2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons lemon zest
5 eggs, room temperature, whites and yolks divided
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 cup virgin olive oil (mild)
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup lemon juice
For the frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups confectioners sugar
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, then snap in place and spray the entire inside of the pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest.
In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and 3/4 cup granulated sugar on medium speed until creamy and pale in color, about two minutes.
Beat in the olive oil until fully incorporated. Beat in the ricotta cheese and lemon juice until well combined.
Rinse your beaters. In a separate medium bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed for one minute until foamy. Add the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and beat on high speed for another two to three minutes, until stiff peaks form.
Fold the flour mixture into the egg yolk batter until just combined, then fold the egg whites into the batter until just combined.
Transfer the batter to the springform pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out of the center completely clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes before carefully transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting. Beat the butter, ricotta cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice until creamy. Beat one cup of confectioners sugar in at a time until well combined and fluffy.
Once the cake has cooled, Use half of the frosting to frost just the top of the cake. Let the frosting set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, then frost the cake with the remaining frosting. Let it set for 30 more minutes before cutting and serving.
