Description
Lemon ricotta pound cake brings zesty brightness to classic dessert traditions. Mediterranean flavors and creamy ricotta create a delightful slice you’ll savor with pure pleasure.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) ricotta cheese (part-skim)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) sugar
- ¾ cups (170 g) butter, unsalted (room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) flour (cake)
- 2 ½ tsps baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) lemon juice (fresh)
- Zest from 1 lemon
- Butter (for greasing baking pan)
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350°F, positioning the rack in the center to guarantee uniform heat distribution for the delicate pound cake.
- Pan Setup: Meticulously grease a standard loaf pan with butter, then dust with flour to prevent any potential adhesion.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in a medium bowl until completely integrated, ensuring a smooth dry mixture.
- Creaming Stage: Utilize an electric mixer to blend butter, ricotta, and sugar until the mixture transforms into a light, fluffy texture with no visible granules.
- Egg Integration: Add eggs one at a time, thoroughly mixing after each addition to create a silky, homogeneous batter that maintains optimal volume and structure.
- Flavor Infusion: Pour in vanilla extract and fresh lemon juice, gently stirring to distribute the aromatic elements evenly throughout the mixture.
- Batter Completion: Delicately fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, using minimal strokes to preserve the cake’s tender crumb and prevent overworking.
- Baking Process: Smoothly transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan, ensuring an even surface and consistent depth for uniform baking.
- Oven Transformation: Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes, monitoring until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges completely clean.
- Cooling and Finishing: Allow the cake to rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack. Once cooled, garnish with a light dusting of powdered sugar for an elegant presentation.
Notes
- Master Zesting Technique: Use a microplane or fine grater to extract only the bright yellow part of the lemon rind, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath.
- Room Temperature Matters: Ensure butter, eggs, and ricotta are at room temperature for smoother mixing and better cake texture, preventing lumpy or uneven batter.
- Gentle Mixing Magic: Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture using a spatula with light, sweeping motions to maintain the cake’s delicate, tender crumb.
- Storage Savvy: Store cake wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for 3-4 days, or refrigerate for up to a week to preserve its moist, delicate texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 33 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg