Ricotta, Hazelnut, and Chocolate Cake

The ricotta cake with hazelnuts and chocolate is a delicious dessert and quite simple to make. Here is the recipe and the process to prepare it.

Ingredients

• 250 g of ricotta cheese
• 150 g of sugar
• 150 g of toasted and chopped hazelnuts
• 100 g of chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips
• 3 eggs
• 100 g of all-purpose flour
• 50 g of melted and cooled butter
• 1 packet of baking powder
• A pinch of salt
• Powdered sugar for decorating (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. In a bowl, whisk the ricotta with sugar until you have a smooth mixture.
3. Separate the yolks from the whites and add the yolks to the ricotta mixture, one at a time, stirring well after each addition.
4. Fold in the chopped hazelnuts and chocolate into the ricotta and yolk mixture.
5. Add the melted butter and mix until uniform.
6. In another bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form.
7. Sift the flour with the baking powder and gently fold them into the ricotta mixture, alternating with the whisked egg whites, mixing from the bottom up to not deflate the mixture.
8. Pour the batter into a previously buttered and floured cake pan, or lined with parchment paper.
9. Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
10. Once baked, let the cake cool in the pan before unmolding it onto a serving plate.
11. If desired, before serving, dust the surface with powdered sugar for a sweet and refined finish.

Trivia

Ricotta is a widely used ingredient in Italian pastry, especially in cakes, for its creamy texture and delicate taste that pairs perfectly with nuts and chocolate. Hazelnuts, especially those from Piedmont such as the “Tonda Gentile” variety, are highly valued for their quality and unique flavor, and are often used in Italian sweet recipes.