Ricotta Pound Cake from Gina DePalma’s Dolce Italiano
**NOTE THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED.**
Welcome to Day 3 of the Dolce Italiano Contest in which you can win a free, personalized, signed copy of Dolce Italiano, the newly-released, highly-acclaimed Italian dessert cookbook by Gina DePalma, Executive Pastry Chef of Mario Batali’s Babbo Ristorante Enoteca in New York City.
You can read more about the contest in this post of mine and also over at Shelley’s At Home in Rome, home of the event, but here’s the gist: Shelley, Sara, Ilva, Jenn, and I are going to be posting recipes from the book over the next two weeks.
In order to be entered into the drawing for the free, personalized, signed copy of Dolce Italiano, you need to comment on the recipe posts; you can comment on all 10 over the next two weeks to maximize your chances of winning.
All comments must be posted by 11:59 p.m. PST on Friday, December 7th, 2007 to be entered.
So, after you leave me a note here, if you haven’t commented on Sara’s Mosaic Biscotti from Monday or Ilva’s Chocolate Kisses from yesterday, do go over and comment.
When collaborating, we had to figure out which days we would all post our recipes. I, of course, requested Wednesdays to keep the What’s Cooking Wednesday theme alive and also to enrich the WCW collection with some delicious Dolce Italiano recipes.
Now to the recipe.
I’m a cake and cookie girl, so it’s not surprising that the first dessert I’ve chosen is in one of those food groups–namely the Ricotta Pound Cake.
I love any kind of cake and I also love ricotta, so I had a pretty good idea I’d enjoy this too.
“Enjoy” doesn’t do this justice.
I *love* this cake. LOVE THIS CAKE.
The ricotta gives an extra kick to the normally tame (I didn’t say boring–did you hear boring?) pound cake as well as an awful lot of moisture. I love how the outside is nice and crunchy but inside it’s actually almost wet. This is without a doubt one of the best cakes I’ve ever made or eaten.
And as Gina wrote in the book, it *is* even better the next day–that just didn’t seem possible after I took my first bite nearly fresh out of the oven. I really have to learn to trust the experts.
Ah, and another bonus? It goes great with espresso!
Ricotta Pound Cake
(condensed from Gina DePalma’s Dolce Italiano)
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
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and place rack in center.
2. Grease and flour 9-inch loaf pan.
3. In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, cream together butter, ricotta, and sugar until smooth and light.
5. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping sides of bowl after each addition.
6. If you have a vanilla bean (I didn’t), split it 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. I just used another teaspoon of vanilla extract.
7. 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.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth top with a spatula. Tap pan on counter a few times to remove air pockets.
9. 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.
For some reason, mine took another 35 minutes, so do keep a close eye on it. Perhaps it had to do with the water content of the ricotta I used versus what Gina uses? Experts?
10. Allow cake to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then invert it on wire rack to cool completely. Mine came right out of the pan like no other loaf I’ve made before–the browned outside is key here. Dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.
As Gina says, flavor is best the next day, and I have to agree. Leftover cake can be stored for up to three days so long as it’s wrapped in plastic.
Buon appetito!
Today I’m thankful for:
Ricotta Pound Cake of course! YUM!
138 Beans of Wisdom to “Ricotta Pound Cake from Gina DePalma’s Dolce Italiano”
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Recipes
I am showing up late here…I also had some adjustments on cooking time here in Italy…just have to keep an eye on them, I guess!
Yum, pound cake AND ricotta??? I second the dunking into coffee motion.
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Dear Sognatrice,
Thanks you for dropping by blog. Great to see your great effort to organise such incredible recipes and comes with goodies too.
Well and yet so strange for me. Why? I notice one thing about this recipe which makes it very unique, whole milk ricotta. I truely have not got the chance to use this ingredient in malaysia, as it might not be available. But. I presume it is unique as it is a cheese based milk. What stuck me also is Buttermilk! Buttemilk is very fragrant and usually used to make danish pastries.
