Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cake
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Adapted from Melissa Weller, this chocolate chip ricotta cake has a rich flavor and an impossibly moist texture.
Adapted from A Good Bake by Melissa Weller and Carolynn Carreno, this chocolate chip ricotta cake is easily one of the best cakes I have ever made — and I have baked a lot of cakes in my day. Weller, a master baker and French Culinary Institute graduate, developed the cake for Sadelle’s, a brunch mecca in Soho, New York City. The addition of ricotta cheese gives the cake a rich flavor and an impossibly moist texture. The cake is also jam-packed with mini chocolate chips, making it a crowdpleaser for all ages.
What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cake
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk well and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the the butter and sugar.
Cream on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides as necessary.
Add the eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition.
Beat in the vanilla (don’t worry if the batter looks curdled).
Add the ricotta cheese.
Mix on medium-low speed until incorporated.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the dry ingredients in one addition.
Mix on low speed until just combined.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and add the chocolate chips.
Using a rubber spatula, fold the chocolate chips into the batter until they are evenly dispersed, making sure to scrape the very bottom of the bowl. (You’ll notice that the ricotta cheese gives the batter a slightly grainy texture.)
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and use an offset spatula to smooth and level out the top.
Bake the cake for 55 to 65 minutes, until completely set and golden brown on top. Place the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes.
Run a thin knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake, if necessary, then remove the ring of the springform pan.
Let the cake cool completely on the rack before cutting. Enjoy!
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Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cake
Adapted from Melissa Weller, this chocolate chip ricotta cake has a rich flavor and an impossibly moist texture.
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour (preferably King Arthur), spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1⅔ cups whole milk ricotta cheese, preferably Galbani brand
- 1¼ cups mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray a 9- or 10-inch springform pan (see note) with nonstick cooking spray with flour, such as Baker's Joy or Pam with Flour. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray again.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add the eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition. Beat in the vanilla (don't worry if the batter looks curdled). Add the ricotta cheese and mix on medium-low speed until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the dry ingredients in one addition. Mix on low speed until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a rubber spatula, fold the chocolate chips into the batter until they are evenly dispersed, making sure to scrape the very bottom of the bowl. (You'll notice that the ricotta cheese gives the batter a slightly grainy texture.)
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and use an offset spatula to smooth and level out the top. Bake the cake for 55 to 65 minutes, until completely set and golden brown on top. (If the top starts to get too dark towards the end, cover the pan loosely with foil.) Place the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake, if necessary, then remove the ring of the springform pan. Let the cake cool completely on the rack before cutting.
- Note: If you don't have a springform pan, a 9-inch square pan works well (a 9-inch round pan, however, is too small). If you'd like to be able to remove the cake from the square pan, you can line the pan with a parchment sling.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake can be made 1 day ahead of time and stored in a cake dome at room temperature. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months; after the cake is completely cooled, wrap it tightly with aluminum foil or freezer wrap. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Calories: 460
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated fat: 14 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Sugar: 40 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Cholesterol: 98 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I absolutely loved this cake. What an incredible rich flavour. My only comment is that the cake almost tasted too moist. I baked it till a toothpick came out clean at the 55 min mark but next time I may keep it in longer. Do you think it may have been the type of ricotta cheese I used? It was TreStella traditional with 74% moisture. What are your thoughts on draining the ricotta a bit through a cheesecloth.
I love ALL your recipes Jen. Thanks for all your contributions.
Hi Jennifer, there is a lot of variation in the amount of moisture depending on the brand of ricotta you buy, so I think your suggestion of draining it in a cheesecloth is a great idea. And so glad you like the recipes! 🙂
This has become my go-to cake recipe. Simple yet delicious, the guests at my Bed & Breakfast think I’m a genius baker! Every time I use a “once upon a chef” recipe it’s a home run. This is everyone’s favorite! Thank you!
I made this and it was perfect. It looked exactly like your picture. It was cooked in 65 minutes, loosely covered with foil the last 10 minutes. I used a dark gray non-stick springform pan. My experience with ricotta cheese is that some brands are more wet than others, which could be the reason why many had issues with the baking time. I bought one that is dryer than most. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I was only able to find low fat ricotta cheese at my local grocer’s…will using this make a big difference? Thank you in advance for your advice!
Hi Kathleen, that should be fine. Hope you enjoy!
I am so confused with your rating. You are giving the recipe 4 stars when you are simply asking a question?
I’m short of ricotta cheese by 1/2 c – could I use sour cream for the amount I’m short? Thanks very much!
Hi Kat, I wouldn’t use sour cream, but cottage cheese would work.
Jen, do you think I could put a ganache glaze over the top of this cake? Thanks for all your wonderful recipes and this helpful site!
Glad you like the recipes! 🙂
Yes, it would be fine to add a ganache glaze to the top of the cake – enjoy!
I made it with the ganache glaze and decreased the chocolate chips to 1 cup. This made a delicious birthday cake and everyone loved it! Served with coffee ice cream. 🙂
I will be making this again. Thanks, Jenn. Another winner!
This cake was amazing! Going to make it again tonight for a small dinner party, and as I’m gathering the ingredients I am quite sure I actually added two whole sticks of butter and not the one and a half. (I had been reading other recipes before I settled on this one and must have just went with my original thought that I needed two sticks) anyway, no complaints, except I did cut a slice then pop it back in the oven because it was SO moist I believed it to be a bit raw and wanted to be safe. Not sure that I have a question, but I might try two attempts, with 1.5 and 2 sticks. Did I just make it even richer? What else would go “wrong” with that much more butter?
Looking forward to trying even more of your recipes, this cake was the best I’ve ever made!
Hi Brittany, The extra butter would make it “wetter” so it would take longer to cook.
Having read the reviews before trying this recipe for the first time, I made the updated version (with the added flour). It still took the cake slightly over 90 minutes baking time to set. I know my oven thermostat is accurate. I’m curious if perhaps the cake sets faster if it is made in a 10 inch springform instead of 9 inch? The cake was yummy, just had the hassle of checking it every 5 mins or so in the oven after finding it still very loose at the 60 minute mark.
Hi Jeanne, sorry you found the timing to be off. Yes, it would bake a bit faster in a 10-inch pan if you want to give that a try. Just keep an eye on it while it’s baking!
amazingly delicious. light, airy, with a delicately crunchy crust. not too sweet. i used a bundt pan.
I made the choc chip version of this, and it was delish! May I ask if you can provide suggestions if I want to tweak it to make a lemon flavoured one? Thank you!!
Hi Patrick, I would omit the chocolate chips and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of lemon zest. I’d love to know how it turns out!
I have tried it with white chocolate and lemons! It was perfect! Great recepie!