Are you searching for the ultimate, elegant dessert that is as perfect for a sunny brunch as it is for a cozy holiday gathering? A cake so impossibly moist, so tender, and so packed with a bright, sophisticated flavor, it will have everyone asking for the recipe? This incredible, from-scratch Ricotta Orange Pound Cake with Macerated Strawberries is that perfect dessert. We’re talking a rich, dense-yet-delicate pound cake, made unbelievably moist with the magic of ricotta cheese, and infused with the fragrant zest of fresh orange and a hint of almond.
This isn’t just another pound cake recipe; it’s your definitive guide to a truly show-stopping bake that is secretly simple to make. We’ll show you the crucial professional secrets to the most tender, velvety crumb you’ve ever had. This is a satisfying, soulful, and deeply impressive cake that is perfect for any special occasion, or simply for treating yourself to a slice of pure bliss.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Moist & Tender Pound Cake
What makes this Ricotta Pound Cake so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, melt-in-your-mouth texture and its wonderfully complex, yet simple flavor profile. This recipe is a masterpiece of rustic, Italian-inspired baking. The star of the show is whole milk ricotta cheese, which is creamed with butter and sugar to create the foundation for an unbelievably moist and tender cake with a delicate, fine crumb. The cake is infused with the bright, fragrant flavor of fresh orange zest and a sophisticated, nutty hint of Amaretto. The perfect counterpoint to the rich cake is a simple, vibrant, and fresh topping of macerated strawberries, which create their own luscious, sweet syrup.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 2 hours (includes cooling) |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 8-10 slices |
The Baker’s Pantry: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality ingredients to create its signature rich and comforting flavor.
- The Pound Cake (The Secret to Moisture!):
- Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese: This is the number one, non-negotiable secret to the most incredible pound cake texture! The high fat and moisture content of whole milk ricotta is the key that guarantees an impossibly moist, tender, and fine-crumbed cake that is never dry.
- Cake Flour: For the most tender and delicate result, cake flour is highly recommended. Its lower protein content creates less gluten, which is the secret to a wonderfully soft, not tough, cake.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: This is a crucial, professional baker’s secret! It is absolutely essential that your butter, ricotta, and eggs are all at a true room temperature. This is the key that allows the ingredients to emulsify together into a smooth, uniform batter that can trap air, creating a light and evenly baked cake.
- The Fresh Flavors & Topping:
- Fresh Orange Zest & Amaretto: The bright, fragrant essential oils from fresh orange zest and a splash of a sweet, nutty Amaretto liqueur are the keys that elevate this from a simple pound cake to a truly gourmet dessert.
- Macerated Strawberries: A simple but elegant topping. “Macerating” is the simple technique of tossing fresh fruit with a little bit of sugar. The sugar draws out the natural juices from the strawberries, creating a beautiful, fresh, and syrupy sauce with no cooking required.
Step-by-Step to the Best Ricotta Orange Pound Cake
This elegant, festive dessert is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: The Art of the Creamy Ricotta Batter
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 350°F ($175^{\circ}C$). Generously grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, combine your dry ingredients: the 1 1/2 cups of cake flour, the 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, and the 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Stir to combine.
Step 3: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together your 1 1/2 sticks of room temperature butter, the 1 1/2 cups of whole milk ricotta, and the 1 1/2 cups of sugar until the mixture is very light and fluffy. This will take about 3 minutes.
Step 4: With the machine running on a low speed, add your 3 large, room temperature eggs, one at a time, making sure each is incorporated before adding the next.
Step 5: Add the 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, the zest of 1 orange, and the 2 tablespoons of Amaretto and mix until they are combined.
Step 6 (The Most Important Step for a Tender Cake!): With your mixer on its lowest speed, add your dry ingredients, a small amount at a time, mixing only until the last streaks of flour have just disappeared. Be careful not to overmix!
