The ricotta and cocoa cake is, after the Nutella ecstasy cake, definitely one of my favorite chocolate desserts, and I’m sure it will become your favorite dessert when you taste it.
It’s a chocolaty cake that literally melts in your mouth: with every bite, you’ll feel its moist and soft texture and all the taste and flavor of cocoa, without any bitter aftertaste, which sometimes occurs when too much cocoa or chocolate is used. It is a cake characterized also by the presence of plenty of ricotta and little flour, which explains why this cake is so moist and soft and never tires you out.
The ricotta and cocoa cake will win you over at the first taste and is perfect both to eat as it is or to fill: its texture, in fact, lends itself to become the base for decorated or filled cakes, because it is a “compact” cake, but not dry (and this would allow you not to soak it or to soak it only slightly). You could, for example, prepare a chocolate birthday cake filled with Camy cream (condensed milk cream), with mascarpone cream, or yogurt cream or, if you want to go classic, you can use my custard with whole eggs or dark chocolate cream.
Preparing it is really simple: to make this ricotta and cocoa cake without butter, all you need is a bowl and an electric whisk. At the end of the recipe, I’ll also include the procedure for preparing the ricotta and cocoa Bimby cake, so you can decide what to use to prepare it.
Well, now let’s move on to the recipe and see how to make this delicious chocolate cake without butter, but first I’ll leave you with some other links to chocolate cakes you might like.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 342.29 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 42.68 (g) of which sugars 28.18 (g)
- Proteins 8.46 (g)
- Fat 18.30 (g) of which saturated 5.23 (g)of which unsaturated 10.87 (g)
- Fibers 3.05 (g)
- Sodium 54.94 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 110 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the ricotta and cocoa cake
- 8.8 oz cow's milk ricotta (well drained)
- 6.3 oz sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3.5 oz all-purpose flour
- 2.1 oz unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2.8 oz sunflower seed oil
- 1 packet vanillin
- 1 packet baking powder
- 2.1 oz chocolate chips
Tools to prepare the ricotta and cocoa cake
- Bowl
- Electric whisk
- Sieve
- Cake pan 8 2/3 inches in diameter
Steps for the ricotta and cocoa cake
Let’s see together how to prepare this delicious cocoa and ricotta cake without butter. After the traditional procedure, I’ll also include the Bimby method.
Put the ricotta and sugar in a bowl. I used pre-packaged lactose-free ricotta, which is naturally compact, but if you use fresh ricotta, let it drain well for a few hours before using.
Work with the electric whisk at low speed until you get a cream.
Add the eggs and work again with the whisk until you get a homogeneous mixture.
Also add the sunflower seed oil and incorporate it into the mixture.
Weigh together flour, cocoa, vanillin, and baking powder.
Sift them into the bowl, even in multiple batches, and incorporate the powders into the mixture with the electric whisk at low speed.
You should obtain a smooth, very dense, and creamy mixture.
Grease (or oil lightly) and flour a springform pan of 8 2/3 inches diameter, pour the batter into it, and sprinkle the surface with chocolate chips.
Preheat the oven to 338°F, and when it reaches temperature, place the cake in the oven and bake for about 40-45 minutes. I recommend covering the surface of the cake in the last ten minutes of baking to prevent it from darkening too much. Do the toothpick test before taking the cake out of the oven: although the crumb of this cake has a moist texture, the toothpick should not come out dirty with chocolate.
Once ready, turn off the oven, slightly open the door, and let the cake cool slowly. When it is cold, remove it from the mold and place it on a serving plate. If you like, you can also sprinkle it with a little powdered sugar.
Now let’s see together how to prepare the Bimby ricotta and cocoa cake.
Put the ricotta and sugar in the bowl: 1 min. speed 2.
Add the eggs and oil: 1 min. speed 3-4.
Also add the sifted powders (flour, cocoa, baking powder, and vanillin): 1 min. speed 3-4.
Grease and flour a 22 cm diameter pan and pour the mixture into it. Bake in a preheated oven at 338°F for about 40-45 minutes. In the last minutes of baking, I recommend covering the surface of the Bimby ricotta and cocoa cake with a sheet of aluminum foil.
Do the toothpick test before taking the cake out of the oven. When it is ready, turn off the oven, slightly open the door, and let it cool slowly.
Storage, tips, and variations
– The ricotta and cocoa cake should be stored well covered in a container or with a sheet of aluminum foil or plastic wrap. If prepared in summer, it is advisable to keep it in the fridge to prevent mold.
– If you want to enrich this cake, you can use other chocolate chips or chopped nuts both inside the batter and on the surface. The particular texture of this cake will not let the chocolate chips or nuts fall to the bottom.
– If you want to enrich this cake, you can use other chocolate chips or chopped nuts both inside the batter and on the surface. The particular texture of this cake will not let the chocolate chips or nuts fall to the bottom.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use chocolate instead of cocoa?
No, because it would spoil the cake’s balance. Cocoa powder replaces part of the flour in the recipe. However, you can increase the amount of unsweetened cocoa by 20g (and decrease the amount of flour by 20g) to make it even more chocolaty.
No, because it would spoil the cake’s balance. Cocoa powder replaces part of the flour in the recipe. However, you can increase the amount of unsweetened cocoa by 20g (and decrease the amount of flour by 20g) to make it even more chocolaty.
Can I reduce the sugar?
The amount of sugar in the recipe has already been reduced by me compared to the original recipe, and for my taste, it is the right amount that balances the bitterness of the cocoa. However, if you prefer a cake with a less sweet taste, you can reduce it by another 20-30g, but not more, otherwise, the cake would have a bitter aftertaste.
The amount of sugar in the recipe has already been reduced by me compared to the original recipe, and for my taste, it is the right amount that balances the bitterness of the cocoa. However, if you prefer a cake with a less sweet taste, you can reduce it by another 20-30g, but not more, otherwise, the cake would have a bitter aftertaste.
Can I replace the butter with oil?
Yes, you can use 100g of melted and cooled butter and add it to the recipe instead of the oil.
Yes, you can use 100g of melted and cooled butter and add it to the recipe instead of the oil.
