Ricotta Pound Cake with Vanilla Bean

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

Cream together ricotta, butter, and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes.

Mixture will look somewhat grainy and curdled--this is normal.

Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Beat batter an additional 2 to 3 minutes on medium-high speed after adding the last egg.

Mix in almond extract.

Use a small paring knife to slice vanilla bean in half lengthwise.

Scrape the seeds out of each half and add to the batter.

Mix on low speed until vanilla seeds are evenly dispersed.

Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter, mixing until only just combined.

Mix in remaining dry ingredients until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.

Tap pan lightly on the counter a few times to remove air bubbles.

Place pan into preheated oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 70 to 75 minutes.

Allow cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes.

Gently run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen, the remove to a wire rack to cool completely.