Cooking Lesson #1156: I love Italian Love Cake

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

credit: youcancook.org

How you doin’? This Italian Love Cake might look complicated, but as striking as it looks, the layers are easy to pull together.
 
Actually, Italian Love Cake was invented in the USA along with many of the other magic layer cakes. It uses ricotta cheese, a classic Italian ingredient used in many Italian cheesecake desserts.
 
Here’s how it all comes together… A ricotta cheese filling is layered over a chocolate cake batter, and as the cake bakes, the ricotta layer sinks to the bottom and the chocolate cake rises to the top—it’s magic. The cake is topped with a whipped chocolate topping that tastes light and indulgent. The finished cake has three eye-catching layers that look much harder to achieve than they actually are.
 
You can bake my Italian Love Cake with your own favorite chocolate cake or, do what I do when I’m short on time—take a couple of shortcuts with chocolate cake mix and chocolate pudding mix.
 
Italian Love Cake is a perfect dessert for making ahead of time… and perfect for Valentine’s Day. You can make the whole cake from start to finish in one day and hold it in the fridge overnight, or you can bake, cool, and refrigerate the cake, then add the topping just before serving.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Bake time:  45 minutes
Cooling and chilling time:  8 hours
Yield:  15 servings / 1 9x13-inch cake
 
Ingredients 
For the chocolate cake layer
Nonstick cooking spray
1 (15.25-ounce) box chocolate cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
1 cup room temperature black coffee
3 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
 
For the ricotta filling and chocolate topping
1 (32-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta cheese
4 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
 
For the chocolate topping
1-1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
1 (3.9-ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix (I prefer Jello)
1-1/2 cups cold whole milk
Garnish with a chocolate dipped strawberry
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350° F.
2. Spray a 9x13-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.

To mix the cake batter

1. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, coffee, eggs and oil.
2. Beat the cake batter according to the package directions and set aside.

To make ricotta filling

1. In a second large bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, sugar and vanilla extract.
2. Beat with a hand mixer on low speed until the mixture is homogeneous, about 1 minute.
3. Scrape the sides of the bowl and ensure everything is fully mixed.

To assemble the layers

1. Scrape the cake batter into the bottom of the prepared cake pan in an even layer.
2. Spoon the ricotta mixture over the chocolate cake batter, starting at the edges and working your way to the middle. Use an offset spatula to spread the ricotta filling into an even layer, fully covering the cake batter.

To bake the cake

1. Bake the cake until the chocolate cake layer has risen to the top of the cake and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 60 minutes. The ricotta mixture may stick to the knife slightly but shouldn’t be wet.
2. Be careful not to overbake this cake. Remove the cake from the oven when a knife comes out clean.
3. Cover the cake with foil in the last 15 minutes if you notice the edges browning.
4.  Place the cake on a cooling rack and cool until the pan is no longer warm, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

To make the pudding topping

1. In a clean large bowl, whip the cold heavy cream on medium speed to stiff peaks, about 2 to 3 minutes, and set aside.
2. Pour the pudding mix into a medium bowl and whisk to remove any clumps.
3. Pour in the cold milk and whisk until smooth and thick, about 2 minutes.
4. Fold half of the whipped cream into the pudding mixture.
5. Once the first half has been incorporated, fold in the remaining whipped cream. The mixture should be completely homogeneous and fluffy.

To finish the cake

1. Spread the chocolate topping evenly over the cooled cake. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 8 hours or overnight.
2. Once the cake is thoroughly chilled, cut into squares and serve. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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ChefSecret:  Boxed chocolate cake mixes are generally pretty similar. The only one I would avoid using in this recipe is the Betty Crocker cake mix that includes pudding—it tends not to rise over the ricotta mixture as well as other chocolate cake mixes.
 
Whole-milk ricotta cheese is ideal for this recipe. It’s the creamiest and tastes the best in the finished dessert. Make sure to whip the ricotta mixture on low speed. You want it to stay dense so that it falls to the bottom of the cake during baking.
 
The cake can become overbaked at the edges if the batter isn’t covered in a thick layer of ricotta, so I like to start spooning the ricotta mixture along the edges first and work my way into the center. Then, I use an offset spatula to ensure the layer is even before baking it.
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Quip of the Day:  How to you silence an Italian? You tie their hands behind their back!
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/perspectives-on-food.
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