Easy & Light Lemon Ricotta Cake

There’s something about lemon that instantly lifts your mood—especially when it’s baked into a soft, golden loaf. This Lemon Ricotta Cake blends classic summer flavours with desi pantry staples to create a lighter, wholesome twist on a traditional treat. No maida, no eggs—just real ingredients that make every slice feel like a little burst of sunshine.

Let’s take a closer look at what makes this recipe both flavourful and nourishing:

Bright, citrusy, and wholesome—this Lemon Ricotta Loaf Cake is the perfect start to our “Summer in Every Slice” series. With every bite, you’re getting the zing of fresh lemon, the richness of paneer, and the goodness of nourishing ingredients that make this treat lighter and healthier than most classic bakes.

Let’s talk about what makes this loaf special:

Wholewheat Flour
Unlike refined flour, wholewheat flour retains the bran and germ, making it richer in fibre and more filling. It adds a nutty flavour and a slightly denser crumb—perfect for loaf-style cakes.

Raw Sugar
A less processed sweetener, raw sugar retains traces of molasses and minerals. It provides gentle sweetness without overwhelming the citrus notes.

Soft Homemade Paneer / Drained Ricotta
This is our protein-rich, egg-free moisture hero. It gives the cake a tender crumb and a subtle creaminess. Paneer also brings calcium and good fats to the table—plus, it’s easy to make fresh at home.

Ghee or Oil
Choose ghee for a touch of richness and a deeper Indian flavour, or go with oil for a lighter, neutral base. Both add essential fats that keep the cake soft and moist.

Lemon Zest
The star of the show. Lemon zest infuses the loaf with bright, aromatic citrus oils, bringing that “summer” feeling into every slice.

Saffron or Turmeric
Used for natural colour and subtle warmth. Saffron offers a delicate floral hint, while turmeric gives a golden hue with anti-inflammatory benefits.

Salt
Just a pinch sharpens the flavours and balances the sweetness.

Baking Powder + Baking Soda
These give the loaf its rise and airy crumb—especially important in eggless bakes.

Milk + Water
This duo brings the batter together. Milk adds richness and softness, while water lightens it up, keeping the texture just right.

This loaf cake skips refined flour, white sugar, and eggs—yet delivers on taste, texture, and sunshine-filled vibes. A perfect tea-time bake for warm afternoons or as a lightly indulgent dessert.

Eggless Wholewheat Lemon Ricotta Cake

Serves: 10 Prep Time: 15 mins Cooking Time: 45 mins 45 mins

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

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Ingredients

For Cake - 

• 1.5 cup (200 g) - Wholewheat Flour
• 1/3 cup (100 g)  - Soft Paneer/Ricotta
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) - Milk
• 1/3 cup (75g - 80 ml) - Ghee/Oil
• 2/3 cup (130 g) - Raw Sugar/Jaggery
• Zest of 2 lemons/Oranges
• 1/4 tsp - Salt
• 2 tsp - Baking Powder
• 1 tsp - Baking Soda
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) - Water
• 1/4 tsp - Turmeric/ Saffron

For Syrup -

• 1-2 tbsp (15-30 ml) - Lemon/Orange juice
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) - Water
• 1/4 cup (60ml - 45g) - Honey/Raw Sugar

Instructions

For Cake -

1. In a bowl, take soft homemade paneer or drained ricotta, raw sugar or desi khand (ou can use jaggery here too), ghee/butter or oil, zest of 2 lemons or oranges of you are making this cake with oranges, and for the beautiful yellow colour of a lemon cake, add strands of saffron or turmeric. Grind it all into a smooth paste.
2. In a large mixing bowl, take wholewheat flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. If you are using fine white salt, use just 1/8 tsp. Give it all a very good mix.
3. Now make a well in the middle. Pour our liquid mixture from step 1 into the middle and gently fold it to mix. Add water gradually to form an even batter. This batter is going to be quite thick.
4. Line an 8 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, transfer all the batter and level the top. You can also use a 7 inch or 8 inch cake pan for this recipe.
5. Bake this in a preheated oven at 170 C for around 40-45 minutes until the cake is nicely risen and a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. 

For Syrup -

1. In a pan take 2 tbsp lemon/orange juice, use only 1 tbsp juice if the lemon is very tart like for gondhoraj lemons.
2. Add  water and bring this to a boil.
3. Switch off the heat and add honey or raw sugar. Dissolve it completely.
4. Now drizzle this all over the warm cake and let the cake cool to room temperature.
5. Store any leftover cake in a covered container in the refrigerator for upto a week.

Notes

1. For this recipe, you can use any variety of lemons, the big yellow lemons or our very own Gondhoraj lemons and you can make this cake with oranges too if lemons are not handy at the time. I have made this cake with all of them and they all taste great!
2. You can make this cake with Jaggery, but the colour of the cake will be darker and the yellow colour may not come through as beautifully.
3. Lemon cakes mostly are yellow in colour, mainly because of eggs. Here to mimic the yellow colour, you can use either a few saffron strands or some turmeric.
4. Baking this cake low and slow ensures a more even texture.
5. To make the drizzle, use only 1 tbsp of lemon juice if you are using Indian varieties of lemon. I have noticed that the large yellow imported lemons are less tart than our Indian varieties. If you are using oranges, you can use 2-3 tbsp of juice to make the drizzle.

Did You Make This Recipe?

Have you made this recipe? Tag me on Instagram at @VanillaTrails and use the hashtag #MadeWithVanillaTrails.