A sweet and tart pound cake with fresh blueberries and lemon zest. Perfect for brunch or with afternoon tea!
I love to bake seasonally, so this time of year I reach for blueberries. I might have to start reaching for peaches as well since I just discovered that peach season has already begun here in California! This blueberry lemon ricotta pound cake is prepped in less than 10 minutes, after which you place it in the oven and let the aromas of lemon and blueberry waft through your house.
There is something so enjoyable about making loaf cakes. Besides being very easy to make, their flavor combinations are wide-ranging and it’s fun to play around with different ingredients, seasonings, and spices.
Recipe Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 tbsp, divided
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp 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 tbsp lemon zest
- 1-1/2 tbsp lemon juice plus 1 teaspoon, divided
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3 tbsp confectioner’s sugar
FAQS And Recipe Tips
- Do I need to coat my blueberries in flour? I strongly recommended that you do this step. It will prevent your blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the loaf.
- What if I don’t have parchment paper on hand? It’s not necessary but it definitely makes your (baking) life easier. If you aren’t using parchment, be sure to spray your pan really well with non-stick cooking spray.
- Be sure to 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.
- If you don’t have ricotta on hand, you could substitute sour cream or yogurt in its place.
Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake
This delicious pound cake has a tender crumb, with fresh lemon zest and blueberries dotted throughout the cake. It’s not cloyingly sweet, thanks to the bright lemon, but just sweet enough. It’s perfect for brunch or to go with your afternoon coffee/tea.
Be sure to let your cake cool completely before adding the glaze. 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, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. This delightful cake would also make a great housewarming/baby shower/congratulations gift!
More Cake Recipes
Enjoy your week, and feel free to drop me a line in the comments – I would love to hear if you try this recipe! Or tag me on Instagram @maryannehoekstra to let me know how it turned out! Also, if you are enjoying my blog, please consider recommending it to your friends. They can subscribe here.
Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 tbsp, divided
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp 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 tbsp lemon zest
- 1-1/2 tbsp lemon juice plus 1 teaspoon, divided
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3 tbsp confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, toss blueberries with 1 tbsp of flour. Set aside.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- For the glaze: In a small bowl, combine confectioner's sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice. Use a pastry brush to brush glaze onto cake or drizzle on top of cake.
This pound cake turned out absolutely perfectly! It was moist, sweet and tasted like summer!
So glad you love it as much as I do, Anjali!
I love how light and fluffy that texture looks will make this Sunday everyone will love this!
I think everyone will love it, indeed!
This pound cake is calling my name! Blueberry and lemon are so delicious together!
I agree, Sue! They are a delicious combo!
This pound cake has the best texture, dotted with blueberries throughout. Great tip on flouring the blueberries so that they don’t all fall to the bottom of the cake!
Thanks, Alison! 🙂