Italian Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cake
This deliciously moist Homemade Italian Cake is made with ricotta cheese and chocolate chips. The perfect Breakfast, Snack or even Dessert Cake Recipe. A Cake everyone will love.
After living in Italy for over 25 years, I like to think I know this country , the people and the food quite well. Especially the food!
Naturally Pasta and Pizza are my favourites, but needless to say, I also love a good Dessert! I like the fact that Italians love to eat cake for breakfast and no excuse is needed.
And of course Ricotta Cake is one of the most popular Italian Cakes to make. This moist tasty cake, just like most Italian Cakes, needs no icing or glaze. Just a simple dusting of powdered sugar is all it needs.
Recipe Ingredients
- Eggs – large eggs room temperature
- Sugar – granulated sugar
- Vanilla – vanilla extract
- Ricotta – if the ricotta cheese is very liquidy place in a sieve to drain for 1-2 hours
- Flour – all purpose or cake/pastry flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Chocolate chips – unsweetened chocolate chips – I used mini chocolate chips
Why Use Room Temperature Ingredients?
Room temperature ingredients help to produce light tender baked good, in this case a cake. The ingredients will come together smoother with a lump free batter. Room temperature egg whites beat up fluffier. Be sure to remove the ingredients from the fridge 45-60 minutes before baking.
How to make a Ricotta Cake
In a large bowl beat the eggs and sugar for about 3 minutes, then add the vanilla and ricotta and combine. In a medium bowl whisk the flour, salt and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and combine, the batter will be very thick.
Fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon into the prepared cake pan and bake until done, check with a toothpick, if it comes out dry or with a few crumb attached then the cake is done.
Let cool completely then dust with powdered sugar before serving.
What is Ricotta Cheese?
Ricotta is usually referred to as a cheese. Although it is actually a dairy product that is made through a process of reusing whey left over from the processing of other cheese.
The name Ricotta is derived from Latin, and refers to its processing – re-coctus, which means, cooked twice.
Therefore since it is not produced directly from the curd, but from one of its by-products, ricotta cannot be considered a real cheese.
Is it necessary to drain the Ricotta?
I didn’t drain the ricotta for this recipe, but my ricotta was quite thick. If you find that there is a lot of liquid, then drain the ricotta in a sieve for about 10 minutes before adding to the creamed mixture.
How To Make Cake Flour
For every cup of all purpose flour, remove two tablespoons and replace with two tablespoons of corn starch. Be sure to sift the flour and cornstarch together a couple of times, this way it is sure to be properly combined and lump free. Cake flour in cakes will give you a very tender texture and fine crumb, it will also help the cake to rise.
How to store a Ricotta Cake
The cake can be stored up to two days at room temperature. Make sure it is well wrapped or stored in an airtight container. Keeping it any longer and it should be refrigerated.
Can a Ricotta Cake be frozen?
Yes the cake can be frozen, be sure to wrap well in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container or freezer bag. It can be frozen for up to three months.
Be sure to remove the cake from the freezer bag or container before thawing, although you can leave it wrapped in plastic and thaw in the fridge over night.
How to prevent chocolate chips from sinking in a cake
To prevent the chocolate chips from sinking in your cake is very easy, just toss the chips with a little flour. I use one teaspoon of flour for every half cup of chips.
This little trick works with other additions from sinking too, such as nuts, dried fruits, and fresh berries. Just toss with a little flour before folding them into your cake, cupcake, or even muffin batter before baking.
More Delicious Italian Cakes
Italy, as everyone knows is going through a bit of a hard time, but as my husband says as he was eating a piece of this Ricotta Cake, “well at least we still have the food”. Enjoy!
Italian Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cake
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup ricotta room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour or cake/pastry flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips (unsweetened chips, milk chips or a mixture of both)
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
EXTRAS
- 3-4 tablespoons icing/powdered sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350° (180°), grease and flour a 9 inch (22cm) cake pan or 9 1/2 inch (24cm) bundt pan.