My verdict: this ricotta pound cake is incredible and delicous, as the main ingredient is whole milk ricotta and yet the butter enhance this cake.
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*Melissa, it’s time to give that oven a workout
Isn’t this a great book?!
*Joann, I look forward to more of your photos; always a pleasure! And yes, I have seen your bruschetta recipe–looks fabulous! And I do hope you post some chocolate recipes. I *love* chocolate
*Anne, this is a great holiday cake–quick, easy, and delicious
*Sara, I’ve been dunking far too much these days
I think it probably has a lot to do with the temps, like Gina said. I highly doubt our baby ovens here as anywhere near as powerful as the ones at Babbo 
*BBO, thanks for coming over; hopefully you’ll get to try out the recipe someday if you can find the ricotta. We don’t have buttermilk readily available here, so I suppose we’re even
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What type of flour did you use? Doppio zero? or cake flour? The flour and the moisture as well as your oven can make a difference.
Beth
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Found you via Sparky Duck and am I ever glad! I love ricotta and pound cake so this will be tried out asap!
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Either water content or tin type/size would be my guess, but there’s always the variable of individual oven temperatures.
Cheers
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this looks very easy and yummy. thanks michelle for participating in this contest. I hope the ricotta I find in the US will be just as tasty.
Linda
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I just want you to know that my hips are extremely angry with you right now.
Damn that sounds like a good cake! If my true love had not forced me to make a chocolate layer cake yesterday, this would be in my oven right now.
I may need to throw in some freshly grated citrus peel, though. And nutmeg. I’ll keep you advised.
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i am stopping by the market on the way home to pick up some ricotta (or whole milk so i can make some myself) because i HAVE to have this. i heart ricotta – on its own, in cheesecake – i haven’t met a ricotta i didn’t like, and this sounds like an introduction i’d like to make. yum-o!!
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That is truly gorgeous. What did you use for cake flour?
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PS/ my kid is teaching how to make my own vanilla extract and it involves dark rum, so how bad could that be?
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Seeing that I’m comment #62, I’m thinking I might not win this book. But I’m totally making this recipe. You had me with “good with espresso.” I do love the subtlety of a pound cake but to add to its, ahem, traditional ho-humness, is a wonderful thing.
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I was *hoping* someone would choose a recipe with both the words ricotta and cake in the title! That’s probably my favorite dessert combination in the world. As I said on the dolce Italiano blog yesterday, we’re all winners seeing these wonderful recipes!
Now, if there’s something ricotta and chocolate…
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I am a big fan of ricotta cheese. Heck, I’m just a big fan of cheese in general!
I’m printing this recipe and cooking it for Christmas!! I’ll let you know how it turns out.
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Omigosh, that pound cake makes me want to bite the screen! Yum!
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That pound cake looks awesome!
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Not only does the cake sound heavenly, you write so beautifully. I’m glad to have stumbled upon you.
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This one looks so good I’m gonna say screw the diet and do a little baking this weekend. Thanks.
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I made this recipe about two weeks ago. It was the absolute best pound cake ever. How could you go wrong with ricotta and pound cake.
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Yumm a new twist on pound cake. It looks great!
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Wow this LOOKS amazing. i am going to A Xmas Breakfast party on the 12th, I will make that to bring along! I love Ricotta!
The other two recipes also looked wonderful and I AM NOT A SWEET tooth person. If I don’t win this book I am definitely buying it!
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Well I can eat ricotta cheese with a spoon, so I know I will love this recipe. Your tomato and zucchini with pasta remains one of my all-time favorites.
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I guess you liked this one huh? This is one of those Harry met Sally moments when you just say “I’ll have what she’s having!”
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Hi! I’m a cake and coffee lover (espresso is my favourite, as well as chocolate. So far all the recipes i’ve seen from this book have won me over! Plus I had some great ricotta cake while in Italy earlier this year, so this does bring back memories.
