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!
You May Also Like
- Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
- Marble Cake
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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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Delicious cake but it took sooo long to cook in the center. I think my oven temp is not accurate since I baked it at 350. At the 60 min mark, it was still completely raw in the center. I covered it with foil, and baked it longer but by the time the center was cooked the outside was pretty dark and burnt in some spots. Any suggestions on how to resolve this as I’d love to bake this again? Lower oven temp for longer?
Hi Noelle, I’m sorry you had a problem getting this to bake evenly! Did you make any adjustments to the recipe? Did you use the pan called for in the recipe?
I love this cake. I don’t know that I’d call it moist but it’s got an interesting texture that makes it hard to stop eating. It reminded us of an old Italian Easter pie my MIL makes with the mascarpone, dark chocolate & dried fruit. I’m tempted to try it with some cherries next!
I had no problems cooking it just as the recipe stated, cooking time was spot on.
I only had reg chocolate chips the first time, I tried to chop them and it was difficult, they did sink, next I tried it with chocolate that I ground up in my little chopper, it was better with the even distribution and looked nicer too. Wasn’t a deal breaker though we enjoyed it thoroughly both times!
Thank you.
Will make this again & again ❤️
Can this cake be frozen?
Yes, it freezes nicely. See the bottom of the recipe for more detailed freezer-friendly instructions. 🙂
This cake was so good! I made it for Christmas Eve’s party and EVERYONE loved it! So moist and had a great flavor. Made it a day ahead, left it lightly covered as suggested. Thanks for sharing! Even went ahead and purchased this gal’s cookbook I was so impressed.
This is my fourth time making this delicious cake…it’s in the oven now…I just reread the ingredients list, though, and realized that it calls for less than two cups of ricotta…I have used the entire 1 lb. container each time, and the cake comes out perfect…I do have to bake if for the full 60 mins, but it is wonderful…what on earth would I do with a third-cup of extra ricotta!? Thanks for another winner, Jenn. I promote you constantly! Yours is my very favorite food blog… Happy New Year!
Great idea to use the whole container. Thanks
Delish! Thank You for sharing, Jenn! Happy New Year!
if you have trouble finding Ghirardelli mini chips, Target carries them!
This cake is so delicious! the first one I made, I froze, and I decided I didn’t want to take a frozen cake to Christmas Eve, so I made a fresh one that morning and brought the frozen one to school on the last day before vacation. I’m here to say that the frozen cake was perfect. You could not tell it had been frozen. Everyone who tried this cake, both at school and on Christmas Eve LOVED it! Everyone wanted the recipe. This cake is so easy to make and presents so beautifully. I was going to sprinkle it with confectioner’s sugar, but I forgot to bring it…it was perfect as is. Thanks for another winner!!
Hi Jenn
I’m planning on making this cake.
After reading the comments I want to make sure this is the correct recipe. Could you please let me know? Thank you Marlene
Yes, Marlene, this is the correct version. The original version had slightly less flour, but I changed that a while back. Hope you enjoy!
Jenn,
You hit this one “out of the ballpark”! Such an excellent recipe. I have made this 3 times now, the first time I used the mini-chocolate chips now, I chop my own chocolate. This cake is moist and delicious. I normally don’t comment about recipes, because I expect them to be good. But this one is outstanding. I might try it just using grated lemon the next time and maybe some nuts. So good!
This is an amazing cake! I have made it several times and it always turns out beautifully. I now always have mini choc chips in the pantry and ricotta in the fridge just in case I need to throw a cake together quick for company or to bring to a gathering. It tastes like a chocolate chip cheesecake cake. A winner!
Hi Jen and happy Fall cooking weather. Your Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cake has become one of my favorite desserts and I’m wondering if I can bake it in an 8″ square pan – I need to cut it into squares for a “finger food” party and think that would be easier. Do you think that I need to adjust the temperature and/or baking time, if you think that it will work at all. Thanks for any help you can provide. Peggy M
Hi Peggy, so glad you enjoy this cake! Unfortunately, I don’t think it will fit into an 8 in. square pan. If you have a 9 in.square, that would work. Hope that helps!
Would white whole wheat flour work here and for other recipes? It is the only King Arthur flour that my grocer sells.
Hi Joanna, You can swap out the all-purpose flour for white whole wheat as they are pretty interchangeable. The texture will be a bit different with it, so if you’d like the minimize the impact on the texture, I’d suggest using half all-purpose and half white whole wheat. Hope that helps!
