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Ricotta Orange Pound Cake with Strawberries

Pound cakes are perennially popular because they are such good keepers; this one will keep in the freezer for up to six months if it’s tightly wrapped. Pull it out and dress it up or dress it down; it’s great either way.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more to grease the baking pan
1 1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoons Amaretto
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan with butter.

    Step 2

    In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine.

    Step 3

    Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, ricotta, and the 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each is incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla, orange zest, and Amaretto and mix until combined. Add the dry ingredients, a small amount at a time, beating just until incorporated.

    Step 4

    Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, 45 to 50 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Using a sieve, dust the cooled cake with confectioners’ sugar.

    Step 5

    Meanwhile, place the strawberries in a small bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Toss to combine, then set aside until the strawberries have released some of their juices.

    Step 6

    To serve, slice the cake and serve topped with a spoonful of strawberries and their juices.

Reprinted with permission from Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2008 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.
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