Ricotta Orange Pound Cake

Between Andrew and I, we go through a lot of oranges around here. From throwing them into lunch boxes, squeezing fresh juice in the morning and throwing zest into baked goods we always have a big bag of oranges ready. My favorite oranges are Indian River Oranges.  I tried them for the first time when I was about ten years old. My family was vacationing in Florida and the concierge at our hotel recommended that we stop at by a local orange grove. They had samples of Indian River Oranges out for everyone to try.

They were the best oranges I have ever tasted! So fresh, sweet and juicy! Every year since, my family has ordered a large bushel of Indian River Oranges to be delivered to us straight from Florida. This Ricotta Orange Pound Cake takes my favorite kind of orange and creates this amazing pound cake. It’s so moist, rich, buttery and bursting with amazing citrus flavor. This recipe calls for cake flour, which is essential for creating this tender, buttery pound cake. Don’t be tempted to substitute all-purpose flour for the cake flour, as doing so will make it dry and tough…and nobody wants that!

Ricotta Orange Pound Cake

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 9×5-inch loaf

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Ingredients 

• 1 ½ cups cake flour
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup 1 ½ sticks butter, room temperature
• 1 ½ cups whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 ½ cups sugar, plus 1 tablespoon, divided
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 orange, zested
• 2 tablespoons Amaretto

For the Orange Syrup:

• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/3 cup sugar

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Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of one 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, ricotta and 1 ½ cups sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer still running, beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla, orange zest, and Amaretto until combined. Add the dry ingredients, a small amount at a time, until just incorporated. Pour the batter 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, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing loaf to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
• While the loaf is cooling, make the orange syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the orange juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside.
• Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with the orange syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely.

Author: Laura

Source: adapted from Food Network