Bring Ingredients to Room Temperature: Fill two containers with hot water from your tap. Submerge the whole milk ricotta in its original container (still sealed) in one container and the three eggs in the other. Leave them in the hot water for about 10-15 minutes.

Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease it with butter for easy removal of the cake.

Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine 15 ounces whole milk ricotta, 1 ½ cups sugar, ¾ cup olive oil, scrapings from 1 vanilla bean pod and 1 ½ teaspoons almond extract. Mix until fully combined. Add 3 eggs and mix well.

Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt until evenly mixed.

Mix Together: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients, whisking until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Once you can no longer see specs of flour or big lumps in the batter, that’s when you know you’re done mixing.

Bake: Transfer the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 40-43 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs on it. Oven temperatures can vary, so it's good to check on the cake a bit before the 40-minute mark, too. When ready, the cake will have browned edges and a lightly golden brown color on top.

Combine: Add 4 tablespoons softened cream cheese and ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir together until well combined.

Whip: Add 2 cups heavy cream and 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, whip with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to frost the cake.

Cool, frost & serve: Once the cake has cooled completely, generously spread the whipped cream frosting over the top. Decorate with ½ cup sliced almonds. Slice and enjoy!