This Cake? It’s a One-Bowl Beauty

This dessert ate — and we left no crumbs

Melissa Clark is a bestselling cookbook author, and has been a staff reporter for the New York Times Food section since 2007.

January 24, 2024 5:27 pm

Today, I offer a balm for your busy-ness; a panacea for your panic; and some honest help if your New Year’s resolution was “eat more at home.” Our expert of eats today is none other than Melissa Clark, New York Times food columnist and best-selling cookbook author. Perhaps you’ve read one of her many articles, or, like me, are one of the 9 million people who’ve devoured her ultra-awesome video on how to cut up a whole chicken. She’s sharing a one-bowl cake recipe with us today, and needless to say, I’d like at least three or four more bowls of this one. -NPH

This gorgeous golden-topped loaf has a moist and dense crumb that’s deeply imbued with orange zest and olive oil. You don’t need to break out your very best extra-virgin stuff here, but you should use a good oil that has some character, otherwise the cake won’t have the same complex flavor. Or try it with melted butter for something more mellow (see note below).

Melissa Clark’s Ricotta Olive Oil Pound Cake

Servings: 8

Copy Ingredients

Ingredients

Unsalted butter, shortening or nonstick cooking spray, for the pan
1 ½ cups (300 grams) sugar, plus more for the pan if using a Bundt pan
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (250 grams) whole-milk ricotta cheese, at room temperature
½ cup (123 grams) sour cream or plain whole-milk yogurt, at room temperature
¾ cup (97 grams) extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 ½ tsp. (10 grams) baking powder
1 tsp. (5 grams) fine sea salt
1 tsp. finely grated orange or lemon zest
1 ½ cups (192 grams) all-purpose flour

Directions

Copy Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan or a 10 to 12-cup Bundt pan (or spray with nonstick cooking spray). If using a loaf pan, line it with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches of excess on each side to help you lift the cake out of the pan. If using a Bundt, sprinkle the inside of the pan with sugar, including the center cone.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, ricotta and sour cream until combined. Add the oil and vanilla and mix until well blended. Whisk in the sugar, baking powder, salt and zest until well combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour until just incorporated.
3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the spatula. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 65 minutes for the loaf pan, 40 to 55 minutes for the Bundt, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
4. Transfer to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for at least 1 hour before unmolding and slicing.

Note: To take this in a gentler direction, substitute melted butter for the oil.