Lemon Ricotta Loaf

This light and fluffy Lemon Ricotta Loaf is loaded with lemony flavour which makes it perfect for springtime! The addition of the sweet glaze helps to balance the tartness of the lemon. Prepared with a whole cup of ricotta, you just know this loaf is deliciously soft and moist!

I live in a world where food is comfortable, recognizable, and easy to pronounce. And, in that world, desserts are sweet, rustic, simple, and no-fuss. In the world I am talking about, Lemon Ricotta Loaf fits right in! This loaf is a perfect treat or dessert any time of the year, but for some reason – blame it on society if you will – any dessert that has lemons as a main ingredient, always seems to taste better in spring and summer.  Am I alone in my thinking?

This Lemon Ricotta Loaf is a great sweet treat to start with if you’re new to baking.  It’s easy to make, has very inexpensive ingredients, and the results are pretty much guaranteed to be perfect every time.  Seriously, Dear Reader, it would be extremely difficult to mess up this recipe! Serve this treat with hot tea on a stay-at-home Saturday or Sunday afternoon, and it’s bound to put a smile on everyone’s face.

BAKING IS A GREAT WAY TO SPEND YOUR ALONE TIME

Even though my mom never made this particular recipe, this recipe reminds me so much of her.  My mom loved to cook and bake and I credit much of my love for food to her.  Our home was never without a homemade square, bar, cookie, cake, or pie.  And, she learned everything she knew about cooking and baking from her mom.

I wish I could say the same thing!  My mom never let me near the kitchen – except to help with the dishes or something like that.  Much like me, she liked to be alone in the kitchen.  Having someone help or having to show someone what to do, only slowed her down.

In my own life, there are many times when I will complain about having to take care of all of the cooking and baking in our home even though John.e will often offer to help and so will McKenna when she’s visiting. Nonetheless, I always politely decline.  If I have to tell someone how to crack an egg or how to properly measure a cup of flour, I’d prefer just to do it myself.  But, they’re both great with the cleaning up!  Even on the weekends when I bang out two or three recipes back to back for this blog, John.e is right there to wash up the dishes! I appreciate that much more.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. The exact amounts and measurements can be found in the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

FOR THE BASE:

• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Baking Powder
• Salted Butter – Make sure your butter is softened and at room temperature! I always use salted butter, unless stated otherwise.  If you only have unsalted butter, ad 1/4 teaspoon of salt when you add the flour.
• Ricotta – This is the key to this loaf recipe. Not only does it add flavour, but it keeps the loaf soft and moist.
• Sugar – Sugar has more than one function in baking.  Not only does it add sweetness, but it will caramelize too, which will help to brown cookies and cakes. 
• Eggs – Make sure the eggs are at room temperature.
• Lemon Extract – If you don’t have this, you can use vanilla extract instead. The lemon extract will make your loaf even more lemony though.
• Lemon Juice – For best results, use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
• Lemon Zest
• Confectioner’s Sugar

HOW TO MAKE LEMON RICOTTA LOAF

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a large loaf pan by greasing it with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes.) Beat in the ricotta. Add the eggs, lemon extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat into the sugar and butter mixture until just incorporated. Set aside. Add the flour and baking powder. Beat until just mixed together.

Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. (Do not fill the loaf pan more than 3/4 full with the batter.) Once you remove the loaf from the oven, it is very important to leave it in the pan. Place the pan onto a wire cooling rack. Leave the loaf to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and allow to fully cool before glazing.

Whisk together the confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Drizzle over the cooled loaf. Garnish and serve.

WHY BAKE WITH RICOTTA?

I think ricotta is probably one of the most unappreciated cheeses there is here in North America. And, I think the Italians are brilliant for incorporating the ingredient into way more dishes than we do! Ricotta is light and fluffy, and that’s exactly what it’s going to do in your baking. Cookies, cakes, scones, pancakes, etc., can all use ricotta to give height, lightness, and of course moisture!

Baking aside, there are two recipes I have that use ricotta and I cannot get enough of them. The first is this Whipped Honeyed Jalpeno Ricotta. I shared this recipe as a part of my Christmas appetizer series and it was a hit! The second recipe was this Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Chicken. It remains to this day one of my favourite ways to prepare chicken! By the way, when you open a container of ricotta, there may be some liquid floating on top. This does not mean it’s spoiled. Just use a whisk to blend it back into the rest of the cheese.

DON’T HAVE RICOTTA?

The good news is that you can substitute the ricotta. You can easily substitute it with cream cheese. The bad news is that it will change the taste slightly, but not in a bad way. Be sure to use whipped cream cheese, not spreadable, and certainly not brick!

SERVING YOUR LOAF

Here’s the thing about breads and loaves – they both come from humble beginnings. Even looking at it, you can tell that it isn’t pretty, it isn’t spectacular, and it surely isn’t show-stopping. But, that certainly doesn’t mean that your loaf shouldn’t be served with style!

Like scones and biscuits, I think loaves lend themselves quite well to what most people would call English Tea. I like to think of English Tea as an afternoon snack. And, afternoon snacks are terribly underrated! I like to partake whenever time permits. Hot coffee and a slice of this Lemon Ricotta Loaf, or any other sweet treat, is a great break from the 9-5 routine.

With the cooler weather approaching, I can’t think of a better way to serve this loaf than putting out a full set of tea. Sure, it might seem I have too much time on my hands, but life is short, folks – enjoy it! Take the tea set out of your cabinet, dust it off, and take a well-deserved afternoon break!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!