Chocolate Ricotta Layer Cake
User Reviews
4.8
Chocolate Ricotta Layer Cake
Description
The Chocolate Ricotta Layer Cake combines cocoa powder with ricotta cheese in both the cake and the frosting, which lends moisture and a rich texture to the finished product. Made with staples like sugar, flour, eggs, and oil, the batter is thinned with hot water to ensure a tender crumb. The cake layers bake for about 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The frosting is a blend of butter, confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and ricotta cheese, creating a creamy coating that complements the chocolate cake.
The preparation involves mixing dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately before combining and incorporating hot water. The batter is divided evenly into pans, baked, and cooled before assembling. The final layered cake has balanced sweetness and chocolate flavor with a slightly creamy texture from ricotta in both cake and frosting.
This cake is fitting for dessert on occasions that call for a richer chocolate option with moist crumb texture. The ricotta adds a subtle creaminess that distinguishes it from a standard chocolate cake. Slice and serve as a sweet treat with coffee or milk.
Follow the recipe carefully and measure ingredients precisely to achieve the optimal texture. Cooling the cakes slightly before removing from pans helps prevent breakage. Sift the cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar for the frosting to avoid lumps. The ricotta in the frosting should be whole milk and softened for smoother blending.
Ingredients
For the chocolate ricotta cake:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour not packed!
- 1 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 egg large eggs plus 1 large yolk, at room temperature
- 1 ricotta cheese whole milk, 1/4 cups
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil may substitute melted coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup water hot
For the chocolate ricotta frosting:
- 1 cup butter unsalted, softened, 2 sticks (8 ounces
- 3 confectioners' sugar 1/4 cups, sifted
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup ricotta cheese whole milk
Instructions
For the chocolate ricotta cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°(F). Generously spray two 9-inch round baking pans with non-stick baking spray, set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt; mix on low until dry ingredients are thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl combine the eggs, egg yolk, ricotta cheese, oil and vanilla, mix until completely combined. Pour mixture into the dry ingredients and beat on low until just incorporated. Pour in hot water and continue mixing until completely combined; about 1 minute. The batter will quite thin.
- Divide batter evenly into prepared pans.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool cakes for 10 minutes in the pan before removing from pans and transferring to a cooling rack; cool cakes completely before frosting.
For the chocolate ricotta frosting:
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter on medium-speed until completely smooth; about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer off and sift the powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on the lowest speed and mix until the sugar/cocoa have been absorbed by the butter; about 2 minutes. Increase mixer speed to medium; add in vanilla extract, salt, and ricotta cheese; beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting appears a little too thin, add a little more sugar; If your frosting needs to be thinner, add additional ricotta cheese, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Frost cooled cakes as desired.
Notes
- Measure flour correctly by not packing it to keep the cake tender.
- Sift dry cocoa and sugar for a smooth frosting.
- Use whole milk ricotta for both cake and frosting for best texture.
- Allow cakes to cool before frosting to prevent melting.
- Follow ingredient quantities exactly to maintain the proper cake structure.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
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