Italian Ricotta Cake recipe | with Chocolate chips
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as a slice of moist, tender cake – except maybe one studded with melty bits of chocolate! This Italian ricotta cake recipe delivers on both fronts. Infused with amaretto and studded with mini chocolate chips, every bite melts in your mouth with sweet, (but not too sweet) flavors. Starting with fresh homemade ricotta cheese for an extra creamy texture, it’s the perfect dessert for any occasion. Enjoy a little taste of Italy with this decadent, chocolate chip ricotta cake recipe.
I have been on a ricotta kick over the last few weeks! Once you learn how easy it is to whip up a batch of homemade ricotta cheese you will be too. Use it it in all kinds of recipes from savory dishes like manicotti and lasagna to sweet treats like this Italian Ricotta Cake (I also made a lemon blueberry version).
You can even use it for breakfast. These First Watch-Inspired Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are light, fluffy and SO delicious!
You just have to try it so you can make some of these delicious recipes for yourself.
I always give instructions with step-by-step photos in my posts just in case some readers have questions. But if you are just here for the recipe, click the JUMP TO RECIPE tab under the title and it will take you straight there. You can also print the recipe card with full instructions or you can click one of the SHARE BUTTONS and save it for later!
Let’s gather up the ingredients for this Italian chocolate ricotta cake recipe!
Organizing all of your ingredients ahead of time not only streamlines the cooking process but also ensures you have everything required to complete the dish successfully. You can find the exact amounts in the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour– you could also use cake flour.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Butter– room temperature butter
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Amaretto– if you don’t have amaretto you could substitute almond extract or vanilla extract, but the amaretto adds a unique flavor profile and once you have it on hand you can use it to make delicious cocktails like this amaretto sour!
- Homemade ricotta cheese– you could also use a high-quality store-bought brand, but you should absolutely try making your own. It’s easy, fun, and tastes SO much better!
- Mini chocolate chips– I used semi-sweet chips in this recipe because they are my favorite, but you could also use milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips.
Now let’s get cooking!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare the cake pan. Turn the bottom of the springform pan upside down. place a sheet of parchment paper on it and then lock the outter ring in place. It’s ok if the paper sticks out around the edges.
Grease the bottoms and sides with butter and then dust with powdered sugar. To do this, place a tablespoon of powdered sugar in the bottom of the pan and then gently tilt and rotate the pan to cover it completely with the powdered sugar. Do this over the sink or even outside so you don’t make a mess.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk together and then set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or if you don’t have an electric mixer, you could use a large bowl and a handheld mixer), combine the butter and sugar.
Cream together on medium speed until fluffy and pale in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary.
Add the eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition.
Add in the amaretto and beat until combined. The batter will look curdled at this point. That’s ok.
Add in the ricotta cheese.
Mix on medium speed until fully combined.
Scrape the sides of the bowl and then, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
Mix together on low speed so that you don’t get an explosion of flour all over your RV kitchen. Trust me on this.
Once combined, remove the bowl from the mixer and add the chocolate chips using the rubber spatula to fold them in. Scrape the bowl all the way to the bottom. Make sure the chocolate chips are evenly dispersed throughout the batter.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Use your spatula to smooth and level out the top.
Bake for approximately 55-65 minutes until completely set and the top of the cake is golden brown.
Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes.
Tips for success:
- Bring all ingredients to room temperature before starting for proper incorporation and rising.
- Be sure not to overbeat the batter once the dry ingredients are added to keep the cake tender and a moist crumb.
- Use full-fat, high-quality ricotta cheese for the creamiest, richest texture. Drain excess liquid from the ricotta if it seems watery.
- Fold in the chocolate chips gently by hand to avoid breaking them into smaller pieces.
- Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick – a few moist crumbs are okay but the toothpick shouldn’t have wet batter coating it.
- Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack before removing from the pan to prevent cracking or crumbling.
- When greasing and sugaring the pan, use a light, even hand to coat all surfaces for easy release.
- For extra decadence, dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar or top with chocolate ganache or whipped cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
I suggest using fresh, high-quality whole milk ricotta. Part-skim varieties tend to be drier and grainier. For best results, homemade ricotta is ideal, but quality store-bought works too.
