Ricotta Cheese Poundcake
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups packed light brown sugar
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
2 cups unbleached flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 3/4 cups milk or light cream
1 cup ricotta cheese
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter and lightly flour a 10 inch tube pan. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer, gradually beating in the brown sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in the vanilla and lemon zest. Sift the flours, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg into another bowl, adding any pieces of bran that remain in the sifter; set aside. Puree the milk or cream and ricotta cheese in a blender.
Stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk/ricotta; do this in several stages, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Do not beat the batter. Distribute the batter evenly in the prepared pan, then bake for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes; a tester inserted in the center should come out clean. Cool the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert it onto the rack and cool the cake for at least one hour before cutting. Transfer the cake to a serving platter.
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