chocolate ricotta cake

chocolate ricotta cake

• 1 Apr 2024

It wouldn't be Easter without chocolate. As I'm sure you know, I don't really like chocolate in baked goods, although I do admit to a deep fondness for chocolate Tim Tams. I'm known at work as the girl (shock, horror) who doesn't like chocolate, however my workmates are huge fans. With my workmates in mind and with some leftover ricotta in the fridge I decided to try my hand at making the chocolate ricotta cake I saw Julia Busuttil Nishimura whip up on the Good Food Kitchen cooking show.

Raspberries were on special at the supermarket and I had everything else on hand I needed, so I put the cake together on Sunday morning. Once cooled I veered away from the recipe a little and topped the cake with some espresso flavoured chocolate ganache.

Here's the recipe for you which makes a 17cm cake. For all my recipes I use a 250ml cup and a 20 ml tablespoon, unsalted butter and 60g eggs. My oven is a conventional gas oven so if your oven is fan forced you may need to reduce the oven temperature by 20°C.

Chocolate ricotta cake – Julia Busuttil Nishimura
Ingredients
100g self-raising flour
30g Dutch process cocoa powder

pinch salt
125g unsalted butter
135g caster sugar
2 eggs at room temperature

125g fresh full-fat ricotta
1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate ganache
75g 50% chocolate, finely chopped
75ml pure cream
½ tsp maple syrup

¼ tsp espresso powder
Fresh raspberries, to decorate

Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C conventional. Grease and line a 17cm round cake tin. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt together into a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, cream the butter and sugar on a medium-high speed for 4-5 minutes or until very pale and fluffy, scraping the bowl down with a spatula as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition before adding the next. Once the eggs have been fully incorporated, add the ricotta and vanilla extract and continue to mix until well combined. Reduce the speed to low and add in the flour and cocoa powder. Mix very briefly, only for 10-15 seconds, or until it is just incorporated. Finish mixing the cake batter by hand with a spatula, being careful to not over-mix. Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the mixture.

Bake in the preheated 190°C conventional oven for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when tested. Allow to cool briefly in the tin then turn onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Transfer to a serving plate and set aside.

For the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small pan heat the cream with the maple syrup and espresso powder, stirring until the espresso powder has dissolved and the cream is until simmering. Immediately pour the warm cream over the chocolate and let it sit for a few minutes. Whisk or stir the mixture until the chocolate and butter have melted and combined with the cream, to form a rich and glossy mixture. 

Allow to sit at room temperature until it becomes a spreadable consistency (about 20 minutes). Spoon the ganache onto the cooled cake and spread it to the edges of the cake in a swirling motion. Top with the raspberries before serving.

I'm pleased to report that every-one at work loved the chocolate ricotta cake.

See you all again next week with some more baking from my kitchen.

Bye for now,

Jillian