Classic Ricotta Pound Cake is dense, soft, and sweet. It is guaranteed to get you to rave reviews at your next potluck!
This Classic Ricotta Pound Cake is incredibly moist, buttery, and decadent. I use whole milk ricotta in this pound cake reicpe.
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Classic Ricotta Pound Cake
Classic Ricotta Pound Cake is the only pound cake that I’ve made in a loaf pan. When I bake a cake or sweet bread in a loaf pan, they always sink a little in the center. I can’t get the center to bake completely before the edges get overcooked.
Also, this pound cake doesn’t have a fine crumb-like most of the other pound cakes. It’s moist, dense, and creamy, but the crumb is actually quite large especially for a pound cake.
Lemon and ricotta just go together to me so I used lemon zest and lemon extract. I also test this cake with vanilla flavoring. Both flavors were good, but I prefer the lemon.
Like most other pound cakes, this Cake is good alone. It also makes a great base for ice cream, whipped cream, berries, chocolate, or caramel sauce. And, how great would grilled peaches and mascarpone be!?
*Helpful comment from Lea –
I noticed that a few people had a problem with the cake being undone or falling in the middle. When I have used ricotta cheese in making cannoli cakes and you can’t beat it for very long or it will get runny. I made this pound cake twice and I creamed the butter and sugar together first, then mixed in all of the other ingredients, then added the ricotta cheese last and mixed it in on low speed and only until it was incorporated. Don’t over beat. As well, I baked the first one in 2 – 9 inch round cake pans and the second one in a fluted pound/bundt cake pan and they both turned out fine. In fact I had one person who ate it say it was her new favorite pound cake. Its awesome, in fact, I’m going to make a 2 tier baby shower cake and cupcakes with this recipe for next week.
Get all my pound cakes recipes here!
Classic Ricotta Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup butter at room temperature
- 1 and ½ cups whole milk ricotta
- 1 and ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or lemon extract and zest from 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 9-inch loaf pan with butter or solid vegetable shortening then sprinkle of granulated sugar or flour. Wilton cake release is great to prevent sticking too! (I use shortening and sugar. Sugar doesn't leave white patches like flour does.)
- In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add eggs, one at a time. The batter may look curdled at this point. It's okay just keep mixing. Stop the mixer and scrap the sides. Return the mixer to med-low.
- Add the flour mixture and either vanilla extract or lemon zest and extract, depending on which you prefer. Scrap down sides and allow to beat about 30 seconds.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes. Test cake by inserting a wooden pick into the center. If the pick is clean or has dry crumbs the cake is cooked perfectly. Dark pans cook faster than light pans as well as if you put the pan on a cookie sheet to bake. (I ALWAYS put cakes or pies on another pan to prevent spills from leaking in the oven.) Watch the time and cake carefully according to your oven and your pans.
- Allow cake to cool on wire rack 15 minutes before inverting onto serving tray.
Notes
Nutrition
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Bev says
Just curious, have you ever tried substituting cottage cheese for the ricotta? We do it to cut calories in lasagna without cutting taste.
Also, you mentioned about the curdled look (I’m sure coming from the unmelted ricotta) just an FYI – I have a high protein pancake recipe that calls for cottage cheese and it requires that you puree it in the blender or food processor before adding to the pancake mix. Since it does make it take a little more time and dish washing, I make a really large batch and freeze a bunch with parchment paper between them for quick pancakes later.
trish says
I dont get what happened. Followed directions exactly! Toothpick was CLEAN. I admit to taking out of oven once to check and toothpick was wet so put back in oven. When it was ‘clean’ I removed from oven…Looked great. Then after 15 min I took out of pan and waited another 15 min. Cut a slice and the middle section of the cake just OOOOOZED out onto the counter! It was NOWHERE NEAR done in the middle. I don’t get it.
Oven was correct temp – outside of cake looked PERFECT
Paula says
It’s so hard to know without having been there. Was the pan dark or light? Have you calibrated your oven recently?
Ana says
The pound cake looks, smells, tastes super delicious!
I did tweak the recipe using; 1c part akim milk ricotta, 0.5c 0% Fage Greek yogurt, 1.1oz fresh lemon juice, 1.2oz fresh grated lemon zest (zest from 2 organic lemons), 1/2c butter, 0.75c sugar. The cake was still sweet and buttery, light and fluffy, no need for wasted calories or product.
Steps:
Added Greek yogurt then ricotta as last steps, incorporating just enough.
Bake time:
Using Williams Sonoma Goldtouch Pro Nonstick Loaf Pan;
350F 30 min
325F 75 min
Total of 105 min = that’s right, 1 hr 45 min for the toothpick to come out clean in all areas with a lovely medium golden top and a wonderful but moderate center rise. Author’s/baker’s photos look severely underdone and flat. Mine looks like it came from the bakery!
Thank you so much for this recipe and all of your recipes!
Danae Tinsley says
This cake is amazing! I made it in a springform pan instead of a loaf. It is dense but not heavy. I used vanilla extract but will make it with lemon during blueberry season.
Clarence VanCamp says
First I made homemade creme fraiche 4 days in advance. On the day of baking I made homemade ricotta, thank you to my long time friend Martha (she doesn’t know we’re friends yet 😅)
https://www.marthastewart.com/316049/homemade-ricotta
I made 4 loaves, they came out perfect, they taste great, the smells fill the kitchen! I waited to put the ricotta in one step before the flour mixture. I was generous with the pure lemon extract. I baked 2 loaves at a time for about 70 – 75 minutes, as soon as the toothpick was clean.
Thanks for sharing this recipe Paula!
Paula says
I have wanted to make homemade yogurt, ricotta, and mozzarella, but haven’t been brave enough yet! Thanks for this!!
R Dean Mueck says
I don’t know what happened with the lemon extract but my cake tasted like chemicals. I used Wiltons Lemon Extract. Had to bake it much longer than recipe called for and lowered the oven rack and tented the top because it was charing. I’m really bummed.
Paula says
That is really odd.
Joanne says
Good recipe. I take issue with you saying “Cuisine type: American/Southern.” That’s very wrong. It’s English in origin.
John says
Delicious and most, but you must DEFINITELY bake longer than 45-50 minutes. The heading on the recipe states baking time is one hour but the instructions state 45-50 minutes. I also recommend the use of foil after about 1/2 hour of baking as the crust seems to bake quickly and the rim on my pound cake was slightly charred.
K says
Thank you! Helpful tip.
Saista says
So, I was looking for ways to utilize leftover Ricotta cheese and came across this recipe.
I love baking n my family loves to try new food, so it was settled.
And this turned out to be the softest pound cake ever. My 5 yrs old approves.
I didn’t change anything in the recipe, except used a 9″ round pan and baked at 350 for 45 mins.
Used my baking rings for even baking and the longer time helped avoid sinking of cake.
I also let it sit in the oven for 10 mins after baking instead of taking it out immediately.
Paula says
yay! so happy you like it
Kat says
I baked 3 mini Bundt cakes and 1 round 8in cake with the batter. I added the ricotta second to last of the ingredients to avoid over beating it and making the batter too thin. I also cut out 1/4 cup of sugar. I baked the mini Bundts for about 40 minutes and the round for about 55- they came out just lovely. Thanks for the recipe!!!!!!! Everyone loves it.