How about using a shallower, wider tin so the centre cooks before the top burns?

A 9" round cake pan?

Yes to baking at a lower temperature. Cakes are often baked at 325F for this very reason. If the oven is accurate, browning happens at 350F. The loaf pan (or a ring pan, which is basically a circular loaf pan) makes sure the center bakes well. Changing to a round layer pan is not a good idea.

Your top element shouldn't be on while you bake. That could be part of the problem if it comes on. Baking is usually done from the bottom to get the bottom and middle baking more than the exposed top. Also, a convection fan will speed the outside baking, so if you have one and can turn it off, that could help. If you have convection and can't turn it off, lowering the temperature 25 degrees F is often a good idea on general principles, but since your oven is accurate, I wouldn't suggest lower than 325F.

Also, remember the suggested time is based on someone else's oven. Bake until it's done. The degree of browning on top and sides is indicative of too high heat, first glance, but if the center is good and done, might also indicate baked too long.

Good luck!

floral’s suggestion should work. The volume of a 9x5 loaf pan and a 9x2 round cake pan are both about 8 cups. Is the pan you used a light or dark color? Anodized aluminum seems to work well for me.

Also, as plllog posted, trying the lower temp sounds good if your oven’s accurate. I don’t remember ever baking a loaf cake for 70 minutes at 350. The 350 works well for several loaf cakes I make, but for maybe 50-60 minutes max.

I would use a 9" diameter x 3" high bundt pan (23 cm x 8 cm), but you may still need to adjust oven temperature and baking time, and you might want to rotate the pan halfway through baking.

Here are some pan equivalents by volume.

If you use a 9"Ø x 2" H pan, the cake will be flatter than it should be.

I don't know if my top element comes on. Probably doesn't if it's not supposed to. I never bake with convection either.

My pan is shiny aluminum. I have Fat Daddio round cake pans and they recommend 325 degrees but I wanted to be sure about using 325 for my no-name loaf pan.

Lars, I'm considering buying a Bundt pan to replace my very old thin one, but what I'd really like is Nordicware's 6 cup Bundt since I'm making smaller cakes now. I just have to decide whether I want to spend over $30 for a pan.

Sounds like you're in good shape there. It's hard to have all the details in a first go. Believe it or not, the pan doesn't make a huge difference unless it's a bad pan. Fat Daddio are excellent, but your thin shiny aluminum loaf pan should be fine. It might take a slightly different amount of time, which is why it's best to aim a little under on the time and test until you're confident in the timing for your oven, pan and recipe. My trick, which may or may not work for your kitchen, is that I know a cake is just about ready when it starts smelling good in the kitchen. :)

I recently got a Simex 5.4 cup (glass) bundt and love it. Big difference in cake size from my traditional 16 cup Bundt! Maybe tell your friends and family you want a 6-cup bundt in case they have one they're not using, check yard sales, or pre-holiday cookware sales.

Is your ricotta cake a cakey cake or more like a cheesecake? My ricotta cakes are cheesecake like and I know lowering the temp isn't going to affect them as I don't think they have any leavening but eggs.
Do you ever use Facebook or Next Door? I would join some local groups that give things for free and ask for a thick walled bundt pan. People have things packed away that they haven't used for 30 years that might just offer to you for free. I'd also check goodwill once in a while. Bundt pans are not much in favor with the younger crowd these days so many people downsizing are probably donating them, too.

oh, I just reread it and saw it bakes in loaf pans. My ricotta cakes bake in springform pans so that was forming my questions.

You can also try wrapping it in a couple of layers of brown paper on the outside of the tin and then placing the tin on one or two baking sheets.

Thanks, Collen. I have baking strips and didn't think to use them for my loaf pan. Doh!