Prep the pan and oven. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment. Lightly flour the sides, tapping out the excess.

Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.

Infuse the sugar with lemon. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until it smells fragrant and looks slightly damp. This step blooms the citrus oils for extra flavor.

Whisk in eggs and oil. Add the eggs to the lemon sugar and whisk (or mix on medium speed) until pale and slightly thickened, about 1–2 minutes. Slowly stream in the oil, then add the vanilla, mixing until smooth.

Add ricotta and lemon juice. Whisk in the ricotta until no lumps remain, then add the lemon juice. The batter may look slightly curdled at first; it will smooth out once the flour is added.

Combine wet and dry. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on low just until combined. Do not overmix. The batter should be thick but spreadable.

Prepare the berries. If using strawberries, hull and slice them. Pat all berries dry with a paper towel to prevent excess moisture. Toss larger berries lightly with a teaspoon of flour if you’re worried about sinking.

Fill the pan. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Scatter about half the berries over the top, lightly pressing them in. Reserve the rest for serving.

Bake. Bake for 35–45 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, tent with foil during the last 10 minutes.

Cool properly. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, invert onto a rack, peel off the parchment, and flip again so it cools top-side up. Cool completely.

Finish and serve. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if you like. Top slices with the remaining fresh berries and a spoonful of whipped cream or yogurt. Serve at room temperature.