Italian Chocolate Ricotta Cake
With rich flavor and a moist texture, this Italian chocolate ricotta cake recipe is both decadent and delicious! It’s easy to make and perfect to have on hand for any occasion from a snack to dessert.
Simple, delicious and with a fudgy dense texture Italian chocolate ricotta cake also known astorta di ricotta al cioccolato is the best Italian inspired dessert recipe! It’s easy to make and requires only simple ingredients.
Adding ricotta cheese to your baked goods creates moist and flavorful cakes that just melt in your mouth. I use ricotta in both my lemon ricotta cake and chocolate chip ricotta cake with mini chocolate chips for the same delicious results.
This ricotta chocolate cake is not overly sweet and is great to have on hand for any holiday, celebration or even just a midday snack! It’s simple yet elegant and even perfect for your next dinner party. You will fall in love with this chocolate cake, it is the best!
Why You’ll Love this Italian Chocolate Cake Recipe
- Ricotta: Ricotta cheese adds moisture.
- Rich chocolate taste: Using a good quality dark chocolate instead of cocoa powder adds a more decadent taste.
- Easy to make: This ricotta chocolate cake is only a one layer cake making it easy to prepare whenever the chocolate craving strikes.
- Scrumptious: It might remind you of a pound cake, a chocolate cake and a cheesecake all in one and after one bite of this baked chocolate and ricotta cake you will fall in love with it!
Ingredients Needed
Chocolate ricotta cake is prepared easily with only a few simple ingredients, a round cake pan or a small bundt cake pan.
- Ricotta cheese: You will need one cup of ricotta cheese. I recommended full fat or whole milk ricotta.
- Dark chocolate: A good quality dark chocolate will provide the best decadent taste.
- Eggs: You will need three large eggs plus one egg yolk brought to room temperature. Eggs add binding and additional moisture.
- Granulated sugar: The perfect amount for a light sweet taste.
- Butter: Salted butter or unsalted butter works.
- Cake flour: Or pastry flour is best as it is lower in protein and will result in a lighter cake texture.
- Baking powder: A leavening agent for rise.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract for best taste.
- Salt: If you have used salted butter add just a pinch of salt. Unsalted butter then add ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Variations
- Chocolate glaze: Use the glaze from my chocolate glazed marble cake for a simple yet decadent topping.
- Layer cake: Double the recipe and frost the layers for a chocolate ricotta layer cake. Use the icing from this chocolate cake with mocha frosting or make a simple buttercream frosting.
- Almond extract: Add almond extract along with vanilla extract for a delicious chocolate almond taste that pairs so well together!
- Espresso powder: Just a small amount adds a depth to the chocolate flavor, ½ -1 teaspoon should be enough.
- Cinnamon: Add up to a ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, it really adds a special layer of flavor and marries so well with the chocolate.
- Marbled: Reserve some plain batter and swirl the batters together for a lovely marbled cake like I do in Italian marble cake.
How to Make Chocolate Ricotta Cake
To start, melt the butter and dark chocolate in either a bain marie or use a microwave and melt in increments.
When the chocolate mixture has cooled down, pour it into the mixing bowl then add the granulated sugar and beat until combined. Add the eggs one at a time and then egg yolk, mixing after each addition.
Add your ricotta cheese, vanilla and salt then continue beating until light and airy.
Sift in your dry ingredients then beat until smooth.
Transfer the batter into prepared cake pan and bake until done.
Test for doneness with a toothpick and if it comes out clean your cake is ready.
Cool for 20 minutes in the pan then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
expert tips
- Using room temperature eggs allows them to mix better with the batter and leads to a better cake rise.
- To make your own homemade cake flour for every cup of all purpose flour remove 2 tablespoons and substitute it with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift it all together to combine and remove any lumps.
- If your ricotta is very moist, drain it first so your cake does not have too much added moisture.
- Cool your chocolate to room temperature after melting it with the butter so your egg doesn’t start to cook when combining the cake batter.
how to serve the chocolate ricotta cake
The great thing about this snack cake is that you can have a slice at breakfast or for dessert! It’s both great with a cup of coffee or a scoop of ice cream.
Chocolate ricotta cake is a delicious dessert that combines the rich flavors of chocolate with the creamy texture of ricotta cheese. This cake is a perfect treat for any occasion. I hope you enjoy it!
More Ricotta Recipes
- Italian ricotta cheesecake
- Italian orange ricotta cookies
- Chocolate chip ricotta crumb cake
- Ricotta cherry crumb pie
- Ricotta castagnole
When you are looking for an Italian Chocolate Cake then I hope you try this Italian Chocolate Ricotta Cake and be sure to let me know how you like it. Enjoy!
Italian Chocolate Ricotta Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 6 ounces dark chocolate good quality ( I use one with 52% cocoa)
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
- ¾ cup + 2 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar (180 grams total, if doubling the recipe then double this amount)
- ½ cup + ½ tablespoon butter (softened) (120 grams total, if doubling the recipe then double this amount)
- 1 cup pastry/cake flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt*
*If you use unsalted butter then add ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F/180C. Spray or grease and flour an 8 or 9 inch / 20-23 cm round cake pan or 7 inch / 18 cm bundt pan.
