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, really want to try this recipe, but could I possibly cut the sugar down to half a cup or would it affect the texture of the cake?
Thanks in advance
Hi Reem, yes cutting the sugar down will affect the texture of the cake unfortunately.
Tasty cake. Easy to follow recipe. Easy to prepare.
Thanks Sharon, glad you enjoyed it.
Delicious 😋!!!
The only change I made is I used whole wheat pastry flour. I can’t wait to try all the other recipes!
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Olimpia, thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it. Let me know what you try next. 🙂
Hi, I have made this and added orange zest with the mini chips. Soooo good. Here’s my question. Could I add lemon zest and maybe lemon extract. No chips as not sure with lemon?? Also I don’t have bunds pan but have angele food pan can I use that?
Hi Carolynn, to tell the truth I think white chocolate chips would be pretty good with lemon. And yes an angel food pan would work. Let me know how it turns out.
I was looking through the comments to see if anyone added orange zest. That is exactly what I was thinking about. I will be trying this soon!
I made this last night and used almond flour solince I have a child with Celiac’s. It was amazing! Thanks so much.
Hi Bethany, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it and that it worked gluten free for your child. Have a great week.
Hi Rosemary,
This is another one of your EXCELLENT Recipes – Wow I loved it. So light and absolutely delicious.
Thank you again and again!
Linda Shapiro
Hi Linda, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Have a great weekend. Rosemary
Hi, this recipe looks fantastic! Will make it for company this weekend. Just one question: can I bake it in a 9″ springform pan? I don’t have a fluted bundt pan like the one in the photo. Thank you!
Hi Jessica, thanks so much, I’m sure a the pan would work. Let me know how you liked it.
I surely will, thank you!
Do you strain the ricotta before adding it?
Hi Elaina for this cake I don’t drain the ricotta.
Thank you! Did you use ricotta in a container like Biazzo or Galbani, or did you use fresh ricotta? I have the one in the container and I was nervous it would have too much liquid. That’s why I wanted to check. Thanks again!
Hi Elaina, I usually use Galbani, but I don’t find it has too much liquid. If you think it has too much liquid then maybe drain it for about 10 minutes. But you are going to want some liquid for the cake. Hope this helps.
Thanks so much!
Hi Elaina your welcome. 🙂
Yay!
You did not use a regular 9” cake pan and I love the fluted edge. What is this pan called?
Hi Sandy, it’s a real cheap one I got here in Italy. 🙂
Hi Rose, this recipe looks amazing & I am planning to make the cake this weekend. I just wanted to confirm, if the flour isn’t specified what what, do you just use Plain Flour? Thanks!
Hi Rhiannon, yes just regular all purpose flour. Hope you enjoy it, let me know! 🙂
The cake is delicious, I’ve made it several times and it keeps getting better! Thank you
Thanks Ramona, so glad you like it. Have a great week.
Ciao Rose,
stavo girovagando su foodepix e la mia attenzione è ricaduta su questa bellissima ciambella!
Aveva qualcosa di familiare…e in effetti non sbagliavo!
Vengo qui e scopro un pezzetto della mia terra, che bello, grazie!!! 🙂
Un caro saluto
Assunta
Ciao Assunta, ti ringrazio molto, sono felice che ti ho portato un pezzetto della vostra terra. Un caro saluto anche a te.
Hi! Visiting from Sweet & Savoury Sunday and the ricotta caught my eye. I am 100% Italian and love to bake with ricotta. This looks so good. Adding it to my Italian baking recipes! Pinned!
Hi AnnMarie, thank you, I have learned to really appreciate ricotta and I especially love it when baking and cooking. (sorry for the late reply)
This cake sounds delicious! It looks nice and moist from the pictures. We love chocolate chip anything in our home so I think I will need to try this. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Nicole, it is very moist, give it a try and let me know, thanks.
This cake looks great. I’m guessing the ricotta makes this a moist cake. Found you on Sweet and Savory Sunday. Pinning.
HI, yes I think it is moist because of the ricotta, and thanks for finding me.
That’s a beautiful cake, and take it from me, there are lots of us elsewhere in Europe who are hoping for good things for Italy’s future! A country with such cultural and historical wealth should not be let go down the same road to self destruction as so many others have through corruption.
HI, thank you for the compliment, and I am glad to know there are a lot of other people who are hoping the best for Italy, I sincerely hope Italy can pull itself together, because if it doesn’t what a loss that would be.