Preheat oven to 350 degrees and position baking rack in the middle of the oven. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with either butter or cooking spray; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer or a stand up mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together the softened butter, sugar, and ricotta cheese until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add in the eggs and vanilla, and mix together. Pour in the flour mixture and mix until combined. Fold in the one cup of cranberries.
Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Bake on center rack for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before releasing springform and cooling on wire baking rack completely.
For the topping, place powdered or superfine sugar in a fine mesh sieve and shake on top of cake until just covered. Spoon sugared cranberries on center of cake if using.
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Notes
* To make sugared cranberries, bring equal amounts of sugar and water to a low simmer and stir until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in cranberries. Use a slotted spoon to remove cranberries and let dry on a cooling rack for an hour. Roll in granulated sugar and use cranberries to garnish your cake. Recipe Notes:
Make sure you use your handheld mixer or stand up mixer to beat together the ricotta, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy, at least 4-5 minutes. If you don't, you'll end up with a denser cake.
If you don't have a springform pan, you can bake this cake in a 9 x 9 baking pan or a 10-inch cake pan.
Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. This time will vary depending on your oven and the size pan you use.
Once the cake is cooled, you can sprinkle on either powdered sugar or superfine sugar. The superfine sugar mimics the texture on the sugared cranberries.