Avocado Ricotta Pound Cake

Photo courtesy of Avocados from Mexico

Yield: 1 loaf, 10 slices.

¾ cup mashed pulp of ripe avocado
½ cup ricotta cheese, room temperature
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 ¼ cups sugar
3 eggs
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. lime zest
2 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds
to taste, confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan and cover the bottom with parchment paper cut to size. In a mixer at medium speed, beat the avocado until smooth and buttery. Add ricotta and butter; mix until fluffy. Add the sugar; beat until incorporated. Add the eggs, one at time, beating well after each addition; add lime juice and mix well. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; add 1/2-cup at a time, to the avocado mixture, stirring just to mix after each addition. Stir in lime zest. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top; sprinkle with pumpkin seeds. Lay a sheet of parchment paper over the pan. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 60-70 minutes. Allow to cool 15 minutes before removing from pan. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar to serve.