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,
Can i use a cheesecake pan for the ricotta cake? it is 9 inches.
thanks, Donna
Hi Donna, well as long as it’s high enough I think you can, it’s a cake so it will rise. Let me know how it goes. Take care!
I just made this to use up some extra ricotta, following the recipe exactly… and it is very tasty! Thank you for sharing the recipe!!
Hi AB, thanks so much, so glad you liked it. Take care!
Does this cake have to be refrigerated? I plan on making it for Thanksgiving! It sounds delicious. Thank you.
Hi Laura, thanks, the cake can be stored for up to 2 days at room temperature. Just be sure to cover it well. I hope you enjoy it. Take care!
Very interested in making this cake, but would like to know if you have ever substituted the chocolate chips for item. Etc-craisins, nuts, dried fruit.
Hi Bridget you could substitute, I haven’t but I know it has been done. Take care!
hi!
Can I substitute sour cream for the riccotta or even do half and half? Thanks
Hi Jennie, it is a traditional Italian cake made with ricotta, I have never substituted with sour cream. But if you want to try it let me know how it turns out. Take care!
I wonder, can I replace/add almond extract?
Hi Spela, sure you can add or replace with almond extract. I hope you enjoy it. Take care!
I have celiac disease, but really wanted to try this recipe, so I used Cup4Cup in place of regular flour, and it worked wonderfully! My whole family loved it.
Hi Jenny, thanks for letting me know. Glad everyone enjoyed it. Take care!
I have made this cake at least 3-4 times. It always gets rave reviews!
Hi Danielle, thanks so much, glad you like it. Have a great week, take care.
No butter or oil in this recipe? Thank you.
Hi Suzanna, no, no butter or oil, the eggs and ricotta are the fat in the recipe. 🙂
Looks like you used a tube cake pan, not a cake pan which is for layer cakes. Is it a tube pan?
Hi Nicole, yes between a tube pan and a bundt pan and not a cake. Although you can use a cake pan if you wish.
While the taste is fine, mine doesn’t look as tall as yours and definitely not brown on top. And I mean, not any brown on top. I read andcre-read the instructions and measured ingredients where metic was available bit that is still the end result. It is about 1 inch high and brown around sides and bottom but an anemic looking top. In other Italian ricotta recipes I noticed the addition of butter, but was very surprised when there was no fats in this recipe.
Hi Mandy, sorry it didn’t turn out, maybe your oven temperature is off which could result in a flatter cake. There are fats in the recipe eggs (yolk is considered a fat) and ricotta. 🙂
Hi,is it OK to freeze this cake, please?
Hi Caroline May, 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. More information is written in the post. Have a wonderful Sunday.
Hi ,
Hope you are doing well and in great health . I have a question .
Can I substitute cream cheese for ricotta cheese in this cake? If yes , what is the amount of it ? Is it equal to ricotta cheese or more or less ? Many thanks .
Nooshin
Hi Nooshin, thanks, I am good, I hope you are too. Unfortunately I would not recommend substituting cream cheese for ricotta. Cream cheese is heavier with a higher fat content and not as fluffy as ricotta. Sorry.
So delicious! I love European cakes and this is a hit! Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks so much Lynne, glad it was a hit. Take care.
I’m not thrilled with this recipe. It is more dense than I expected. I’m looking for a moister crumb. If course I realize ricotta cake is usually a little more dense than others, I prefer a different recipe. Good flavor though .
Hi Susan, authentic Italian cakes are not as moist as American and are denser. Glad you liked the flavour. 🙂