While full fat ricotta cheese is ideal, you can use part skim ricotta cheese when making a ricotta cake. Can I use part skim ricotta for ricotta cake? Just be sure to start with room temperature butter and, ideally, ricotta before starting. You don’t need to be delicate with beating the ricotta. The key is patience… and a little bit of aggression! You could also use a handheld mixer on the highest setting. While incorporating air into the batter can be done using a wooden spoon or whisk, I recommend breaking out your stand up mixer for this process. However, this simple task of taking the time to whip air into the ricotta can make a world of difference in how your cake turns out. Ricotta cakes are notorious for being dense and having a texture similar to a pound cake. It can take up to five minutes of beating to get the desired texture, so a handheld mixer or stand up mixer is ideal here. The key to making a fluffy (not dense) ricotta cake is to beat the ricotta with the butter and sugar, before adding the other ingredients. And, thanks to the ricotta, it stays moist and rich tasting. Moreover, it’s a cake that keeps well both at room temperature and in the fridge. It’s a social cake that’s great as a snack or with served with a hot cup of coffee. Traditionally, you’ll find this cake stored in glass pedestals on countertops in Italian kitchens. It’s a traditional Italian cake that is often served after the meal or with a piece of fruit for breakfast. Lemon ricotta cake is similar to a traditional lemon cake, however it is not as sweet and has a slightly denser texture.