For the Vanilla Ricotta Pound Cake: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Position oven rack to lower third. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan and lay a strip of parchment paper along the bottom for easy cake removal.
In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream butter, ricotta and sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat eggs in one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add vanilla bean paste and extract. On low speed, beat in dry ingredients until well combined. Do not over-mix.
Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth down with a spatula. Bake for 15 minutes then turn pan 180 degrees to ensure even browning. Lower temperature to 325 degrees F and bake about 40 minutes more, until cake springs back lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool completely before adding maple glaze (recipe below).
For the Maple Glaze: In small bowl, whisk all ingredients until smooth and creamy. If too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. If too thick, add a little more maple syrup. Or, you can also use cream or milk to thin.
Drizzle over cooled pound cake and let glaze set before serving.