The following excerpt and recipe for One-Bowl Lemon-Ricotta Pound Cake is from Alexandra Stafford's cookbook "Pizza Night." It's available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 

This is an adaptation of an old favorite Giada De Laurentiis recipe, reworked to make it a one-bowl job, allowing it to come together very quickly. Made with ricotta and olive oil, it’s an exceptionally moist cake that stays so for days, and it’s a dessert I love serving any time of year, at the height of citrus season in the winter months and in the summer with fresh berries alongside. I almost always make it in a standard loaf pan, but you can divide the batter among three small loaf pans, too. The smaller loaves are great if you want to freeze the cake for a future pizza night, and they also make great gifts.

One-bowl Lemon-Ricotta Pound Cake

  • Prep Time:10 mins
  • Cook Time:1 hr 15 mins
  • Total Time:1 hr 25 mins
  • Servings:1
  • Easy

    Ingredients

  • Softened butter for the pan
  • 1 tbsp sugar for the pan
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1½ cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Grated zest 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 2½ tsp baking powder
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • Fresh berries - optional for serving
Photograph by Eva Kolenko

  • Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9 x 5-inch (or 10 x 5-inch) loaf pan with butter. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar into the pan, and shake and turn the pan to coat the sides in the sugar.

  • Step 2

    In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and ricotta until blended. Whisk in the oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice until blended. Whisk in the sugar and salt to combine. Whisk in the baking powder to incorporate. Add the flour and use a spatula to incorporate until it is no longer visible.

  • Step 3

    Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, 60 to 75 minutes. If you have an instant-read probe thermometer (such as a Thermapen), it should register about 200ºF or above.

  • Step 4

    Let the loaf cool completely in its pan. Run a knife along the edges of the pan to help release it. Store in an airtight zip-top bag at room temperature for 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

  • Step 5

    To serve, cut into slices. If desired, serve with fresh berries alongside.

    Photograph by Eva Kolenko