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This orange ricotta cake is easy to make and packed with fresh citrus flavor. Made in one bowl with vibrant orange zest, ricotta, and butter, it bakes into a moist, tender cake with a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
If you love baking with ricotta, try my ricotta cheesecake, lemon ricotta pancakes, lemon ricotta cookies with lemon glaze, and whipped ricotta dip!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItWhen I first tasted this cake, I couldn’t stop saying, “This is one of the best cakes I’ve ever made.” It’s incredibly moist, light, and full of bright orange flavor — easy to whip up and now a staple in our home. Even my kids, who usually skip cake for cookies or ice cream, devoured it and asked for more.
I shared a few slices with my neighbor and her family loved it just as much — it disappeared in minutes.
This cake is perfect to serve any time of the year, which I love. I like to serve it for birthday parties, garden parties, tea parties, or even fall harvest parties! Serve it with fresh berries or a fruit platter for the ultimate dessert.
Why You’ll Love This Orange Ricotta Cake
Easy to Customize: Swap orange for lemon to create a lemon ricotta cake variation.
One Bowl Recipe: Simple, no mixer required.
Moist, Tender Texture: Ricotta creates a soft, rich crumb that stays moist for days.
Bright Citrus Flavor: Fresh orange zest delivers vibrant citrus aroma and flavor. Just like my chocolate orange cake!
Orange Ricotta Cake Ingredients
Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and moisture to the cake.
Ricotta Cheese: not only adds moisture but also contains proteins that help create a tender crumb. The high-fat content in full-fat ricotta also prevents the cake from drying out.
Granulated Sugar: Use pure white sugar for this recipe.
Eggs: Binding agent that adds structure. Use organic eggs when possible.
Orange Zest: Orange zest contains essential oils that enhance the cake’s flavor profile. The oil molecules infuse into the batter, providing a more intense and aromatic citrus flavor than juice alone. A large orange works perfect
Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor profile; you can also use a vanilla bean.
All-Purpose Flour: The base of our cake, giving it substance. I like King Arthur flour.
Baking Powder: Helps the cake rise; make sure you check the expiration date.
Buttercream Icing: This is made in one bowl with butter, fresh orange juice, orange zest, half and half (or whole milk), powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. It adds a creamy finish to the cake. It only requires a whisk, no special equipment!
How to Make
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8- or 9-inch round pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Melt the butter. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, eggs, orange zest, and vanilla. Stir in the ricotta until smooth.
3. Fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt just until combined.
4. Pour the batter into the pan, smooth the top, and tap gently to release air bubbles.
5. Bake for 25–35 minutes until golden and springy to the touch. Cool 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before icing.
Orange Buttercream Icing:
Melt butter and whisk with the remaining icing ingredients until smooth. Add more cream if needed. Spread over the cooled cake and decorate with orange slices or edible flowers.
Eden’s Recipe Tips
Lemon Variation: Swap the orange zest and juice for lemon to make a lemon ricotta cake.
Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
Layer Cake: Double the recipe and divide into two pans for a layered cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but keep in mind that full-fat ricotta adds a richer, creamier texture. Using low-fat ricotta may slightly alter the moistness and flavor of the cake.
Add a pinch of finely ground cinnamon or nutmeg to the batter for warmth and complexity, which pairs well with the orange flavor.
Use a microplane for fine zesting to avoid the bitter white pith, and zest directly over the batter to capture the oils released from the orange peel, which enhances flavor
Absolutely. The cake is delicious on its own with powdered sugar or fresh berries.
Yes, but full-fat ricotta produces a richer texture and moister crumb.
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Orange Ricotta Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Ricotta Cake
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 4 ounces, melted
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tbsp orange zest , grated from 1 medium orange
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
Orange Buttercream Icing
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tbsp orange zest
- 2 tbsp orange juice , fresh squeezed
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp heavy cream or whole milk, more or less depending on the texture of the frosting.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch or 9-inch round pan. Then, line the pan with a round piece of parchment paper. Set aside. You can use a springform pan if you'd like. Just make sure to butter the sides well.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan or a medium-size microwave-safe bowl for about 50 seconds.
- Add the melted butter, sugar, eggs, orange zest, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until blended. Add the ricotta and stir until incorporated about 30 seconds.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the ricotta mixture and fold until the flour is incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula and hit it against the counter a few times to release bubbles.
- Place in a preheated oven and bake for 25-35 minutes or until the cake has a small dome in the center, is lightly golden brown, and springs back when lightly touched on the top.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Invert onto a cooling rack and let the cake cool completely before adding the icing. If I'm in a bind, I'll place the cake in the freezer for 10 minutes to cool quickly. You can't ice the cake when warm, as the icing will melt off.
Orange Buttercream Icing
- Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl or a small saucepan.
- Add all of the icing ingredients and whisk together until smooth and creamy. It should be easy to spread. If it is too thick, add more cream and whisk.
- Scoop and spread over the cooled cake. Decorate with orange slices or edible flowers.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So damn good and moist. The crumb is unreal. The icing is a must.
I put 1/2 cup of sugar in the batter instead of 3/4 cup and I’m glad, the cake is really sweet with the icing on top but it goes really well with a nice cup of tea 😉
I will put even less sugar in the batter next time.
Looks so yummy.
I might try it in two 6″ pans. the layers would be a bit thin maybe but it would be a cute two layer option.
Thanks for sharing the recipe