Name: Emily Arnold
Class Year: 2012
Country of Residence: United States

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

My friend and I both enjoy cooking and we always have lofty ideas of cooking together but they rarely pan out.  I found this recipe a couple days before her birthday (November 2019) and sent it to her to which she agreed it looked delicious.  End of story right?  Well no because I really wanted to try it but I didn’t need to eat a whole cake by myself.  So for her birthday I bought her a bottle of limoncello.  She labelled said bottle “Don’t Drink” so her husband wouldn’t drink it. 

And then it sat…

For 3 months…

Finally we managed to get together with a couple other friends on Presidents Day 2020 to make it and I am so happy we did because it was one of the best cakes I’ve ever had!

Limoncello Ricotta Cake

Serves 10 . Takes approx. 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Batter

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 15 ounces whole milk ricotta
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup limoncello liqueur
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from one lemon)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Limoncello Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (one stick)
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons Limoncello liqueur
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from one lemon)

Garnish

• 2 tablespoons candied lemon peel (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9 inch round cake pans and line bottom with a parchment round. Set aside.
2. In a stand up mixer or large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until well combined. Add the ricotta and blend until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, incorporating well. Mix in the Limoncello, lemon zest, and vanilla.
3. In a seperate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two batches, until just combined.
4. Pour the batter into prepared pans and smooth as needed. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pan at least 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
5. To make the Limoncello Cream Cheese Frosting, in a large bowl cream together the butter and cream cheese. Add in the powdered sugar, Limoncello, and zest. Mix until well combined. Place one layer of the cooled cake on pedestal or cake plate and spread on about a cup of frosting. Place on the top layer of the cake and spread the remaining frosting all over the cake. Sprinkle on candied lemon peel if using.

Source:

https://thisdelicioushouse.com/limoncello-ricotta-cake/