Ricotta Bundt Cake with Browned Butter Glaze

Ingredients

Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, stirred before measuring
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Browned Butter Glaze

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla or vanilla bean paste
• 3 to 5 tablespoons whole milk or Half-and-Half

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt cake pan or spray with baking spray with flour.

Cake

1. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter and ricotta cheese with 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 1/2 cups brown sugar until light.
3. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Beat in the vanilla extract.
5. Stir in the flour mixture.
6. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold the beaten whites into the batter until well incorporated.
7. Spoon into the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly touched with a finger.
8. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes.
9. Turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
10. Glaze with the Browned Butter Glaze or dust with confectioners' sugar.

Browned Butter Glaze

1. Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring onstantly, until just golden brown, about 7 to 10 minutes. Be sure to remove it from the heat as it turns golden, because it can darken very quickly.
2. Pour the butter into a bowl, leaving most of the sediment in the pan.
3. Sift confectioners' sugar into the bowl and add 3 tablespoons of milk. Stir until smooth. Add more milk as needed to make the glaze thin enough to spoon over the cooled cake.