Ricotta Pound Cake Cupcakes with Whipped Ricotta Frosting

Ricotta pound cake cupcakes topped with whipped ricotta frosting are so special! It is the flavors of a poundcake, but in a small-batch form. Next time you have leftover ricotta, make this whipped ricotta frosting and spread it on anything.

There aren’t many weeks when a large container of fresh ricotta doesn’t make it into my grocery cart.  I’m a big-time ricotta lover.  I make ricotta gnocchi, blueberry ricotta pancakes, ricotta toast with fresh tomato, and I even eat ricotta in a bowl with honey and fresh berries on top.  Obsessed, I tell you.

You would think two people would have a hard time finishing a tub of ricotta, but that’s not the case in my house! These ricotta pound cake cupcakes are the best way to use the last scoop in the tub. The pound cake cupcakes use 3 tablespoons of leftover ricotta, and the lovely ricotta frosting using ⅓ cup.

But, here’s the thing:  you can make the ricotta pound cake cupcakes and serve them plain.  They’re delicious on their own.  You could dust powdered sugar on top, or make an easy glaze of powdered sugar and lemon juice.   But, if you have the time (and the extra ricotta), the whipped ricotta frosting is divine.  I may or may not have spread some on a slice of raisin bread.  So good!

The quality of ricotta matters here;  it’s our star ingredient. When I’m feeling decadent, I buy the whole milk ricotta and stir it into hot pasta with vegetables.  Such an easy cream sauce!

But, back to the cupcakes.  It’s always about the cupcakes! This ricotta pound cake cupcakes recipe makes just 4 cupcakes! You can absolutely double or triple it to make a whole pan. It's easy to do here, because the basic recipe uses just one egg. These cupcakes are dense, just like pound cake should be. Peek at one sliced open to see the cotton-y texture that is somehow dense and light at the same time.

Ingredients

• Granulated Sugar.
• Butter. Unsalted butter, softened to room temperature by slicing and leaving on the counter for 20-30 minutes until soft enough to press.
• Egg. A classic ingredient in every pound cake recipe; we need the whole egg for this recipe.
• Ricotta Cheese. I prefer full-fat whole milk ricotta for baking. It's just so rich and creamy.
• Almond Extract. Just a small amount; you can use vanilla, lemon, or even coconut extract (leftover from my small coconut cake) in its place.
• All-Purpose Flour.
• Baking Powder.
• Powdered Sugar. Also called confectioner's sugar or 10x sugar. This is for the ricotta frosting.
• Orange Zest. Just for garnish, I love orange zest or candied orange. I had some leftover from my Florentine cookies, and decided to use them here, and they're so pretty!

How to Make Ricotta Pound Cake Cupcakes

1. Gather all of the ingredients to make the ricotta pound cake cupcakes. Have the frosting ingredients separate on the side. Preheat the oven to 350, and place 4 cupcake liners in a muffin pan.
   
2. In a medium bowl, beat together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, it will take about one full minute.
   
3. Add the egg, ricotta and almond extract and beat until combined.
   
4. Sprinkle the flour and baking powder on top and blend just until combined, do not over mix.
   
5. Pour the batter into the lined cups and bake for 20 minutes.
6. Test for doneness at 18 minutes--the tops of the ricotta pound cake cupcakes should spring back and a toothpick inserted should have moist crumbs clinging to it. Let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely. You want them completely cool before frosting.
   
7. Now, it's time to make the whipped ricotta frosting. Combine the softened butter with room temperature ricotta in a bowl.
   
8. Beat the ricotta and butter until creamy, and then add the powdered sugar and beat until combined.
   
9. Finally, add the orange zest and and beat until creamy. Frost the cooled cupcakes and decorate with candied orange peel, if you like.
   

Other Ricotta Recipes:

Skillet White Chicken Lasagna
Skillet Lasagna
Freezer Lasagna
Pumpkin Gnocchi

Yield: 4

Ricotta Pound Cake Cupcakes with Whipped Ricotta Frosting

Print

Small batch of ricotta pound cake cupcakes with ricotta frosting.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons part-skim ricotta
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• ½ cup flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder

For the whipped ricotta frosting:

• ⅓ cup part-skim ricotta
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon grated orange zest

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line 4 cups in a muffin pan with cupcake liners, and gather all ingredients to make the recipe.
2. In a medium bowl, beat together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, 1 minute.
3. Add the egg, ricotta and almond extract and beat until combined.
4. Sprinkle the flour and baking powder on top and blend just until combined, do not over mix.
5. Pour the batter into the lined cups and bake for 20 minutes. Test for doneness at 18 minutes--mthe tops of the cupcakes should spring back and a toothpick inserted should have moist crumbs clinging to it.
6. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. They should be totally cool before frosting.
7. To make the frosting, beat together the ricotta and butter.
8. Add the powdered sugar and beat on low until combined.
9. Add the orange zest. Frost the cupcakes once cool.

Notes

Butter: Preferably unsalted butter, softened to room temperature. You can do this by slicing and leaving on the counter for 20-30 minutes until soft enough to press.
Ricotta Cheese: Of course, I prefer full-fat whole milk ricotta for baking.
Almond Extract: You can actually use any extract in this recipe: vanilla, lemon, or even coconut extract.
Orange Zest: This is optional, if you want to add an orange flavor to your ricotta frosting. You can also garnish the cupcakes with candied orange peel.

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• 
  Wilton 6-cup Muffin Pan

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 487Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 114mgCarbohydrates: 66gFiber: 0gSugar: 50gProtein: 11g

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