Line a muffin tray with 12 muffin liners and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Place the white sugar in a large bowl and zest the lemon directly over top. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar to impart the flavor. Remove 2 Tablespoons of the lemon sugar and set aside for topping the muffins.
Add the oil and ricotta cheese and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs, lemon juice and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
Stir in the flour mixture until combined and no dry streaks remain, then stir in the milk until completely incorporated.
Portion out the muffin batter into the prepared muffin liners. Sprinkle with the reserved lemon sugar.
Bake for 22-25 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and muffins are golden.
Notes
This Recipe Can be Doubled: This is a great recipe for a brunch party, just increase ingredients proportionally and bake in batches.
Mini Muffins: You can also make these easy lemon muffins in mini form by using a mini muffin pan and bake for a few minutes less.
Add Berries: Adding blueberries or raspberries would be a tasty addition in these lemon ricotta muffins.
Icing: For extra sweetness, you can additionally drizzle the lemon ricotta cake muffins with a vanilla glaze. To make the glaze combine powder sugar, vanilla extract, and milk.