Good ricotta is at once unctuous and pillowy, mildly sweet and buttery—kind of the essence of fresh dairy. It makes perfect sense in a pound cake–style loaf, and it makes perfect sense with vanilla, blueberries, and figs. These ingredients together make something magical, and the lavender color of the freeze-dried blueberries adds to the overall supernatural effect. This cake is subtly sweetened with dried figs, crunchy dried apples, and the blueberries, plus the ricotta.

　　This recipe was excerpted from ‘Good & Sweet’ by Brian Levy. Buy the full book on Amazon.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 1 loaf

　　Butter or cooking spray and flour for the pan

　　1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. cake flour, plus more for coating the figs

　　1¼ tsp. baking soda

　　½ tsp. salt

　　1¼ cups dried figs, hard bits removed

　　Scant 2½ cups baked red apple chips or freeze-dried red apple (see note)

　　1¼ cups freeze-dried blueberries

　　13 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

　　¾ cup plus 3 Tbsp. whole-milk ricotta cheese

　　1½ tsp. vanilla extract

　　2 large eggs

　　1 egg yolk

　　Blueberry compote (optional), for topping

　　

Step 1

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (note that you will be lowering the temperature once you put the cake in the oven later). Butter or spray a 8½-by-4½-inch loaf pan and then coat with flour, shaking out to discard any excess flour.

　　

Step 2

In a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix them together gently and set them aside.

　　

Step 3

Quarter the figs, then chop the quarters to pea-size pieces. Toss these pieces with some cake flour, just to coat, and discard any excess flour.

　　

Step 4

In a food processor, combine the dried apples and blueberries and pulse a few times to break up the pieces, then process until the fruit has become a fine powder.

　　

Step 5

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, combine the butter and about two-thirds of the fruit powder (keep the remaining third of the fruit powder for a later step). Beat these ingredients at medium speed until they are smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop the mixer. Add the ricotta and vanilla. Continue to beat at medium-low speed until well combined. With the mixer running, add the whole eggs and egg yolk one at a time, allowing each to mix in before adding the next. Stop the mixer.

　　

Step 6

Add half of the cake flour mixture to the butter mixture. Beat on medium-low until no more dry flour appears. Stop mixing and add the remaining flour mixture. Beat on medium-low until just a bit of dry flour remains. Add the figs. Beat at medium speed for about 30 seconds. Scrape one-third of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle half the remaining fruit powder over it. Top with another third of the batter, followed by the rest of the fruit powder. Top with the remaining batter and smooth the top surface.

　　Transfer the loaf to the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 325°F. Bake until an inserted cake tester comes out dry, about 35 minutes.

　　

Step 7

Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before removing it from the pan. Serve it warm or at room temperature (topped with blueberry compote, if you wish). Store, wrapped well, at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

　　Note:

　　Make sure the apples are unsweetened and unflavored. The only ingredient should be apples. And seek out sweet red apples (rather than sour green apples).

　　Reprinted with permission from Good & Sweet by Brian Levy, copyright © 2022. Photographs by Kristin Teig with styling by Catrine Kelty. Published by Avery, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Buy the full book from Penguin Random House, Amazon, or Bookshop.