Part 2: Bake to Golden Perfection and Prepare the Topping
Step 1: Pour your finished batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. You will know the cake is perfectly done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Step 2: Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before you carefully invert it onto the rack to cool completely.
Step 3: While the cake is cooling, place your 1 pint of quartered strawberries in a small bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Let this sit at room temperature to allow the strawberries to release their delicious juices.
Once the cake has cooled completely, use a mesh sieve to give it a beautiful, snowy dusting of powdered sugar. To serve, serve a thick slice of the cake with a generous spoonful of the macerated strawberries and their juices over the top.
Ricotta Orange Pound Cake (with Macerated Strawberries!)
A classic and elegant recipe for a Ricotta Orange Pound Cake, served with fresh macerated strawberries. This incredibly moist and tender cake gets its rich texture from whole milk ricotta cheese and its bright, fragrant flavor from fresh orange zest and a splash of Amaretto. The simple, from-scratch batter is baked in a loaf pan until golden brown and is finished with a simple dusting of powdered sugar. The cake is served with strawberries that have been tossed in sugar to create their own light syrup.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 orange, zested
- 2 tablespoons Amaretto
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
- 1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together the room-temperature butter, ricotta, and 1 1/2 cups of sugar for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- With the machine running, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the vanilla, orange zest, and Amaretto and mix until combined.
- On low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, a small amount at a time, until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, place the quartered strawberries in a small bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Let the mixture sit to allow the strawberries to release their juices (macerate).
- Once the cake is completely cool, dust it with powdered sugar using a mesh sieve.
- To serve, slice the cake and top with a spoonful of the strawberries and their juices.
Notes
- This is a very moist pound cake, with the ricotta cheese providing a rich, tender crumb.
- Using room-temperature ingredients (butter, ricotta, eggs) is a key step that helps the batter to mix together smoothly and achieve a light, fluffy texture.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter after adding the flour, as this can result in a tough cake. Mix only until the ingredients are ‘just incorporated.’
- The cake is best served with the simple, fresh strawberry topping, but would also be delicious on its own.
What to Serve With Your Pound Cake
This beautiful and elegant cake is a fantastic and incredibly versatile dessert.
- The Perfect Pairing: It is absolutely perfect served as is, with the fresh strawberry topping. For an even more decadent treat, a small dollop of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of a high-quality vanilla bean ice cream would be fantastic.
- The Perfect Occasion: This is the perfect cake for an elegant brunch, an afternoon tea, or a light and lovely dessert after a heavy holiday meal.
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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: This is a perfect make-ahead dessert! The flavor and the texture of the pound cake will actually be even better on the second day. You can bake the cake up to 3 days in advance.
- Storage: Store the un-sliced cake, well-wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 4 days. It is best to store the macerated strawberries in a separate, airtight container in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked questions (FAQs)
Q1: Why is my pound cake dry or tough?
The two most common culprits are overmixing your flour and overbaking your cake. Once you have added your dry ingredients, you want to mix on a low speed only until the last streaks of flour have disappeared. Overmixing will overdevelop the gluten and result in a tough cake. Also, be sure to check your cake for doneness on the earlier side of the baking time.
Q2: Can I make this with a different kind of cheese?
It is highly not recommended. The unique, high-moisture, and relatively low-fat (compared to cream cheese) content of whole milk ricotta is the non-negotiable secret to the signature, moist and tender texture of this cake.
Q3: Can I make this in a different kind of pan?
Yes, absolutely! This recipe would also be beautiful baked in a classic 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan. You will need to increase the baking time to about 55 to 65 minutes.
Q4: Can I make this recipe non-alcoholic?
Of course! To make a delicious, non-alcoholic version, you can simply substitute the 2 tablespoons of Amaretto with about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of a pure almond extract.
Q5: Can I use a different kind of fruit for the topping?
Yes! This beautiful cake would also be fantastic with a simple macerated topping of other fresh berries, like raspberries or a mix of blueberries and blackberries, or with some beautiful, fresh peaches in the summer.