I learned recently that if you let the uncooked cake (or whatever you are baking with whole wheat flour) sit on the counter for about fifteen minutes before putting in the oven, the texture will be closer to what it would be with white flour. Apparently whole wheat flour needs more time to absorb the moisture in the batter. I’ve had very good results! Haven’t tried it with this cake yet.
Hi Jenn, I’ve just printed this off and want to make this, this weekend. I’m worried I’m going to have sinking issues, are there any other ways to know if it’s cooked? Should the toothepick come out clean?
Hi Danielle, Yes, a toothpick should come out clean (don’t worry if there’s melted chocolate on it). I recommend using King Arthur flour for the most reliable results.
This was great! I did make modifications: 1 c sugar instead of 1 1/2, 1 c almond flour and 3/4 c combination of white whole wheat flour and AP flour. I also added unsweetened toasted shredded coconut chopped finely as well as toasted almonds chopped finely and just a handful of chocolate chips. SO GOOD! I did bake this 45 minutes at 350 in a 13×9 glass pan, and because of the moisture from both almond flour and ricotta, turned oven off and left cake in there until cool. Will definitely make again!
Can you add banana? How would you have to adjust the other ingredients if you did?
Thanks!
Hi Amy, I wouldn’t recommend that here. I do have a variety of banana breads if you want to consider one of those.
I made this using gluten free flour (it had xanthan gum already added) and it was absolutely delicious and moist. Since I’m in Canada I always use PC all purpose gluten free flour. I had to cook it about 65 minutes. Amazing!
I do not see what size springform pan you should use. Can you please clarify? Thank you.
Hi Randi, You’ll need a 9- or 10-inch springform pan. Hope you enjoy!
I just baked this using the current measurements. The top was nice and brown and the cake seemed firm when I took it out of the oven. I baked it for 65 minutes. Now that it is cooling the center is sinking.
Hi Randi, I’m sorry you had a problem with this. Did you happen print the recipe right after I sent out the newsletter with it? If so, based on reader feedback like yours, I added a few more tablespoons of flour to the dry ingredients. If you try it again, I’d refer to the updated version. I’m sorry for any inconvenience!
I baked the version that is currently listed here. The whole center was mush. We ate the edges but sorry, we were not impressed with it. Would not make it again. I am an avid baker and usually do not have any issues with recipes.
I’m so sorry you had a problem with this! It’s a bit of a head-scratcher for me as since I tweaked the recipe, it’s not been a problem. Is there any chance you may have made a measuring error?
Unfortunately this did not work for me . I have tried with ricotta cakes but they seem to take such a long time to bake through .. it tasted quite nice and looked great after 65 mins – top all brown .. but it was not fully baked through despite testing with a toothpick in several places several times .. – This seems to happen with my attempts at ricotta cakes .. so disappointed as I followed the recipe to a tee .. Any advice ?
Hi Louise, I’m sorry you had a problem with this! Did you print the recipe shortly after I sent out the newsletter that featured it? If so, based on reader feedback like yours, I added a few more tablespoons of flour to the dry ingredients which improved the texture of the cake. If you make this again, that should resolve the issue.
This cake is fabulous!!! It was brown on top but after being out of oven for a bit the center began to sink……. I now see back in April others had this issue and you suggested then to add a few more tablespoons of flour…..wondering if this helped?
Hi Alice, Did you print the recipe shortly after I sent out the newsletter that featured it? If so, based on reader feedback like yours, I added a few more tablespoons of flour to the dry ingredients which improved the texture of the cake. If you make this again, that should resolve the issue. Glad you enjoyed anyway!
Can you substitute almond flour for the all-purpose flour?
I don’t recommend it here, Viola – sorry!
Our family absolutely loves this cake! Jen never disappoints with her recipes. This is such a simple cake that produces huge smiles all around.
Hi Jenn, my springform pan is about 10” – am I ok to use or will the cake turn out too flat? Is there a different size pan you can recommend, and if so, any tweaks to prep/cooking time? Thanks!
Hi Sheri, this will work in either a 9 or 10-inch springform, so no adjustments needed. Hope you enjoy!
Do you think using ricotta cheese instead of whole milk ricotta cheese would work? Or could I add some milk to the ricotta cheese?
Hi Joan, If you’re referring to low-fat ricotta, I think you could get away with that. Please LMK how it turns out!
Hi Jenn
Tried the Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cake recipe. As always, your recipes never fail! The cake was moist and delicious except for a little flaw in my end product. It did not rise fully as there was a thin layer of smoothness at the bottom of the cake (unable to attach photo in the email).