- In a large bowl beat the eggs, yolk and sugar until creamy and light about 3-5 minutes. Then add the vanilla and ricotta beat to combine.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Add to the creamed mixture and mix just until combined (batter will be thick), fold in the mini chocolate chips*.
- Spoon into the prepared cake pan and bake for approximately 30-40 minutes, test with a toothpick for doneness. Let cool completely, then remove from the pan and dust with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy!
*Toss the chocolate chips with one teaspoon of flour before adding, this prevents the chips from sinking in the batter while baking.
Notes
Nutrition
Updated from May 16, 2014.
Hi Rosemary! I would like to try your recipe but i’ve stopped using all purpose flour. Can i use gluten free flour instead or almond flour?
Hi Laurence, I have never made it with gluten free flour but if you try it let me know how it goes. Take care!
Omg! I made this cake and shared it with 2 neighbors. I now wish I didn’t share it because it was so good, I could have eaten it all! Thank you for this recipe. It’s a keeper!!
Hi Ann, thanks so much, so glad everyone enjoyed it! Take care.
Rosemary, did you use fresh ricotta or the ricotta in the refrigerator in a plastic container? Thanks,Barbara
Hi Barbara, I used the one in the refrigerator, but fresh would also work, just let it drain for about an hour first. I hope you enjoy it. Take care!
I made this today and it was delicious! I like that it wasn’t overly sweet. It was fluffy and a little dense at the same time. This will be added to my list of favorite desserts.
Hi Linda, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Take care!
If I double the recipe, how long should I bake it?
Hi Donna, I would probably go an extra 10 minutes and then check, or even check after the 40 minutes has passed, if it starts to brown to much on top, then place a piece of foil like a tent over the cake and continue baking. Let me know how it goes. Take care!
I made this recipe with a half teaspoon of espresso powder. It tasted delicious and moist. Will make it again. I did have to divide the batter into 2 8 inch cake pans. Is there an error in pan sizes?
Hi Susan, actually the instructions say a 9 inch round cake pan or a 9 1/2 bundt pan. 🙂 Take care!
Baked this today. It is a great snacking cake-dense, flavorful. I doubled the recipe to fill my springform pan, and I used both vanilla and orange extract. This is a very different texture than Ricotta cakes that I’ve made in the past that contain olive oil or butter, but very good. Husband loves it!
Hi Susan, yes it is dense it more of a traditional Italian cake. Glad you and your husband enjoy it. Take care!
I was anticipating this cake to be on the dry side, but it was incredibly moist! This is definitely a keeper! I didn’t have mini chocolate chips, so I used regular chocolate chips. I also made an icing with coffee liqueur. Delicious!
Hi Janet, thanks so much, I think it becomes dry for some people because they bake it too long. Take care!
This cake was disappointing. It was dry and tasteless. I won’t be making this again.
Hi Lisa, if it was overly dry I think it was baked too long, and also Italian cakes are on the drier side that’s why this kind of cake is eaten at breakfast or as a snack with an espresso or morning with a cappuccino. 🙂
Hi Rosemary. I have some sour cream that I need to use. Do you think I can substitute the ricotta with the sour cream? Thanks
Hi Pamela, I have never made it with sour cream, although it can be used as a substitute, but the taste would be very different because of the tanginess of sour cream. Let me know if you try it. Take care!
Made this at the weekend, doubled the recipe so it filled my bundt pan and came out excellently. Good firm texture without being too dense, keeps better than basic sponge. Decorated with maltesers stuck on with melted chocolate and overfilled the hole with popcorn…
Hi Ucotta, thanks so much, glad you liked it. And very interesting how you decorated it. Take care!
This cake is wonderful, not too sweet. It’s a great breakfast cake, a snack cake and an overall really great cake. You need to try it.
Hi Eleanor, thanks so much, so glad you like the cake. Take care!