Cocoa, Ricotta, and Sour Cherry Cake

The cocoa, ricotta, and sour cherry cake is a delicious dessert, perfect for ending a meal or accompanying afternoon tea. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

• 250 g of ricotta
• 150 g of granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 100 g of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 150 g of all-purpose flour
• 1 packet of baking powder
• 100 ml of milk
• 200 g of syrupy sour cherries (and a bit of their syrup)
• A pinch of salt

Preparation

1. Take a bowl and mix the ricotta with the sugar until smooth.
2. Separate the yolks from the whites. Add the yolks to the ricotta and sugar mixture, and mix well.
3. Whip the whites to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt and gently fold them into the mixture to avoid deflating them.
4. Sift the flour with the cocoa and baking powder, then add them to the mixture alternately with the milk, until the batter is smooth and without lumps.
5. Take the sour cherries, drain them (save the syrup) and fold them into the batter, mixing gently.
6. Pour the mixture into a previously buttered and floured pan (or covered with parchment paper).
7. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and bake the cake for about 40-45 minutes. To test for doneness, you can perform the skewer test.
8. Once ready, let the cake cool before unmolding it.

If you like, you can use the syrup from the sour cherries to lightly soak the surface of the cake, adding that extra touch in terms of flavor.

Curiosity

Syrupy sour cherries are widely used in Italian pastry, and their combination with cocoa and ricotta creates a balance between sweet and sour that is truly pleasant to the palate. This cake encompasses the flavor of tradition, yet it is a modern preparation.