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Hey you! You don’t need to sign me up for the contest because I think Tony would beat me if I added yet another cookbook to my gigantic collection.
I just needed to comment because it’s been a while and holy moly I am so going to make this pound cake. As soon as I buy some cake flour and a loaf pan!
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I never would have thought to add ricotta to pound cake. But that looks heavenly!
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Wait, dont enter me again for the contest. I commented once earlier but had to come back and tell you how special that cake really is! When you said “I “love” this cake, LOVE THE CAKE “, I knew I had to try it. OMG. It is wonderful! I just had to come back and tell you, I love the cake.
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Songatrice, as you know I had a bit of an Italian culinary disaster on my hands last weekend. But I swear this is the tastiest looking pound cake I’ve ever seen and it LOOKS like it would be easy enough to try. In fact, I’ve been okay with cakes before. Again, I think the key here is for me to win Gina DePalma to come to my house and cook for me, but the cookbook would be nice, too! Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier
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That recipe sounds scrumptuous and not all that difficult too. I may start my experiments with these recipes with this one!
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I love the beautiful golden orange tone; it reminds me of your beautiful Italian fall pics of yesterday. A pound cake filled with ricotta with a crisp crust … it is a dream cake.
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This looks and sounds great! I am a chocolate lover as well and I think chocolate could be added to this very easily…cut cake into cubes and dip into chocolate fondue.
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oh!I just looking for pound cake recipe and now I found one…beside that I love to have Batali’s cook book:) Wish me luck!!
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That looks good! But as a near diabetic (for a few more months at least) I’ll just have to be content to look at the pictures
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Wow, Sognatrice, now that DOES sound like a tasty cake! I’m a big fan of lemon pound cakes, but I tend to go for the non-fussy, simple kinds, but I’ve never tried ricotta in a cake before — sounds intriguing and highly tempting! I’m going to have to give this a try…
A random question, with my being in France — I always wonder if I can use “levure chimique” in the place of baking powder here… I think that’s what I’ve done in the past, because I’m not sure what else would replace it, but does anyone know?
Thanks for the wonderful recipe and for a great contest! And thanks for stopping by my blog yesterday as well.
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Oh my…this pouncake looks so moist and delicious. I want to go home and prepare it now!!!! The cookbook also sounds amazing. I will have to add it to my evergrowing piles.
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that looks fabulous, I’ve never tried ricotta in baking before!
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I think pound cake may be my absolute favorite cake. I simply love the stuff. This recipe sounds sinfully good.
I’m excited about this cookbook. If I don’t win the contest I will be purchasing a copy for myself.
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Wow! that looks wonderful and I’m definitely going to make it!
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That photo is making my mouth water!
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I love pound cake, and this one looks wonderful!
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That cake looks terrific!
And that even is so cool.
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That looks delish!
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Oh I can’t wait to try this. I think I will turn my husband into a poundcake lover. I love to use ricotta and we have a great Italian Fresh Market that you can purchase it fresh. Yum, yum, yum.
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This looks so good! I have to catch up with my comments, so I can win this book! ; )
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I’m number 94!!! Yikes, how do you possibly keep track?
I LOVE pound cake. I am a simple dessert kinda girl. This looks great.
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I must make this! It sounds great.
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Oh good lord, that looks fantastic! I’m mostly a chocolate girl, but I think I’ll have to make an exception for this!
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Ohhh, I would LOVE to win this book. What a great recipe too. I can’t wait to try it.
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The ricotta pound cake sounds really good.
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It must be fate. I make personalized marshmallow cooking sticks — http://www.marshmallowchefsticks.com. I found a blog from a Chef who loves to make s’mores. You commented on her site which brought me to ‘bleeding espresso’. And guess what, I love pound cake and I love ricotta. I think your recipe and the writing leading down to the recipe was very entertaining. Good job. Photos look yummy and the writing fits perfectly. Cool contest as well.
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