The BEST Pound Cake . . .

Now the snarky of you out there will likely be saying one of two things . . . 'there he goes, exaggerating about food again' or 'pound cake is so horrendous that making the 'best' pound cake wouldn't be a challenge - anything that didn't taste as if it were baked in 1938 would fit the bill' . . .

I recognize that many pound cakes are dry, heavy and tasteless. They don't call them pound cakes for nothing - they are generally heavy and bad ones sit in your gut like a pound of lead. This is likely the reason that the greatest use of pound cake is in some other recipe - anything to try and make it taste better.

Then the wonderful chef Gina de Palma published Dolce Italiano and the pound cake suddenly became tasty. Apparently all that was required was the addition of ricotta cheese . . .

You may recall that last year a group of talented slowtravel cooks worked there way through Gina's cook book. No one attempted the recipe for ricotta pound cake - a shame really because it is brilliant.

I have made this pound cake a few times and can guarantee that the folks you serve it to will be impressed. I have proof. I brought my assistant and a colleague a piece today - both of them raved about it. If that isn't scientific proof of the most stringent caliber I am not sure what is.

I like to play with the recipe - I've added fruit (dry of fresh), I've added other flavourings - lemon zest, lemoncello - and it has all been good.

If you a re ready to give the much maligned pound cake another test this is the way to go . . .

Enjoy!

Ricotta Pound Cake

1 1/2 c cake flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 c unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c fresh whole-milk ricotta
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 vanilla bean
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and place rack in center.

Grease and flour 9-inch loaf pan.

In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream together butter, ricotta, and sugar until smooth and light.

Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping sides of bowl after each addition.

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the blunt side of a small knife, then beat them into the batter along with the vanilla extract.

On low speed, beat in dry ingredients to combine them, scrape down sides of the bowl, and beat the batter for 30 seconds on medium.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth top with a spatula. Tap pan on counter a few times to remove air pockets.

Put cake in oven and let bake for 15 minutes, then turn 180 degrees to ensure even browning. Lower the temperature to 325°F (160°C) and let bake until cake springs back when lightly touched, the sides of the cake have pulled away from the sides of the pan, and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes more. NOTE - my cakes have ALWAYs taken longer to bake (likely because of the ricotta I use) - just watch them and test until they are done.

Allow cake to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then invert it on wire rack to cool completely.

Dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

Comments

[Cindy Ruth]

This is one I still haven't tried. Do you use fresh ricotta, or just the regular kind you buy at the store? It looks so moist in the photo.

[sheri]

We have a local restaurant that has a Ricotta Poundcake on their dessert menu.It is delicious. I've often wondered if they use this recipe.Think I will give it a try this weekend.

[JDeQ]

Cindy - we used ricotta from the store - I doubt it was fresh because it wasn't terribly expensive. The ricotta makes it incredibly moist.

Sheri - you should ask them what recipe they use. There aren't many out there. It would be cool if they were using Gina's!

[sandrac]

Very interesting, Jerry. I actually like pound cake and I've looked at Gina's recipe, wondering how it tastes.

Your take looks wonderful. When you add fruit, do you have to change any other ingredients? And how about limoncello, do you just use it to replace the vanilla extract?

[JDeQ]

Sandra - if you are a pound cake fan you will really like this one!

When I made a lemon pound cake I replaced the vanilla with lemoncello (and 'may' have slipped some more in as well). When I've added the fruit I've left everything else in the recipe the same.