This recipe was born out of leftovers and a desire for something sweet but not overly indulgent. Strawberry poppyseed Ricotta Loaf is the perfect snacking cake that can be enjoyed for breakfast with a cup of coffee or a midday snack to satisfy your sweet tooth. This loaf is really perfect any time of the day because it is so delicious.
This load has a delicious vanilla scented crumb with poppyseed and a touch of lemon zest throughout. I added strawberry preserves to the center of the batter, and when baked it spreads and throughout the loaf and sometimes seeps out a bit and caramelizes. REALLY DELICIOUS.
Normally I use sour cream or yogurt in my loaf cakes, but I had none this time, so leftover ricotta it was. Whole milk is ideal for this recipe. You want that extra fat as it will make for a super tender loaf.
Ingredients for Strawberry Poppyseed Ricotta Loaf
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Butter & Oil
- Vanilla
- Ricotta Cheese
- Flour
- Lemon zest
- Baking powder & Soda
- Salt
- Poppyseeds
- Strawberry preserves or jam
Once you have made the batter. Pour half into your prepared loaf pan and add the preserves. Using a small spatula or a butter knife, swirl the preserves all around to ensure its evenly spread throughout the middle, then top with the rest of the batter.
Why ricotta cheese?
Whole milk ricotta cheese is best for this loaf. You want that extra fat to give you a moist and tender crumb. Normally, i’d use sour cream, yogurt or buttermilk, but the addition of ricotta cheese makes for the fluffiest texture and has a great mild flavor. A must TRY!
Strawberry Poppyseed Ricotta Loaf
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 5 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 ¾ cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ cup poppyseeds
- ½-⅔ cup strawberry preserves or jam
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add in your eggs and sugar. Beat for 1-2 minutes using a whisk, until well incorporated. Next, mix in the oil, melted butter, vanilla extract & lemon zest.
- Add in the ricotta cheese and continue whisking until well blended. Add in the flour, baking powder, soda & salt and stir just until there are no dry pockets of flour left. Remove the bowl and fold in the poppyseeds.
- Pour half the batter into a parchment lined loaf pan and add the preserves on top. Using a butter knife, swirl it around to ensure it's evenly distrubuted. Top with the remaining batter. Bake for 60-70 minutes until the center is set. Allow to cool before slicing. Enjoy.
