Yummy Cake Ideas – Rich Chocolate Italian Love Cake With Creamy Layers
This chocolate Italian love cake is a dreamy dessert that combines a rich chocolate cake with a luscious ricotta cheesecake layer. During baking, the filling magically sinks and swaps places with the cake batter, creating beautiful layers without any assembly. Finish it off with a light and fluffy cocoa cream cheese whipped frosting for a truly showstopping treat.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Cake
- ¾ cup (60 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup (180 g) hot water or hot coffee
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110 g) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup (170 g) milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Ricotta Filling
- 24 ounces (3 cups / 881 g) ricotta cheese
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cocoa Cream Cheese Whipped Frosting
- 8 ounces (225 g) cream cheese, softened
- 2½ cups (600 mL) cold heavy whipping cream
- 1⅓ cups (160 g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the Chocolate Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 13×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Make sure the pan has sides at least 2 inches tall.
- In a large bowl, whisk the cocoa powder into the hot water or coffee until smooth.
- Stir in the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the wet ingredients. Mix until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.
- Pour the chocolate cake batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Prepare the Ricotta Filling
- In a separate bowl, beat the ricotta cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt until creamy and smooth.
- Spoon the ricotta mixture evenly over the chocolate cake batter. Using a measuring cup or spatula works best for even distribution.
- Bake the Cake
- Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 60–70 minutes, or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before frosting.
- Make the Cocoa Cream Cheese Whipped Frosting
- Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold one-third of the whipped cream into the cream cheese to lighten it. Fold in the second third, then the remaining whipped cream until fully combined and fluffy.
- Frost the Cake
- Once the cake has completely cooled, spread the frosting evenly over the top. You can also frost the sides if you remove the cake from the pan.
Notes
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure eggs, milk, and ricotta are at room temperature for a smoother, evenly baked cake.
- Pan Size: A 13×9-inch pan with at least 2-inch sides prevents overflow during baking.
- Baking Check: Toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cooling: Cool completely before frosting to avoid melting the whipped cream.
- Frosting: This recipe makes enough to cover the top and sides, but you can keep it simple and frost only the top.
Nutrition
- Calories: 576 kcal
- Sugar: 47 g
- Sodium: 477 mg
- Fat: 33 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 63 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 131 mg