Italian Ricotta Cake

Name: Italian Ricotta Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 350 g (12oz) good quality chocolate sponge cake; 300 mL (½ pint) double cream; 50 g (2oz) icing sugar, plus extra to dust; 4 tbsp. Kirsch or cherry brandy; 250 g (9oz) ricotta cheese; 100 g (3½oz) plain chocolate, chopped; 100 g (3½oz) natural glacé cherries, halved; 100 g (3½oz) pistachio nuts, chopped; A little cocoa powder to dust

This Italian ricotta cake is a sensational dessert for the end of a special meal

By The GH Kitchen TeamPublished: 31 December 2008

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Food, