Cakes are the simplest of all baking you can possibly do, if you are pressed for time when asked to bring something to a holiday get-together. This recipe is literally an easy one to follow – measuring the ingredients and either whisking by hand or using a fancy mixer to blend together, pour into a baking pan and bake. A sprinkle of powdered sugar is the quickest of all decoration, and a good option for the holidays and first time bakers.. so follow along:

Ingredients 

• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 ¹/₄ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup fresh ricotta
• Zest of 1 lemon   **** I use Meyer’s lemon
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 apple, peeled and grated (should yield about 1 cup)
• Confectioners’ sugar for serving  {more}