Sunday, November 6, 2011

Chocolate Ricotta Cake

Ricotta is a cheese I keep meaning to use more often but never quite get around to. After a very long week in work at my new job (they all read the blog apparently & are looking forward to being fed on Monday...), I was tired and needed to make some cake.  I missed my baking appointment last weekend because I was at Savour Kilkenny with The Hubs, eating, drinking & generally being very merry so it was time to get back on track.



Usually, ricotta is used in baking for cheesecakes but I wasn't in the mood - I wanted cake instead and I wanted it to be chocolate.  Using ricotta in this recipe makes the cake texture very light and fluffy and the big cocoa hit deepens the flavour.  It is a bit equipment-intensive and you're going to need three bowls to make this work because the first four ingredients mix first in Bowl 1, followed by the next three in Bowl 2 and the final lot in Bowl 3 before they're all mixed together to form your cake. It's not too taxing and the effort will be worth it!


Chocolate Ricotta Cake

4 1/2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
4 tbsp Hot Water
3 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
220g Plain Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
250g Ricotta
185g Butter, very soft
210g Caster Sugar

Preheat your oven to 180c/Gas Mark 4.  Grease & line the base of a 9-inch springform tin with baking paper.


Blend the cocoa powder & hot water together until smooth, then allow to cool.


Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined.


In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder & salt,


In a third bowl, beat the ricotta, butter & sugar together until light and fluffy.


Now start adding the cocoa mix and the flour mix to the ricotta mix alternately until well combined.


Pour into the tin and bake for 40-50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.


Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.


2 comments:

  1. As a man that likes to cook and who is a self-confessed chocaholic I couldn't pass your recipe by.
    So I raided the fridge and the cupboard and set about making this delicious cake.
    Well my only complaint was it took me longer to make than it did for everyone to eat it...yummy!

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