Appreciate it if you could advise me as to where I have gone wrong.
Thank you.
Hi Sindy, Happy to help but can you clarify what you mean by a thin layer of smoothness at the bottom of the cake? If you have a photo, you can email it to me at jennifer@onceuponachef.com.
5 Star dessert for sure. I had to hide it from my husband. Twice.
LOL!
Hi Jenn. I have regular size chocolate chips. If I toss them in flour before mixing them into the batter will they still sink to the bottom of the cake? Thanks.
Hi Kathy, I do find that with this cake, the smaller chocolate chips are better here. If you only have the regular size on hand, I’d chop them roughly before adding to the batter. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
This is really good! I like that it’s very moist and not too sweet since it doesn’t have frosting. I didn’t have a springform pan so put it in a 9″ round. It wasn’t until I had just put it in the oven that I read to the end of the recipe where it states not to use a 9″ round pan. Oops! It rose to the very top of the pan and thankfully didn’t spill over. I was nervous it wasn’t going to turn out, but it was fine. Very moist and delicious and I’ll definitely make it again!
The cake is delicious & turned out well. It did take a full 70 minutes to get there.
This is a delicious cake!! Easy to make. This cake is very moist. I will definitely make this again. My husband loved it. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Oh, how I wished I looked at reviews.
I printed this out on April 1st and made it yesterday.
I did everything exactly as was written and even cooked it more then the 50 minutes.
But alas both cakes turned out with a sunken middle.
So what to do. I cut out the middle and sprinkled happy mini chocolate chips all over it lol. I ll let you know how it tasted later.
So sorry about that Sue! I hope it tasted good despite the texture not being quite right!
Hi Jenn,
Just to let you know everyone loved it.
Phew — so glad!
Infuriatingly delicious. An absolutely stunning recipe. I used homemade ricotta that was a little firmer than most store-bought versions, and it still came out great.
The cake was super moist and rich! When I made this cake I had to bake this 30 minutes more and I still thought it was under baked! The butter/fat leaked out of my parchment lined spring form pan and made my oven a mess! Wonder what I did wrong!
Hi Mel, Sorry you had a problem with this! I’m not sure why you would’ve had a problem with the butter leaking out. Did you by any chance use margarine? Also, regarding it being underbaked, did you happen to print the recipe right after I sent out the newsletter with it? If so, based on reader feedback like yours, I added a few more tablespoons of flour to the dry ingredients which improved the texture of the cake. Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
I have never tried a Jen recipe that I didn’t like (totally looking forward to the cookbook!) – this one was no exception. Even my doubting kids loved it despite freaking out when I was adding cheese to the cake batter. I wanted to add that I couldn’t find my springform pan so I used a metal 9×13 pan that was about 2-21/2 inches deep. It baked about 40 minutes and I kept an eye on it at the end and took it out once golden brown. Perfection!
Made this the other night for a dinner party. Big hit. Thanks again for another great recipe. I did add a heaping teaspoon of orange zest. I felt this added a wonderful aroma and a subtle hint of orange which played well off the chocolate
The question I have is, would you be able to provide weights for the flour. My cake did not fall as others have, and I wonder if this is not related to the great variability in amount of flour used when measuring with a cup vs using weight measurement.
Hi Rob, Glad you enjoyed this! The recipe does include weight/metric measurements. When I initially shared the recipe, it had a few less tablespoons of flour and I believe that’s what was causing the problem. I’ve since updated it. If you prefer to use weight measurements, to view them, scroll down to the recipe, and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you.
This is an amazingly moist and delicious cake! I did have a problem with it being too much batter for my 9″ springform – I had an old pan with shallow sides, and it overflowed the pan when it baked – it was “over the top” in a bad way…but the remaining cake still tasted wonderful. Just a word of caution to use a pan with deep sides, as in the photos.
So good and so moist! Not that it needed it, but I served it with a scoop of ice cream on top. My guests happily took a few pieces home! Also, it’s easy — will definitely be one of my go-to desserts. 🙂
i made this this morning. I followed all the steps but the center of the cake never cooked! T left it in the oven for an additional 10 minutes too! What could have gone wrong?
Hi Karen, I’m sorry you had a problem with this! Did you happen print the recipe right after I sent out the newsletter with it? If so, based on reader feedback like yours, I added a few more tablespoons of flour to the dry ingredients. Every once in a while, I need to tweak a recipe based on comments that come in and haven’t figured out the best way to indicate that because if people have already printed the recipe, they wouldn’t see a note about an update. That said, I’m sorry about the mixup (if in fact that’s what happened)!
