The time I made a chocolate ricotta cake

Before COVID-19 I rarely cooked, that was primarily my husband’s job and he enjoyed doing it. He is a wannabe Food Network chef and says cooking is his way to relax. Score, ammiright? I have a few meals up my sleeve that I make well, most involve the slow cooker - that’s considered cooking, right? Anyway, I decided to try my hand at baking and, it turns out, I’m pretty good at it.

My most recent bake (sounds very ‘bake off’ doesn’t it?) was a chocolate cake. Not just any old chocolate cake, a chocolate ricotta cake - impressive, huh? Its easier than you’d think, even if it is a bit messy.

The frosting is very sweet so I cut the amount of icing sugar I used, but over all I stayed true to the recipe.

Let me know if you’ve made this cake.

Wish you were here,

xoxo

Cake Ingredients

• 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar

• 1 3/4 (224g) cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup (128g) unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 teaspoons (8g) baking soda

• 1 teaspoon (4g) baking powder

• generous pinch of salt

• 2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

• 1 and 1/4 cups (307g) whole milk ricotta cheese

• 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon (5ml) vanilla extract

• 1 cup (240ml) hot water

Frosting Ingredients

• 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened

• 3 and 1/4 cups (416g) sifted confectioners' sugar,

• (I only used 2 1/4 cups)

• 1/2 cup (64g) unsweetened, sifted coco powder,

• 2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract

• generous pinch of salt

• 1/4 cup (62g) whole milk ricotta cheese

Chocolate Ricotta Cake:

Preheat oven to 350°(F).

Prepare two 9-inch round baking pans with non stick baking spray,

With an electric mixer, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl combine the eggs, egg yolk, ricotta cheese, oil and vanilla, mix until completely combined.

Pour the wet 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 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.

Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing from pans and transferring to a cooling rack; always cool cakes completely before frosting.

Chocolate Ricotta Frosting:

Cream softened butter on medium-speed of mixer until completely smooth; about 3 minutes.

With the mixer off, 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.