipes, check out my channel and explore all the tasty creations I share @NicolaRecipes

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This is seriously the ultimate berry lemon cake. Mixture of berries, tartness from the lemon, beautiful ricotta. It doesn’t have any cheesiness to it. Lovely moist that melt in the mouth kind of feel. This is my recipe today. Here I have butter that’s already left outside to soften. I’m using a mix of custard and brown sugar. Today I’ve reduced the sweetness. The recipe is in the description. Now beat this. until it’s light and fluffy. This will take you roughly about 3 to four minutes. Then go in with vanilla essence. Remember, all the ingredients are in the description. Beat this for another minute or two. Here I have two lemons. We’re only going to use one and a half for this recipe. Mediumsized lemon, a really juicy one. First, I’m going to grate in the rind from both the lemons. Here’s the rind. And then I’m going to juice one and 1/2 lemon. We need really good juicy medium lemons. And you have this amount of juice. Okay. Now, we’re going to add in one/3 at a time. Add in one/3. Then beat them for about a minute. Going with another one/3. Beat them until you’ve used up all your lemon juice. And here I have three eggs. We’re going to beat in one egg at a time. Break in an egg. Beat them for about a minute. Second egg until you’re done with all your three eggs. Here I have flour. 200 g. I’m using 00 flour. You can use allpurpose. To it, we’re going to add in two teaspoons of baking powder. About three or four grinds of salt or or three four pinches of salt. And two or three pinches of nutmeg. Not too much nutmeg. We want nutmeg to just give a nice layering. Mix this very well. Now add in only one/3 of the flour mixture to your batter. Then add in your ricott. And to this we’re going to add in yogurt. Now this we’re going to beat in very well as well for about at least 3 to 4 minutes. We want the ricotta to break down. We want everything to melt together. Now once this is done, just scrape down the sides. And we’re going to go in with the balance of our flour. Do not mix this in yet. Add your flour. And then here I have 120 g of frozen berries. The reason I’m using frozen berries because it holds better. You can also use fresh ones. I’ve got red currants, raspberry, and blueberries. 120 g total. Now, the flour is going to help it not bleed so much. You’re going to just gently fold them in just enough to combine. Here I have a loaf pen. I’ve rubbed some butter along the sides and dusted with a little bit of flour. I’m using parchment paper along one side so it’s going to be easier for lifting later. Now, pour in your batter and gently just smoothen out the top. Give them a light tap or two to the counter. You can add additional berries. Put them into a preheated oven to bake for roughly about an hour. You want them to be just very lightly golden. When your skewer comes out clean, your cake is ready. Leave them in the pan for about 30 minutes. Then turn them onto a wire rag. I’ve glazed mine with a little lemon glaze. You don’t have to do it if you need it. The recipe is also in the description. Once it’s cool, cut them into beautiful slices and enjoy this delicious, really moist lemon berry ricotta cake. Now, if you have not tried this, you don’t know what you’re missing. It is one of my favorites, and anyone that has tasted it, they just love it to bits. It is delicious, freshly baked, and it’s even more delicious when you wrap it very well, keep it in the fridge overnight, and have it cold the next day. I hope you really try this one. I’m also going to link another basic lemon ricotta cake at the end of this video. And as always, I will see you in the next one.