Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake

Name: 📖 Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 68 min
Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 tbsp, divided; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and patted dry; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature; 3 eggs, room temperature; 3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese; 1 Tablespoon lemon zest; 1-1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice plus 1 teaspoon, divided; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2-3 Tablespoons confectioner's sugar

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This blueberry lemon ricotta pound cake has a tender crumb, with fresh lemon zest and blueberries dotted throughout the cake. It's not cloyingly sweet, thanks to the fresh lemon, but just sweet enough. Ricotta adds light creaminess, making it perfect for brunch or to go with your afternoon coffee or tea.

blueberry lemon ricotta pound cake cut open on a platter.

I love to bake seasonally, so this time of year I reach for berries. They are highlighted in this loaf cake, along with one of their perfect flavor pairings: bright and citrusy lemon. You can also use them to make my ricotta pancakes with blueberry sauce.

This pound cake is prepped in less than 10 minutes, after which you place it in the oven and let the aroma of lemon and blueberry waft through your house. I've even included helpful instructions on how to make this ahead of time or using a Bundt pan.

Besides being very easy to make, loaf cakes have wide-ranging flavor combinations, and they're a no-fuss dessert or snack.

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⭐️ Why This Recipe Is The Best
🍋 Ingredient Notes
📝 Variations & Substitutions
🥄 How To Make Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake
👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
🍰 Related Recipes
📖 Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake

⭐️ Why This Recipe Is The Best

Flavor: Bright citrus notes, not too sweet, and fresh blueberries that are the perfect combination of tart and sweet make this a great loaf cake for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Texture: A tender and moist cake that is lighter and fluffier than a typical pound cake due to the addition of creamy ricotta.
Quick and easy: This no-fuss lemon blueberry ricotta pound cake is prepped in less than 10 minutes and no special equipment is needed, just an electric hand-mixer.
Serve anytime: Because this cake is light and not too sweet, it can be served for breakfast, brunch, with afternoon coffee, or for dessert.

🍋 Ingredient Notes

Blueberries - I recommend using fresh and plump blueberries for this recipe. You can also use frozen blueberries, but the color may bleed into your cake batter.
Unsalted butter and eggs - For best results, these ingredients should be at room temperature.
Ricotta cheese - Use whole milk ricotta for best results. Ricotta adds moisture and mild-flavored creaminess to our pound cake.
Lemon zest and lemon juice - Since we are using lemon zest in this recipe, be sure to use fresh lemon juice here as well. It really makes a difference and adds a much fresher flavor with more citrus notes than bottled lemon juice.

Two slices of pound cake on a white plate with fork and blueberries.

📝 Variations & Substitutions

Bake in a Bundt pan: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease Bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray or butter, and bake for 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, then invert pan onto cooling rack.
Make a healthier version: Substitute ½ cup of all-purpose flour for whole-wheat or almond flour. Note that using whole-wheat flour may need an extra tablespoon of ricotta cheese to add moisture, and using almond flour will make an extra tender crumb.
Substitute sour cream or yogurt in place of the ricotta.
Use frozen blueberries. No need to thaw them before using, just toss frozen blueberries in flour and mix into your batter. Because of their higher water content, the color may bleed into your batter.

🥄 How To Make Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake

(*The full printable recipe can be found below in the recipe card.)

Prep loaf pan: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and line with parchment paper.

Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, toss blueberries with 1 Tablespoon of flour. Set aside.

Bowl of fresh blueberries tossed in flour.

Cream butter and sugar: Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, beat sugar and butter for several minutes, stopping at least once to scrape down sides of bowl.

Add wet ingredients: Beat in eggs, one at a time. Turn mixer to low and add ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed for around 1 minute.

Add flour mixture and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries.

Stirring pound cake batter in mixing bowl.

Bake: Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean. Cake should be lightly browned around the edges.

Let cake cool: Place the cake (in the pan) on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake from the pan, then pull on parchment to lift cake out of pan. Let cake cool completely.

Loaf of pound cake resting on a cooling rack.

For the glaze: In a small bowl, combine confectioner's sugar and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Use a pastry brush to brush glaze onto cake or drizzle on top of cake.

Lemon pound cake being brushed with glaze.

👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips

Coat your blueberries in flour before adding to the batter. This will prevent your blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the loaf.
Cream your butter and sugar for several minutes. This guarantees a light and airy batter. If you skip this step, your cake will be quite dense.
Use room-temperature eggs. This incorporates air into your batter and makes your pound cake lighter and fluffier. To quickly bring your eggs to room-temperature, place them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
Make ahead: Bake up to 24 hours in advance, and glaze right before serving.
When zesting lemons, be sure to avoid the white pith; you only want the yellow zest. The pith tastes bitter and will add bitterness to your cake.
Use room-temperature butter. This helps to cream your butter and sugar together and make super creamy cake batter.
Let your cake cool completely before adding the glaze.
Storage: To store the cake, wrap it in foil and place in an air-tight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
How to freeze: Wrap individual slices in foil and place in a freezer-safe bag. Store in freezer for up to 3 months.

Sliced pound cake on a dark gray platter with fresh blueberries and a slice of lemon.

💬 Frequently Asked Questions

What is ricotta?

It's a mild-flavored, soft, and moist cheese that is added to many Italian recipes, both savory (like lasagna) and sweet (like cheesecake). It has a thicker texture than sour cream and is lower in fat than most cheeses. You can read more about the production and uses of ricotta in this article.

Does ricotta cake need to be refrigerated?

I recommend storing this cake in the refrigerator due to its high moisture content. To store the cake, wrap it in foil and place in an air-tight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

How do I make sure my pound cake is moist?

Adding ricotta cheese and fresh blueberries adds moisture and flavor to our pound cake in this recipe. It has a tender crumb, with fresh lemon zest and blueberries dotted throughout the cake. Ricotta adds light creaminess, making it perfect for brunch or to go with your afternoon coffee or tea.

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