The perfect tea cake to serve with coffee – whether it’s in the afternoon with friends, or as dessert after a delicious meal. This Lemon Raspberry Loaf Cake is tender, light and fluffy with a sweet, lemony flavor and bursts of fresh raspberry tartness throughout.

Lemon Raspberry Tea Cake Recipe

Ever since I adapted my olive oil muffins recipe to make these Lemon Ricotta Muffins, I have been looking for any excuse to incorporate ricotta into my baked goods!

Why add ricotta to baked goods? The creamy ricotta cheese balances out the olive oil by giving this lemon loaf a light, fluffy texture similar to a tender cake. It has a naturally mild, sweet taste – unlike cream cheese or mascarpone cheese which would compete with the lemons for the flavor spotlight.

The result is a fluffy, tender, light and moist lemon cake that is buttery, tangy, sweet and bright with bursts of tartness from the fresh raspberries.

I cannot wait to make a dozen versions of this lemon tea cake over the summer – it is so good that I am always disappointed when the last slice disappears. (But lucky for me, it takes less than 10 minutes to whip up a new batch!)

Next time I will definitely be doubling the batch and freezing one.

Can I use something else instead of ricotta cheese to this lemon raspberry loaf? Yes, in a pinch you can use cottage cheese. First, drain the cottage cheese to remove the excess whey/liquid. Then whip up the curds that remain with a hand mixer before using in this recipe.

You can alternatively make your own ricotta cheese with just whole milk and lemon juice – just be sure to drain it really well before using in this recipe.

How to store lemon raspberry loaf: store for 3-4 days in the fridge, or up to 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

To freeze the unglazed lemon loaf, wrap in plastic wrap and place in a tiptop freezer bag or your favourite freezer containers before freezing up to 2 months.

Thaw overnight before glazing, if desired.

Ingredients for Lemon Raspberry Loaf

• All-Purpose Flour
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• White Sugar
• Lemon Zest
• Olive Oil
• Ricotta Cheese
• Eggs
• Lemon Juice
• Vanilla Extract
• Milk
• Raspberries

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

Tip: swap out the berries for your preferred berry or add white chocolate chips for a fun flavor trifecta.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

• Loaf Pan
• Mixing Bowl
• Electric mixer <– this is a great hand mixer if you don’t want to make the investment into a stand mixer and light enough for kids to handle
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Spatula <– I like these spatulas because they are one solid piece and don’t have removable heads for bacteria to get trapped underneath. Plus they are heat-resistant and have a lifetime warranty.

How to Make Lemon Raspberry Loaf Cake

Preheat oven to 400F.

Grease a loaf pan and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Place the white sugar in a large bowl and zest the lemon directly over top. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar to impart the flavor.

Add the oil and ricotta cheese and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add the eggs, lemon juice and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Stir in the flour mixture until combined and no dry streaks remain, then stir in the milk until completely incorporated.

Toss the raspberries in the 2 Tablespoons reserved flour to coat completely, then gently fold into the loaf batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and loaf is lightly golden.

Pin this Lemon Raspberry Loaf Cake for a delicious treat to serve with coffee – whether as an afternoon treat or after dinner:

Grab your free printable recipe card for our lemon raspberry loaf cake recipe:

I hope your family loves this easy lemon raspberry loaf cake as much as mine did!

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