I recommend enjoying this ricotta cake warm right out of the oven. Freshly baked and still a bit warm it is slightly crispy on the outside from the caramelized butter and sugar and it brings out the melted chocolate chips even more. But it has a lovely, moist texture after cooling too.
Tightly wrap the leftover cake in plastic wrap or place slices in an airtight container. It will keep well refrigerated for 3-4 days. Let slices come closer to room temperature before enjoying them again. You can also freeze cake slices for up to 2 months.
A 9-inch square pan is an ideal substitute if you don’t have a springform pan available. However, a 9-inch round pan would be too small for this recipe. If using a square pan, lining it with a parchment sling will allow for easy removal of the baked cake.
This cake is the perfect ending for Italian meals like this Rigatoni Bolognese.
The next time you are looking for an impressive yet easy dessert to share with family or friends or for gatherings at the campground, give this delicious Italian ricotta cake a try. The rich flavor and beautiful presentation will impress your guests every time!
Did you make this recipe?
If you made this Italian Ricotta Cake recipe with Chocolate chips or any of my other recipes, I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a review below. Or snap a picture and tag me on Facebook.
As always, I will be back next week with more delicious recipes from my RV kitchen to yours
Italian Ricotta Cake recipe with Chocolate chips
Equipment
- 1 9 inch springform pan
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ sticks butter, softened
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon amaretto
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare the cake pan. Turn the bottom of the springform pan upside down. place a sheet of parchment paper on it and then lock the otter ring in place. It’s ok if the paper sticks out around the edges. Grease the bottoms and sides with butter and then dust with powdered sugar. To do this, place a tablespoon of powdered sugar in the bottom of the pan and then gently tilt and rotate the pan to cover it completely with the powdered sugar. Do this over the sink or even outside so you don’t make a mess.
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 3/4 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Whisk together and then set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or if you don’t have an electric mixer, you could use a large bowl and a handheld mixer), combine the 12 tablespoons softened butter and 1 1/2 cups ugar.
- Cream together on medium speed until fluffy and pale in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Scarpe the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary.
- Add the 3 eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition.
- Add in 1 tablespoon amaretto and beat until combined. The batter will look curdled at this point. That’s ok.
- Add in 15 ounces of ricotta cheese.
- Mix on medium speed until fully combined.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and then, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Mix together on low speed just until combined. Don't over mix.
- Once combined, remove the bowl from the mixer and add 1 cup of chocolate chips using the rubber spatula to fold them in. Scrape the bowl all the way to the bottom. Make sure the chocolate chips are evenly dispersed throughout the batter.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, Use your spatula to smooth and level out the top.
- Bake for approximately 55-65 minutes until completely set and the top of the cake is golden brown.
- Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes before removing the ring from the springform pan.
More please
I’m so thrilled with how this cake turned out! It was easy to make, and the amaretto adds the perfect touch. The texture is just right and it is not overly sweet.
I didn’t have amaretto, so I opted for almond extract instead, and the outcome was still satisfying. The mini chocolate chips provided a balanced touch of sweetness. It’s a versatile dessert suitable for various occasions.
I love this recipe! Made sure to follow everything and it came out absolutely perfect! So rich, moist and I absolutely love the flavor. I can’t wait to make this again for my husband!
Used store-bought ricotta and it still turned out great. It is so creamy and rich. I dusted the cooled cake with chocolate ganache for a touch of elegance. And it looked as good as it tasted!
That’s an amazing idea. I’m going to try that the next time I make it.
This looked so good that I had to do a quick grocery run to buy ingredients. It turned out so soft and moist! I’m definitely making this again!
This cake reminded me of Italian Canoli;s! So tasty!!
This cake turned out beautiful! The chocolate and amaretto combine to make the most amazing cake.
This cake was so light and creamy and delicious. A little slice of heaven! Thank you
Perfect! My family really enjoyed this and went back for second and thirds.
Enjoyed this for dessert last night and it was a sweet success! Was light, moist and delicious; easily, a new favorite recipe!