Lemon Ricotta Cake

Warm weather equals citrus-y baked goods. 

For Easter, I wanted to bake something light and fresh. I was also looking for something a bit more healthier too. And that was when I found Amy's Healthy Baking recipe for Ricotta Bundt Cake.

I changed this recipe to use a regular cake pan, simply for the fact that I did not have a 6 cup bundt pan. Even though it wasn't in the bundt-form, it still was delightful. Because of the ricotta, it was moist without being greasy and fatty, which I loved; and it had that hint of lemon I was looking for.

The one part I changed was the icing. I'm not a huge fan of almond flavoring to begin with, and after trying it out in the icing, I decided to switch to a simple lemon flavored icing. I wanted to draw out more of the lemon zest from the cake, and I think this revision worked well for that.

This cake was a perfect addition to our Easter brunch, but would fit at any spring or summer gathering!

Ingredients
Cake
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp lemon zest (1 medium lemon)
1 cup flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup low fat ricotta
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg

Icing
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
1-2 tsp water

Instructions
For the cake, combine sugar, water, and lemon zest in a small pot. Over medium heat, bring to a boil for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Then set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes. While that is cooling, coat a 9 inch cake pan with non-stick spray and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, mix together the ricotta, vanilla extract, and egg. Add the slightly cooled sugar syrup. Slowly add the flour mixture into the wet mixture until incorporated. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 45-50 minutes.

For the icing, mix the sugar, lemon juice, and water together. If it is too thick, add more water until it is the right consistency. Test to make sure it is not too "lemon-y".
Wait until the cake is completely cooled to add the icing.