½cup(113 g or 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¼cups(250 g) granulated sugar
1 15ouncecontainer whole milk ricotta cheese, room temperature
2large eggs, room temperature
1Tablespoonfresh lemon zest
1Tablespoonfresh lemon juice
1teaspoonalmond extract
⅓cupfinely chopped almonds
Topping
¼cupsliced almonds
1-2Tablespoonspowdered sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add ricotta and mix until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Add eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and almond extract. Beat until combined. Scrape down the bottoms and sides of the bowl as needed.
Add flour mixture and chopped almonds. Fold in with a spatula (avoid over-mixing). Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.
Bake at 350° F for 45 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with little to no crumbs. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then slide a butter knife around the edge. Release the edge of the springform pan and place the cake on a wire rack to cool completely.
When ready to serve, place slivered almonds on top of the cake. Dust with confectioners’ sugar through a fine mesh sieve. Slice and serve.
Notes
Texture: It is really important to mix the ricotta in for a full 5 minutes with the butter and sugar. This is how you get the light and tender texture!Ricotta: Full fat will yield the best results, but if you only have part-skim on hand then you can use that instead.Nuts: If you don't like almonds, you can omit them all together or replace them with another nuts such as pistachios or hazelnuts.Store cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week.Freeze for up to 2 months. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or freezer bag. Defrost in the refrigerator before bringing to room temperature.