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Magical Layered Chocolate Italian Love Cake with Creamy Ricotta

A square slice of rich, layered Italian Love Cake featuring a dark chocolate base, white cream layer, and chocolate mousse topping.
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Make this show-stopping Italian Love Cake featuring a moist chocolate base, a creamy ricotta layer that bakes itself into the middle, and a rich chocolate pudding frosting. This is a decadent chocolate ricotta cake perfect for special occasions.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 box (15.25 ounces) chocolate cake mix
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs, separated
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 container (15 ounces) whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix
  • 1 1/2 cups cold milk (for pudding)
  • 1 container (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the chocolate cake mix, flour, 1 cup sugar, and baking soda. Mix well.
  3. Add the water, oil, vanilla extract, and egg yolks to the dry ingredients. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for two minutes.
  4. In a separate clean bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the chocolate batter until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
  5. In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, lemon zest, and almond extract until smooth. Drop spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture evenly over the chocolate batter. Do not spread.
  6. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted near the edge comes out clean. The ricotta mixture will settle to form a creamy layer. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.
  7. Prepare the chocolate pudding according to package directions using 1 1/2 cups of cold milk. Let it set for 5 minutes.
  8. Gently fold the prepared pudding into the thawed whipped topping until fully combined to create the frosting.
  9. Spread the chocolate pudding frosting evenly over the cooled cake. Chill the cake for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • This cake tastes best when chilled for several hours, allowing the layers to fully set.
  • You can substitute the chocolate cake mix for yellow cake mix if you prefer a vanilla base for this ricotta layer cake.
  • For an extra flavor note, add 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips to the ricotta mixture.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookingbymia.com/italian-love-cake-recipe-magical-layers/