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This crispy chocolate and ricotta cake is a real treat. Smooth ricotta pairs up with deep chocolate flavor, giving you a showy dessert that's perfect for making any moment feel fancy.
I came up with this for my grandma's birthday ages ago, and now it pops up at every family get-together. Each time I make it, I can't help but remember all those fun, loud celebrations.
Luscious Ingredients
For the dark shortcrust pastry dough- Almond flour: gives a lovely nutty note
- Type 00 flour: makes the finished pastry super tender
- Powdered sugar: makes everything smoother than regular sugar
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: bring a fancy dark chocolate flavor
- Cold butter: you need this cold for that crumbly texture everyone loves
- Egg: keeps the dough together and makes it richer
- Pinch of salt: really lifts all the flavors
- Same stuff as the chocolate version: just skip the cocoa powder to create a nice look when you serve it up
- Type 00 flour: so the cake bakes up fluffy
- Cornstarch: helps keep things light and soft
- Sugar: the finer the better—it melts right in
- Eggs: room temp is best to help things puff up
- Ricotta: drain it really well for less soggy cake
- Oil: keeps your cake moist even if you make it a day before
- Orange zest: pick an organic orange if you can, so you don't get any weird stuff
- Baking powder: helps the cake rise nicely
- Whole milk: makes the cream extra rich
- Honey: a touch of shine and mellow sweetness
- Gelatin: helps make sure your cream holds its shape
- Mascarpone: let it warm up a bit so it mixes in smooth
- Dark chocolate: shoot for 60-70% so you get that perfect chocolate taste
Easy Step-By-Step Directions
Making the Cocoa Shortcrust Dough- Chill time:
- Wrap your finished dough in plastic wrap and stash it in the fridge for at least two hours. This helps the flavors settle and the dough to get firm.
- Spread, line, and freeze:
- Roll out the dough to about 2 mm thick, fit it into a 20 cm baking ring and stick it in the freezer for a good two hours so it holds its shape later.
- Egg in—quick mix:
- Add in your egg and stir fast until the clumps form a ball. Don't keep kneading or you'll lose that crumbly goodness.
- Butter in—make it sandy:
- Chuck in cold butter chunks and lightly rub them in with your fingers, just until it looks sandy. Don't overdo it, or your pastry will go tough instead of crumbly.
- Mix dry stuff:
- In a bowl, gently stir together all your flours, cocoa, powdered sugar, and salt with a spatula so every bit gets evenly mixed.
- Bake it up:
- Pour the batter into your cooled pastry crust and bake at 180°C for 40-45 minutes. Check with a knife or toothpick—if it comes out dry, you're good.
- Fold in dry stuff:
- Sift flour, baking powder, and cornstarch together, then add them little by little to the wet mix, folding carefully so you keep all that air you whipped in earlier.
- Combine the creams:
- Now, mix your ricotta blend into the egg-sugar mix, folding it gently so you don't squash all that fluffiness.
- Prep the creamy bit:
- In a separate bowl, stir together oil, orange zest, and ricotta until you have a smooth creamy mixture.
- Whip eggs up:
- Beat eggs and sugar like you mean it until you get a pale, foamy batter that's tripled in size—it helps keep the cake light.
- Decorate with shapes:
- Once rested, roll your dough out and cut little bunny shapes or anything else fun you like.
- Bake the decorations:
- Arrange the cutouts on a lined baking tray and pop into the oven at 180°C for about 15 minutes, just 'til lightly golden.
- Follow the same method as chocolate dough:
- just leave out the cocoa so your pastry stays pale for pretty contrast.
- Mix in mascarpone:
- Once your chocolatey mix is just warm, beat in the mascarpone and blitz with a handheld blender if you want it totally smooth and lump-free.
- Get it ready to serve:
- When it's good and cold, give the cream a quick whisk before spreading onto the cake—it helps fluff things back up.
- Soak the gelatin:
- Take gelatin that's been soaked and squeezed, add it to your still-warm mix, and stir until you don't see any bits left.
- Rest overnight:
- Press plastic wrap right onto the surface and let the whole thing chill for at least 12 hours so it stays perfectly smooth and steady.
- Melt the chocolate:
- Gently heat milk and honey, then add your chopped chocolate. Stir smooth but don't boil it or it'll seize up.
This cake brings me back to Sunday afternoons at my grandma's place in Italy. She always made me zest the orange right at the end so you'd catch all the fresh aromas. Trust me, that tiny extra step really makes a difference.
Storage and Keeps
This cake will do just fine for up to three days in the fridge if you keep it in a sealed box. To keep the crust crisp, avoid covering it directly—use a cake dome if you have one, so air circles around nicely. Let it warm up about half an hour before slicing for the best flavor.
Swaps and Tweaks
If you can't get good ricotta, use thick yogurt cheese. Just put it in a fine strainer for two hours to drain. For no-dairy versions, swap mascarpone with a veggie cream made from soaked blended cashews. For chocolate, use whatever strength you like best—even milk chocolate for something extra mellow if bittersweet isn't your thing.
Serving Suggestions and Pairings
This cake is awesome with tangy red berry sauce that brightens up the chocolaty richness. It goes great with espresso or some bergamot tea—those citrusy notes really make the orange in the cake pop. On special nights, a glass of sweet Muscat wine is the perfect fancy touch.
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Pro Tips
Use chilly hands while rubbing the dough together—it'll help keep the butter cold and your crust crumbly
Freeze your rolled out dough before baking so it won’t shrink back and lose its shape
If the chocolate cream sets up too stiff after chilling, just give it a hard whisk and it'll smooth out before you dollop it on
Frequently Asked Questions
- → How do you make the cocoa crust?
Combine dry ingredients, mix in chunks of cold butter until crumbly, add an egg, and knead gently into a dough. Chill before rolling out.
- → What are tips for a soft base?
Whisk eggs with sugar until fluffy, then carefully fold in ricotta, oil, and sifted dry ingredients for a light texture.
- → How do you prepare the chocolate cream?
Melt chocolate with milk and honey, mix in gelatin, and fold in mascarpone. Chill for 12 hours, then whip until light and fluffy.
- → What’s the process to assemble it?
After baking the crust, layer it with whipped chocolate cream using a piping bag. Top with biscuits and cocoa powder for a beautiful finish.
- → Can you swap certain ingredients?
Sure! You can switch ricotta for another soft, unsalted cheese or use milk chocolate instead of dark for a sweeter taste.