Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake with Berries
I opened up our refrigerator on Saturday and found an opened container of ricotta cheese. I used half of it to make lemon ricotta pancakes and forgot about the rest. Luckily, it was still good, so I made a Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake with Berries. Josh asked what I was baking and as soon as I said lemon and ricotta, he was happy. There is just something magical about lemon and ricotta when they are paired together.
The pound cake is moist, with a tender crumb, and has hints of lemon in every bite. We served thick slices of pound cake with mixed berries and whipped cream. This lemon ricotta pound cake is perfect for spring. Serve it as an elegant dessert or as an afternoon snack with a cup of your favorite tea. Josh also enjoyed it for breakfast. It really is delightful anytime of the day.
Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake with Berries
Yield: Serves 10-12
Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more to grease the baking pan
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 lemons, zested
2 cups mixed berries, fresh or frozen (if using frozen thaw before using)
Whipped cream for serving, optionalDirections:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan with butter. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
2. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, ricotta cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the machine running, add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and lemon zest and mix until combined.
3. Add the dry ingredients, a small amount at a time, until just incorporated. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, place the mixed berries in a small bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir well and set aside until serving time.
5. To serve, slice the pound cake and serve with a spoonful of mixed berries. Top with whipped cream, if desired.
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
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SaveIf you like this Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake, you might also like:
Lemon Ricotta Cookies from Two Peas and Their Pod
Orange Ricotta Pound Cake with Strawberries from Gimme Some Oven
Chocolate Ricotta Pound Cake from Desserts for Breakfast
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I love lemon and ricotta together. This pouncake looks so moist and just gorgeous with the fresh berries!:)
My mouth is watering!
Mmm I agree, lemon and ricotta do go very well together. Looks amazing!
Ohh topped with fresh berries too, sounds to delicious!
This looks like the perfect dessert for Spring…lemon, ricotta and fresh berries ~ delicious!
I just love using ricotta in baking, it makes things so light and moist, and of course lemon and fresh berries are a perfect combination.
I just made a pound cake as well. It’s my new favorite snack!
I would love to eat this for breakfast. Or any time of day!
Yum! I’m a fan of lemon and ricotta, too!
Gosh, this lemon ricotta looks so good! I can’t wait to try this recipe! Thanks for sharing!
that appears to be an OH-so-tender cake, perfect for soaking up berry juices. hello spring!
I hardly ever eat non-chocolate desserts (hardly worth the calories), but this has me salivating. Looks luscious!
You can’t go wrong with pound cake, lemon and ricotta, seriously. This screams spring and summer!
Lemon pound cake reminds me of growing up. My mom made them in the summer and would make a strawberry sauce to go over them. Your cake looks moist and creamy … in other words PERFECT!!
Gorgeous pound cake! I love the berries – looks so fresh!
I have some ricotta in the fridge right now. Now I know how to use up my leftovers! Looks great.
This pound cake looks delicious! It’s funny that you post this now. For the first time, on Sunday, I tried to make Giada’s recipe for Orange Ricotta Pound Cake. Unfortunately, I didn’t have your success because mine fell apart. Though, it did taste good. Hope I can figure out what went wrong. Maybe it is my oven. Oh, well! However, I also baked Giada’s recipe for Lemon Ricotta cookies with a Lemon Glaze. Thankfully, those were delicious!
You know what know I feel silly. I just looked at your recipe again and saw that this is Giada’s recipe. It looks just like the one I made except with lemons instead of oranges. Her orange pound cake recipe also called for some amaretto. While making the orange pound cake recipe, I was wondering what it would taste like if I didn’t use the amaretto and used the lemon instead of orange. Some day I’ll have to try this recipe again with lemon.
This is all of my favorite things wrapped up in one! Just love it
I love pound cake and this looks like a tasty one, for sure!
I’ve made this cake many times and it’s always a success.
I love ricotta in ANYTHING! I can eat it out of the container!
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This looks amazing! Does this loaf freeze well? I want to make it ahead of time, but I just want to make sure it will stay moist and yummy!
Two Peas replied: — June 14th, 2011 @ 10:01 pm
I’ve never tried freezing it, but I am sure it would be fine. It is a very moist cake.
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Had to have done something wrong. Ricotta was very dry.
Cake overflowed loaf pan and did not fully cook. Look strange when mixing. Measured ingredients exactly. Cake flour was at expiration date. Could this be the culprit?? The outside edges tasted delicious. Oh! my mouth is watering.
Will have to try making it again.
Two Peas replied: — March 18th, 2012 @ 12:50 pm
Sorry, you had issues. The cake is very moist, not dry at all. The cake flour could have played into that.
Made this pound cake and i LOVE it. I was thinking about making it for a bridal shower coming up – do you think it would hold up as a bunt as well?
Two Peas replied: — April 6th, 2012 @ 9:14 am
I’ve never made it as a bundt cake, but I am sure it would be fine. Let me know if you try it!
Not sure if I did something wrong, too. It took almost 1:15 to bake and the top very dark – it looks almost burned… Is this normal, or did I mess this one up?
Two Peas replied: — April 7th, 2012 @ 9:59 pm
Sorry! I’ve never had a problem. Next time you can try putting foil on the top if it is getting too dark and the center isn’t done.
Amazing blog! Do you have any hints for aspiring writers?
I’m planning to start my own site soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
Would you suggest starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option?
There are so many options out there that I’m completely overwhelmed .. Any tips? Many thanks!
Thanks!! I had some extra ricotta and searched for a recipe to use it up. This was so moist and fantastic!
Made this today and had the same issue as another poster: After 45+ minutes, the top was brown but the inside was liquid. I bake on a regular basis and followed the recipe to a t, so I’m not sure what went wrong. Off to buy dessert for tonight’s gathering!
I have made this recipe 3 times now, turned out great each time, it is quickly becoming one of my husband’s favorites. Nice with coffee