👨‍🍳🧑‍🍳 Happy Thursday, Chefs!

This week, we’re celebrating Melissa Clark, queen of the deliciously doable dinner. Instant Pot, air fryer, sheet pan, weeknight magic, she knows how to make cooking feel easy, smart, and just fancy enough to make the table lean in.

We kicked things off with her Sheet Pan Beef Skewers, the kind of recipe that makes hosting look suspiciously effortless. So naturally, we’re following dinner with cake.

Enter this golden beauty: soft, citrusy, and ricotta-rich, with a tender crumb, creamy tang, and just enough sweetness for breakfast, dessert, or the highly respected art of sneaky counter slices.

👇 Scroll for the dessert you’ll want in your back pocket the next time dinner turns into a full-table moment.

Cheers,
~thebacklabel crew🍷🔥

*Insurance availability and coverage may vary by state, plan, provider network, and therapist availability. 

Recipe By: @melissaclark

🍰 Fun Fact: Pound cake got its name from the original recipe: one pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Delicious math, honestly.

Unsalted butter, shortening, or nonstick cooking spray, for the pan
1½ 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
2½ tsp. (10 grams) baking powder
1 tsp. (5 grams) fine sea salt
1 tsp. finely grated orange or lemon zest
1½ cups (192 grams) all-purpose flour

1️⃣ Prep the Pan
Heat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a 9×5" loaf pan or a 10–12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick spray.

If you’re using a loaf pan, line it with parchment paper and leave about 2" hanging over each side so you can lift the cake out like a pro. If you’re going Bundt, sprinkle the inside of the pan with sugar, making sure to coat the center cone too.

2️⃣ Mix the Batter
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, ricotta, and sour cream until smooth and creamy. Add the oil and vanilla, then whisk again until everything is looking glossy and happy.

Add the sugar, baking powder, salt, and zest, then whisk until combined. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour until just incorporated. No overmixing, Chefs. We want tender cake energy.

3️⃣ Bake Until Golden
Scrape the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50–65 minutes for a loaf pan or 40–55 minutes for a Bundt. Rotate the pan halfway through baking so everyone gets equal oven love.

4️⃣ Cool, Unmold & Slice
Transfer the cake to a wire rack and let it cool in the pan for at least 1 hour before unmolding.

Then slice, serve, and enjoy that soft, citrusy, ricotta-kissed crumb.

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