Lemon Cottage Cheese Cake

4.67 from 6 votes

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Have you ever dreamt 💭 of a cake that comes together in minutes yet tastes like it took hours to prepare? A cake that’s so effortless, all it requires is throwing a few ingredients into a blender and then pouring the batter into a cake pan to bake? If the answer is yes, I’m here to make your lazy baker dreams come true 🫡.

Similar to my 3 Ingredient Yogurt Cake, this Lemon Cottage Cheese Cake recipe marries minimal effort and flavor, resulting in a simple yet incredibly indulgent cake. Moist, light and creamy with just the right amount of tanginess, this cake is a refreshing masterpiece.

Why You’ll Love Lemon Cottage Cheese Cake

This Lemon Cottage Cheese Cake is a true texture QUEEN 👸! The blended cottage cheese gives it a smooth and velvety consistency, while the lemon adds just the right amount of tartness. The sweetness level is just perfect 👌, making it feel like a light dessert that won’t give you that post-dessert guilt trip. Not to mention, this cake only takes 10 minutes to prepare, and the oven handles the rest!

How to Prepare Lemon Cottage Cheese Cake

🔥 Preheat the oven to 350F (175C).

✨ Prepare a lined loaf pan lined with parchment paper for baking.

🍋 Add (in this order) the cottage cheese, eggs, lemon slices (peel and all), vanilla extract (if using), and cornstarch to the blender. Be sure not to over-blend; 20 seconds should be enough.

🥣 Pour the mixture into the lined loaf pan.

♨️ Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

🧊 Cool the cake completely before serving.

🍓 Top with fresh berries, additional lemon slices, and a drizzle of honey for an extra touch of sweetness.

Nonna’s Tip 🍋

The cake is made in a blender, so it is very important to NOT over blend! If your cake is over-blended it will be bitter!

Lemon Cottage Cheese Cake

Variations and Substitutions for Lemon Cottage Cheese Cake

Remember that when substituting ingredients for your Lemon Cottage Cheese Cake, such as using alternative sweeteners or dairy-free alternatives, some trial and error may be required to reach the desired taste and texture.

  1. Experiment with different citrus fruits such as 🍊 oranges, limes, or even a combination.
  2. Instead of or in addition to vanilla extract, you can use other flavor extracts such as almond, 🥥 coconut, or orange extract.
  3. While the recipe is sugar-free, you can use alternative sweeteners such as stevia, 🍯 honey, or monk fruit sweetener if you prefer a sweeter cake.
  4. Feel free to incorporate spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger.
  5. Suppose you’re lactose intolerant or following a dairy-free diet. In that case, you can try substituting the cottage cheese with an equal amount of dairy-free alternatives such as almond or coconut yogurt.
  6. Get creative with your toppings! You can top the cake with 🍎 sliced fruits, toasted coconut flakes, chopped nuts, or a dusting of powdered sugar.

Similar Recipes

Best Served With

  • Your morning ☕ coffee or tea
  • Some fresh berries and 🍯 honey

Common Questions

how can i store this cake?

The cake can be stored in the fridge for a few days.

can i add sugar to the batter?

You can add 1/4 cup of sugar to the batter if you are looking for a sweeter option and don’t want a lower-sugar Lemon Cottage Cheese Cake.

what kind of cottage cheese can i use for this recipe?

For this cake recipe, you can use plain cottage cheese or flavored cottage cheese such as pineapple or peach.

Can I use dairy-free cottage cheese for this cake?

You are welcome to try dairy-free cottage cheese or yogurt, but I have not tried this, so you will have to experiment and adjust quantities. I believe that it should work, however don’t know for sure. If you try this recipe with dairy-free cottage cheese or yogurt, let me know in the comments!

how do i know if the cake is ready?

After 30-40 minutes of baking, the cake should be golden and set. When you insert a toothpick, it should come out clean.

How long do I let my cake cool?

I let my Lemon Cottage Cheese Cake cool a bit before serving.

Lemon Cottage Cheese Cake

Lemon Cottage Cheese Cake

Similar to my 3 Ingredient Yogurt Cake, this Lemon Cottage Cheese Cake recipe marries minimal effort and flavor, resulting in a simple yet incredibly indulgent cake. Moist, light and creamy with just the right amount of tanginess, this cake is a refreshing masterpiece.
4.67 from 6 votes
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Makes: 10 slices
Author: The Modern Nonna
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 4 eggs
  • 1.5 cups cottage cheese, 355 grams
  • 1 whole lemon, cut into thin slices
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, optional
  • 5 tablespoons cornstarch, (55 grams)
  • additional toppings, as seen on photo

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175C)
  • Tip: You can add 1/4 cup of sugar to the blender for a sweeter cake.
  • In a blender, add the cottage cheese and eggs. Add the lemon slices (peel and all).
  • Add the pure vanilla extract and cornstarch. Blend for 20 seconds and do NOT over-blend.
  • Pour it into a lined loaf pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Let it cool and top with fresh berries, thin lemon slices and honey! Enjoy.
  • To be stored in the fridge.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 72kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 71mg, Sodium: 125mg, Potassium: 58mg, Fiber: 0.04g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 139IU, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 0.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
COOKED IT? SLAYED IT? 💅
Tag @themodernnonna so I can hype you up 👏 and don’t forget to rate ⭐, drop a comment 💬, and show some love right here on the recipe!

Hi! I'm Sneji. Nice to meet you!

I am more commonly known as “The Modern Nonna” on social media where I create easy home cooked meals with a modern twist. I was born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria and learned how to cook at the best culinary school in the world – my grandma’s kitchen. I lived in Greece on the Island of Crete with my parents for a while and then moved to Toronto, Canada when I was in grade 5. I started to really cook and experiment with food 11 years ago when I was 21 years old. Everything I currently know is a reflection of some part of my life…

Keep up to date with me on social media! Follow @themodernnonna

4.67 from 6 votes

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31 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This cake turned out amazing! So light, perfectly tangy, and ridiculously easy. I threw it in the blender, baked it, and got bakery-level results. YUM!

  2. 5 stars
    I have made this three times and agree that the whole peel can be bitter, so I put a peeled whole lemon in the mix and added a small half of another lemon with peel since the peel does add some lemon intensity.

    This time, I made the recipe in a muffin tin (10 muffins) and dropped about four raspberries in each cup before baking, pressing them into the batter so they were covered. I baked at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. They came out great! I love that these are perfect little treats without having to slice them, and the paper muffin cups came off quite easily.

  3. 3 stars
    The texture was great, the method was easy.
    Mine took about 40 minutes at 350, but I checked at 20 minutes and every 10 minutes after that. I’m only giving 3 stars because 1: it needs sugar, I don’t consider that optional, and 2: the whole lemon needs to be a Meyer’s lemon, or peel the lemon, remove the pith, and only use the peel and the center. I found the pith just a little too bitter for my liking. Overall, though, it’s a very cool recipe!

  4. Hi Sara, I just tried this recipe last night, feb 19, 2025 and it was a little thicker than a custard but I think I cooked it a little too long. The bottom was brown but peeled right off. I thought it was delicious! I did add the 1/4c sugar and I sliced thin a large lemon, took out the seeds and put the whole thing in my ninja foodie blender in the specified order and had no issues. I didn’t have a loaf pan so I just a cake pan. The only thing I will say I didn’t love was all the liquid on the plate after refrigerating. But that could be bc I made an icing with powder sugar, vanilla extract and some water. But the flavor and the sweetness was perfect for us.