This fluffy & moist lemon cake has the perfect balance of sweetness along with it's tender crumb and soft lemon flavor. Top this beauty with some fresh berries and powdered sugar and everyone will definitely be grabbing a slice.
Spring is here and what does that mean?! Lemons & berries are coming into season! If you're anything like me though, you enjoy fruit best when it's paired in a great dessert; so naturally, I've been craving a lemon cake. To be honest I didn't feel like going through the hassle of making a full layer cake, but still wanted to keep it simple without any sacrifice to flavor. That's when I thought about a single layer lemon ricotta cake that'll act as a great elevated dessert while still catering to those who have varied preferences of sweets.
Now, I know what you're thinking- *how* is this a lemon ricotta cake without the ricotta?! Well, my friends- this recipe emulates different elements of ricotta seamlessly to where it functions as an egg & dairy-free alternative to those who want near-identical results. That brings me to introduce the co-star of this lovely layer of magic: Tofu! This tasteless block of creamy protein mimics the fat, protein and moisture content that ricotta provides in baked goods. The added bonus: tofu acts as a binder, so bye-bye eggs! And for anyone who is intimidated by baking with tofu, please don't be! It has no taste and yields the same results when replaced with it's respective functional counterparts.
baking tip: tofu can act as a substitute for: .eggs .yogurt .ricotta
Now's the time to bake- so Let's go over a few pointers about this recipe:
Tip #1:
Whip whip whip your butter and sugar well. We want to make it creamy and fluffy:
Tip #2:
Blend the tofu ricotta good! You want it to look smooth and incorporated. Don't forget to scrape the sides!
Tip #3:
When whipping the tofu mixture with the creamed sugar and butter, the finished product should look airy and fluffy. We want to add a lot of air to this mixture so it's not too dense.
Tip #4:
The batter will look thick yet fluffy and this is exactly the way you want it! Just use a handy silicone spatula to evenly spread the mixture in your prepared springform and pop it in the oven right away.
LEMON ALMOND RICOTTA CAKE | VEGAN
Prep time: Cook time: Yield:
10 Minutes 50 Minutes 12 Servings
ingredients
(210 g.)- 1 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour (or 1:1 gluten-free flour)
(72 g.)- 3/4 cup Almond Flour
(140 g.)- 10 Tbsp. Plant Butter
(270 g.)- 1 1/2 cup Raw Cane Sugar
(2.7 g.)- 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
(3 g.)- 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 Lemon (juiced & fully zested)
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. Almond Milk
~For the Vegan "Ricotta"~
(227 g.)- 8oz Firm Tofu
2 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
(2.7 g.)- 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9 inch springform with butter, and lightly dust with powdered sugar while shaking out any excess.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar for 2 mins on medium high speed with a paddle attachment. *this should look pale and fluffy*
While the butter and sugar are mixing, add the ingredients for the tofu ricotta into a blender (tofu, apple cider vinegar & salt.) Blend on low speed until incorporated and smooth, making sure to scrape the sides.
Scrape the sides of the creamed butter and sugar, and add blended tofu ricotta mixture along with the milk into the bowl. Beat on medium high for 3 mins. *the mixture should look airy and light*
Add the juice and zest of 1 entire lemon along with vanilla extract into the mixture and incorporate.
Sift dry ingredients together (AP flour, almond flour, baking soda & salt) and fold into the bowl, making sure that the sides and bottom are being scraped to combine. The batter should be fluffy yet thick. *reference pictures above to view consistency*
Pour batter into prepared springform pan and spread evenly with a silicone spatula, ensuring that all areas are filled and mixture is leveled.
Bake 45-50 mins and let cool at least 15 mins before popping out of springform.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with berries, coconut whipped cream, or whatever your heart desires!