This orange ricotta pound cake is tender, flavorful and studded with mini chocolate chips. It’s soft and light yet satisfyingly rich — a holiday-worthy treat you should try.
Sometimes a break from holiday cookies is exactly what you need.
This orange ricotta pound cake is studded with mini chocolate chips and finished with a dusting of powdered sugar. Each slice is tender and citrus-bright, with just enough chocolate to balance the flavor.
While holiday cookies are lovely, sometimes you want something different — something citrusy and sweet. A loaf cake is perfect for gifting, bringing to a party, or slicing and serving with minimal fuss.
Admittedly I’m not always the biggest orange fan, but this cake captures everything festive about citrus without feeling heavy. The ricotta keeps the texture soft and pillowy, while a generous amount of orange zest gives bright, fresh flavor. Mini chocolate chips add little pockets of chocolate that complement the citrus without overpowering it.
I love baking with ricotta — it brings a delicate, tender crumb and a neutral creaminess that pairs beautifully with fruit and chocolate. For this loaf I use plenty of freshly grated orange zest and mini chips tossed in a pinch of flour so they stay suspended in the batter.
The result is a cake that’s chocolatey, citrusy, bright and downright delicious — a perfect bite every time.
Perfect.
The ingredient list is straightforward and familiar, and the loaf bakes in about an hour. Use the baking time to wrap gifts, make coffee, or just breathe.
Look at that crumb — tender and even. It’s the kind of cake you’ll want to make again and again.
I could bake this every day!
Ricotta Orange Pound Cake
Chocolate Chip Orange Ricotta Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup freshly grated orange zest
- ¾ cup mini chocolate chips, tossed in a pinch of flour
- powdered sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick baking spray (one with flour is ideal).
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Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
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In a stand mixer bowl, beat the butter, ricotta and sugar until combined, scraping the bowl a few times. Continue beating for about 5 minutes until light.
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Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each. Mix in the vanilla and orange zest. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined, then stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
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Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45–50 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
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Dust the top with powdered sugar, slice, and serve.
Notes
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This bite.