Lemon Poppy Seed Ricotta Cake #BundtBakers

Rich, tender and oh, so flavorful, this lemon poppy seed ricotta cake is speckled, with seeds but also tiny dots of the soft white ricotta cheese. The tart lemon glaze with the sprinkle of zest and more poppy seeds is a tasty addition. 

As I’ve mentioned before, one of my younger daughter’s favorite baked good combinations is lemon and poppy seeds. Probably because the lemon offsets the sugar in most recipes. And who doesn’t love the subtle crunch of poppy seeds? 

My cake was baked and cooled and I was whisking the glaze when she came into the kitchen yesterday. She sidled over and peered into the glaze bowl. “Are you sure you want to add that?” she asked. I was absolutely positive that I did! One of her tenets is that everyone loves plain things. And while I cannot disagree with that, and this cake would be just as tasty glaze-less, it wouldn’t be as pretty!

My best compliment came after she cut herself a small slice and said, “It’s good. Not too sweet!” 

Lemon Poppy Seed Ricotta Cake

This recipe is adapted from one on Food 52 which was baked in an 8x8in pan. That’s the same volume as a 6-cup Bundt pan so it fit perfectly in my small Nordic Ware anniversary one. I have to say that I would not hesitate to double this for the 12-cup pan next time. It’s that good!

Ingredients

For the cake batter:

1 cup or 200g granulated sugar

zest from 1 large lemon

1 cup or 240g whole milk ricotta, at room temperature

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup or 120ml canola or other light oil

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tablespoon poppy seeds, plus extra to decorate, if desired 

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup or 125g all-purpose flour, plus extra for the pan

1-2 teaspoons butter, for greasing the pan

For the lemon glaze:

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup or 125g icing sugar, sifted

pinch fine sea salt

Method 

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare a 6-cup Bundt pan by buttering and flouring it. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and most of the zest, reserving a little to sprinkle on the glaze for decoration. (I put the spare zest on a paper towel. This dries it just enough to make sprinkling it easier after the cake has baked and cooled.)

Use your fingers (or the back of a rubber spatula) to rub the zest into the sugar until fully incorporated and fragrant. This step smells like sunshine and makes me hopeful that spring and brighter days are coming!

Add the ricotta, lemon juice, oil, and eggs to the bowl and whisk together until blended.

Add the poppy seeds, salt, baking powder and baking soda to the bowl. Whisk again to combine. 

Sift in the flour and then fold it until it is no longer visible.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until it springs back when touched, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Cool the cake in the pan for about 7-10 minutes then turn it out on a wire rack. Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.

To make the glaze, place the icing sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and whisk to combine. Add more of the lemon juice as needed to make glaze of a pouring consistency. If you live in a humid climate like I do, you might not need all the juice. 

Gently pour or drizzle the glaze over the cake. Sprinkle immediately with the extra poppy seeds, if using, and the reserved lemon zest. 

Slice to serve and enjoy!  

It’s the third Thursday of the month so it’s time for my Bundt Bakers to share their favorite recipes with you. This month we are celebrating the impending arrival of spring! Many thanks to our host, Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla. 

• Cream Cheese Swirled Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake by Patyco Candy Bar
• Hot Cross Bundt Cakes by All That’s Left Are The Crumbs
• Kentucky Butter Bundt Cake by Sneha’s Recipe
• Lemon Poppy Seed Ricotta Cake by Food Lust People Love
• St. Patrick’s Day Bundt Cake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Topless Bundts Turned Spring Trifles by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

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