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One of our vices is ordering a muffin, scone, pastry, or a slice of sweet pound cake-like bread with our morning lattes or cappuccinos. This lemon blueberry ricotta pound cake blends two delicious flavors and satisfies our craving without spending five dollars for a slice. Loaded with blueberries and lemon sugar, this pound cake recipe is rich and moist with the addition of ricotta cheese. With a prep time of less than 10 minutes, this easy recipe is perfect all year round.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
With a few simple pantry staples and ricotta, this pound cake can be prepped in 10 minutes making it perfect for breakfast or dessert.
The complete ingredient list and measurements are listed in the printable recipe below.
- Ricotta: The ricotta cheese replaces some of the butter that is found in traditional pound cakes making for a moist, rich cake. For the best results, we recommend using whole-milk ricotta.
- Blueberries: You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries. We sometimes use frozen blueberries since we always have a bag or two in the freezer. With frozen blueberries, you might get more color bleed in the cake batter.
- Lemons: Use fresh lemons to get the best flavor and be sure to zest them before juicing.
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pound Cake
Here are the quick step-by-step instructions with visuals; you can find the full instructions with the exact ingredients in the recipe card below.
Pro-tip: Allow the cake to completely cool before glazing and slicing.
1. Make the Lemon sugar: In a small bowl combine the sugar and lemon zest. With your fingers rub the sugar and zest together which will release the oils, infusing the sugar with intense lemon flavor.
2. Make the Cake Batter: In a medium bowl combine the ricotta cheese, melted butter, lemon sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, whisking well to combine. Then whisk in the eggs, one at a time, making sure to fully incorporate each.
Add all the flour, minus 1 tablespoon, the baking powder, and salt to the wet ingredients and carefully fold the dry ingredients into the mixture.
3. Add the Blueberries: Toss the blueberries with the tablespoon of reserved flour and add them to the pound cake batter. With a rubber spatula carefully fold the blueberries into the cake batter.
4. Bake the Pound Cake: Transfer the batter to a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan that has been lined with parchment paper and bake in an oven preheated to 350°F for about one hour, or until starting to brown around the edges. You will know it’s ready when a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20-25 minutes, then run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake. Carefully remove the cake from the pan by inverting it onto the rack and then turning it right-side up.
5. Make the Lemon Glaze: In a small bowl whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Once the lemon blueberry pound cake has completely cooled drizzle it with the lemon glaze. Allow the cake to sit for another 5-10 minutes so the glaze can set then slice and serve.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: To make this pound cake in advance follow the instructions for prepping, baking, and cooling the cake. Once cool wrap and store it in an airtight container for up to 24 hours. Prior to serving make the lemon glaze and drizzle it over the pound cake.
How to Store: You can freeze leftover pound cake for up to 3 months. Cut the cake into individual slices and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment then place in the freezer. Freeze the slices until firm then transfer them to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. The pound cake can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an air-tight container.
How to Reheat: Leftover pound cake can be enjoyed at room temperature or place a slice on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 250°F for 8-10 minutes or until the pound cake is warm but not hot.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Tossing the blueberries in flour helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom. We do this for both fresh and frozen blueberries.
- There is no need to thaw the frozen blueberries.
- For lighter, fluffier pound cake use room-temperature eggs. To bring eggs up to room temperature quickly, place them in a bowl with warm water for a few minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The cake can be left at room temperature for a few hours but due to the high moisture content of the cake leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The pound cake can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
It gets its name because traditional pound cake is made with 1 pound of butter, 1 pound of flour, and 1 pound of sugar.
Raspberries are delicious with lemon as well and would be a great substitute. You can also make it without any berries for a delicious lemon pound cake.
Let’s Connect! If you make this recipe or any other recipe on Casual Epicure, please don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It helps others who are considering making our recipes and we love hearing about your cooking experiences. And if you snapped some shots, share them on Instagram, and be sure to tag @casual.epicure so we can feature them in our stories.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this recipe, we recommend checking out some of these:
- Crepes with Berries
- Puff Pastry Breakfast Tart with Bacon and Eggs
- Fluffy Silver Dollar Buttermilk Pancakes with Blueberries
Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pound Cake
Ingredients
Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pound Cake
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- ¾ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Lemon Glaze
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup confectioner's sugar
Instructions
Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pound Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Add sugar and lemon zest to a small bowl, and rub them together with your fingers.
- Add ricotta cheese, melted butter, lemon sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine, and then whisk in the eggs, one at a time.
- Add all the flour (setting aside 1 tablespoon), baking powder, and salt to the ricotta cheese mixture and carefully fold the flour mixture with the wet ingredients.
- Toss the blueberries with the tablespoon of reserved flour and add to the pound cake batter. Carefully fold the blueberries in with a rubber spatula, then transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake the cake for about an hour or until starting to brown around the edges and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20-25 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake. Carefully remove the cake from the pan by inverting it onto the rack and then turning it right-side up.
Lemon Glaze
- In a small bowl whisk together the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
- Drizzle the lemon glaze onto the pound cake once the cake has completely cooled.
1 AM MAKING THIS FRIDAY FIR DESSERT AFTER SABBATH CHURCH THIS SATURDAY, GODS 7TH DAY. SABBBATH.
THANKS SOOO MUCH.
My husband doesn’t like blueberries, weird I know, can this recipe be made with other fruit?
Raspberry would be a great blueberry substitute or you could leave the blueberries out and just make a lemon ricotta cake.
Again… can blueberries be substituted for another fruit ( I don’t like blueberries either, and lemons can say by by by as well. So….. can lemon be substituted as well?. I know I’m extra 🥰
Raspberry would be an excellent blueberry substitute. I love cranberry orange cake so substitute the lemon juice and zest with orange and blueberries for cranberries.