Jenn-
I love and trust all of your recipes, so didn’t bother to read the reviews first. Mine baked for a full hour – but it sunk in the middle and wasn’t close to being “baked”. We laughed, at the ring around the outside, and threw it away. Decided to read the reviews to see what I did wrong, and I see it’s a common thing. Still love you, just not this one recipe!
Thanks!
H
As all your recipes, delicious – had the older version of the recipe and just left it in the oven until the middle was firm. Thanks!
I frequently try Jen’s recipes and they are generally perfect. This was no exception. The cake was moist, lusciously creamy and not too sweet. Everyone I shared it with absolutely loved it. Thank you for another great, easy and delicious recipe.
This cake is absolutely divine. Perfect for afternoon tea.
Many thanks for providing the metric conversions.
I used a 25cm round cake tin which I think was ideal.
I didn’t look at the ricotta until I was mixing the cake with the oven on. The packet size was 250g (not 400g). I used a dash of milk (very little) instead of going to the shop to get more. It worked out perfectly.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for all your enjoyable recipes. The Chocolate Chip Ricotta cake was exceptional. Very easy to bake and would be enjoyed any time of day. Looking forward to your next book.
Hi , could I use some blueberries instead of the chocolate chip?? Probably more sugar , right?? Thank you so much… Margaret
Hi Malgorzata, I don’t think blueberries will work here. I have a cherry ricotta cake in my upcoming cookbook that I think would be better with the blueberries. I’m happy to send you the recipe if you’d like to email me at jennifer@onceuponachef.com.
Hi Jen, made this for my work colleagues today & they LOVED it! I read your reviews before baking & I thought I better make 2 batches, us nurses like our home bakes with our morning coffee/tea! Thank you Jen for your great recipes, they have never disappointed. Much love from Australia 🐨
I used Bob’s Red Mill flour and cooked it for 55 min. The toothpick came out clean but unfortunately, the cake sunk as it cooled and was undercooked in the middle when we cut into it tonight. The cake was quite golden brown on top and well browned on the sides with that cooking time. If I try again, maybe covering it with foil at the end and adding another 10 might prevent the falling. It was tasty, but I’m glad I wasn’t serving it to friends as the appearance and texture were somewhat disappointing.
Hi Yvonne, So sorry the cake sank a bit. I think the issue is the brand of flour you used. Bob’s Red Mill is a very low-protein all-purpose flour, so it doesn’t lend enough structure to the cake. I would recommend using King Arthur all-purpose flour for the best results. Hope that helps for next time!
Thank you for sharing that insight about the flour. I look forward to trying it again with King Arthur because the flavor really was delicious. 🙂
Ok! Jen……..this is over the top!
So delicious and so easy to put together!!! We all loved it!
My kind of cake – one pan, no frosting and so full of flavor!
The best!!! ❤️
The cake came out beautifully. I am planning to drop it off as a gift and am just wondering how long it will last and whether it should be kept in the fridge or on the counter beyond the first day. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes. I use your site several times a week and am never disappointed!
So glad you like the recipes! The cake keeps nicely for 1-2 days stored in a cake dome at room temperature. If you want to keep it fresh for longer, I’d refrigerate it but bring it to room temperature before eating. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn, is it all right if I replace chocolate chips with salted caramel white chocolate chips? Will it spoil the taste ?
It will taste different but still be good. I’d recommend mini chips if you can find them as that will keep them from sinking to the bottom. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
The cake was a big hit with my guests! The sweetness mixed with the salty sea salt caramel choc chips is a winner! Double thumbs up again Jenn for such an amazing recipe! It’s going to be another regular recipe for me!
So glad it came out well — thanks for the follow-up!
Wow! This cake is exceptionally moist and delicious. Once again, your recipe was flawless. Thank you!
Hello, I’ve loved all your recipes! Can I bake this in a ceramic Corningware oval baking dish? Mine’s around 11×8.5inches. Thank you!
I wouldn’t recommend it, Jo — I’m sorry!
Amazing recipe. I substituted light olive oil for butter,( reducing volume by 1/4 ), and used low fat ricotta cheese and it was delicious. We have some heart health issues at our house, but still want to enjoy a dessert now and then. For guests I made this cake based on Jen’s excellent recipe and it was a hit. While there is a slight change in texture, we enjoyed the “healthier” version just as much.
Excellent cake, very tasty and easy to make. I made it using hand mixer and baked it in a 13 x 9 pan and it was perfect. Delicious as all Jenn’s recipes 😋