How to bake an amazing Chocolate Chip Ricotta Loaf Cake

This fructose-free chocolate chip cake with ricotta is a delight for any occasion.

The ricotta makes this loaf cake very moist and fluffy, and the chocolate chips delight young and old. 

Whether you want to serve it as a Christmas dessert, with coffee or tea, or just because you wanna have cake, it makes a "good figure" every time.

The first time I made this cake was for my husband's name day. It was so popular afterward that I baked it over and over again in different variations.

For my daughter, for example, made as a fruit cake. Instead of the chocolate, I have used here a mixture of glazed fruits. It's not that my daughter doesn't like chocolate.

No! But after watching "Olaf's Frozen Adventures" on TV for the first time, she wanted a fruitcake. 😀

Jump to:

• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🍽 Equipment
• 🔪 Instructions
• 🌡️ Freezing
• 📖 Variations
• 🤎 You might also like
• 📖 Recipe
• ⛑ Food Safety
• 💬 Comments

🥘 Ingredients

• 12.35 oz (350 g) Milk or Dark Chocolate Chips - If you like you can also use half dark chocolate and half light chocolate. Whatever you prefer!
• 8 oz (226) g Cake Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• 7.1 oz (200 g) Powdered Sugar
• 8.82 oz (250 g) Ricotta Cheese (Galbani is my favorite)
• 2.7 oz (76 g) Unsalted Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract // Ground Vanilla Bean Powder

What is ricotta cheese?

Ricotta cheese is an Italian whey cheese with a light, creamy texture somewhat similar to a mild cottage cheese, but much smoother. I like the Frigo and Galbani brands (available at most grocery stores including Target) and highly recommend using the Whole Milk or Full Fat option as it imparts great flavor and texture.

Source: jamjarkitchen.com

Ricotta is usually referred to as cheese. Although it is actually a dairy product that is made through a process of reusing whey leftover from the processing of other cheese.

The name Ricotta is derived from Latin, and refers to its processing – re-coctus, which means, cooked twice.

Therefore, since it is not produced directly from the curd, but from one of its by-products, ricotta cannot be considered a real cheese.

Source: anitalianinmykitchen.com

🍽 Equipment

• Loaf Pan (standard, 9x5 inch / 23x12 cm)
• A fine sieve to finely sift salt, sugar, flour, and baking powder
• Medium Bowl
• Electric Mixer or Kitchen Machine
• Parchment Paper

🔪 Instructions

To prepare, first, preheat the oven to 325 °F // 160 °C. Then take your loaf pan and grease it with butter or nonstick cooking spray (whatever you prefer), and line it with parchment paper. This precaution will allow the cake to lift out of the pan after baking as if by magic!

Now sift the flour with the baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl and set aside. 

Now sift the powdered sugar in a separate bowl (best into the bowl of the food processor) to be finely granulated, and no sugar clumps remain. Then add the butter and the ricotta and mix the whole mixture on medium speed until it is nice and creamy. Let the food processor do this "hard" work 😉

Once the mixture is creamy, add one egg and mix well before adding the second. Next, add the vanilla.

Now fold in all the dry ingredients you have already sifted before. Afterward, add the chocolate chips and let the kitchen machine blend it all well together. 

Once this is accomplished, spread the cake batter evenly into the loaf pan. 

The active part of the baking is over. Now bake the cake for 80 to 90 minutes (depending on the oven) on the middle shelf in the preheated oven. Since I have an old oven, it took me an hour and a half. Just test at the end of the baking time with a toothpick: if the toothpick comes out clean without the dough sticking to it, it's good to go. 

After baking the chocolate chip loaf cake:

1. Lift it out of the pan together with the baking paper.
2. Fold the baking paper aside and let the ricotta cake cool on a cake rack.
3. After cooling, remove the parchment paper, store this delicious cake in an airtight container and serve it as finger-thick slices.

🌡️ Freezing

Freezing does not affect this cake, and it still tastes wonderfully fluffy and delicious after thawing. Before freezing, wrap it in plastic wrap, and you're good to go. 

Fancy more recipes using Ricotta? Try out the following recipes: Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Ricotta Sponge or No-bake Chocolate Ricotta Cheesecake!

Serve this delicious cake with coffee, cocoa, tee, or a delicious Christmassy cocktail! Enjoy! 🥰

📖 Variations

Variations of this loaf cake can be accomplished with different types of chocolate, with glazed fruit (to make it a fruit cake), or with additional spices. I use dried and ground vanilla bean powder in this recipe. This "Vanilla Powder" I always have at home because I sweeten my morning porridge, rice pudding, or golden millet porridge with it. But what fits especially great to this loaf cake are Christmas spices or spice blends. 

📖 Recipe

⛑ Food Safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.