I was given a container of homemade ricotta by an Italian co-worker, whose family is in the restaurant business. It had been well-drained so I thought it would be great to use it in a cake – except I kept snarfing a bit here, a bit there, until I didn’t have enough for cake. I could have made another batch of my own, but I just picked up a container of homemade-style at Whole Foods, which wasn’t half as good as the stuff my co-worker gave me.

I’m a huge fan of pound cakes. A good one will improve and maintain its flavor and moist texture for days after baking, and this one is no exception. It’s really delicious and just how I prefer cakes – a tight crumb and free of frosting. My only problem with loaf cakes is the middle crack. I always seem to end up with a giant crater down the middle of my cakes. Next time I might try baking this in a small Budnt pan instead. If you’re interested in the recipe, it can be found online here.

• Ricotta Pound Cake (Dolce Italiano, p. 98)