- In a bowl melt the butter and chocolate either bain marie or microwave, let cool, then pour into the mixing bowl add the sugar and beat, add the eggs and yolk one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add the ricotta, vanilla and salt beat to combine, sift in the flour and baking powder beat until smooth 2 minutes.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for approximately 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Let cool 20 minutes in the pan then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy!
You might be able to tell I’m a novice baker. Can you suggest a good quality dark chocolate? Would this be in a bar or chips? I really appreciate your help!
Hi Jean, I am not sure where you are, but a Lindt dark chocolate is a good one. Let me know. 🙂
I am planning to make your Italian chocolate ricotta cake for a dinner party. Can I make it the day before or should I make it fresh in the morning of the dinner party. Thanks In Advance! Jean
Hi Jean, I prefer to make cakes the morning of, but I think you could also make this the day before. I hope you enjoy it. Take care!
How much espresso powder would you use to mix in?
Hi Rosa, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon is recommended. I hope you enjoy it. Take care!
So delicious! Exactly how I was hoping it would be. Thank you!!
Hi Hannah, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Take care!
Easy to make and delicious. Moist and rich like chiffon cake without being heavy.
Hi TG, thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it. Take care and have a great weekend!
I’m used to adding dry ingredients to wet and folding the batter just until combined. Is this batter really beat for 2 minutes. Thanks for your help
Hi Dian, yes this is an Italian cake and the instructions are correct. 🙂
Yes, I put it in an 8 inch pan like you said and it overflowed all over the place. You need a 9″ instead
I made this cake and it is amazing! I believe my pan is larger than 7, so to get a taller cake should I double the recipe?
Hi Stephanie, thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it. Yes you could, just make sure that it is baked through. Take care!
The cake is delicious and fairly easy to make. I do have a question though. I followed the recipe to the letter. At 320° it takes 45 to 50 minutes to bake. Am I doing something wrong?
Hi Patricia, thanks so much, actually you can increase the temperature to 350F. Take care!
7” Bundt pan is definitely the wrong size…way too small. Third of my batter wended up in the bottom of the oven. Use an 11” Bundt. The cake is delicious!
Hi Anita, I don’t see anywhere in the post that I wrote to use a 7 inch bundt pan. The instructions say a 9 inch round cake pan or a 9 1/2 inch bundt pan. Let me know. Glad you enjoyed the cake though! Take care.
Thanks for responding. I love your recipes! Im pretty sure even a 7 1/2 inch would have been too small. 11 inch worked perfectly. Cake is beautiful. 10 inch would produce a taller Bundt. Most importantly, it is a delicious and easy cake!
Hi Anita, sorry I was looking at another recipe when I answered your question, I need a holiday lol, but I did make it in a small bundt pan, it could have been higher than normal, but anyway glad it worked for you. Take care and have a great weekend!
STEP 1. Pre-heat oven to 350F/180C. Spray or grease and flour an 8 inch round cake pan or 7 inch bundt pan.
Hi Rose, yes you’re right I was on another bundt recipe from another comment. Nevermind. 🙂 thanks.
Making this tomorrow and confused by this thread. Which size pan do you use? Can someone please clarify? Thanks.
Hi Cathi, you can use an 8 inch round cake pan or a 7 inch bundt pan. Hope that helps. Take care!
It absolutely does suggest a 7” Bundt Pan!
Rosemary, your recipe does say “7”/18cm bundt pan. I will be making this tonight and will use the 10″ pan I have based on your comment and that of the the reviewer. It looks yummy. I’ve made ricotta cakes before they are so good!
Hi Patty, thanks I hope you enjoy it. Take care!
Can you use powdered cacao instead?
Hi Dera, yes you canf or 1 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate substitute with 2 1/2 – 3 tablespoons cocoa powder + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or melted shortening. Let me know, Take care!
Can you make cupcakes with the batter?
Hi Joann, I think you could, be sure to bake for less time, approximately 15-20 minutes. This is a denser cake so the cupcakes will be denser also. Hope that helps. Take care!
I haven’t tried yet. Wanted to say I appreciate your Notes. Very informative and helpful. Thanks
Hi Lark, thanks so much, I hope you enjoy it. Take care!
I went exactly by recipe. It was beautiful when it came out oven. Ten minutes later it was flat like a bad tire. The picture on your site where it’s cooked in a bundle pan…is that a single recipe or a double.
Hi Kathy, this is a single recipe, baked in a 7 inch bundt pan. Flattening can happen because the oven is opened too soon while baking, the temperature of the oven could be off. Try using an 8 inch bundt pan, it will be thinner but that help. Let me know.
I made this cake and while 320 degrees seemed odd to me I did follow the recipe; however the cake was not really done baking until around 55 minutes.
It was delicious!
Hi Leslie, you could probably raise it to 350F and it would bake fine. Glad you enjoyed it. Take care!
Looks delicious! I really want to try making it this weekend, but I just want a double check that 320° oven is not a mistake. Thanks!
Hi Stephanie, glad you asked I upped it to 350F. I hope you enjoy it. Take care!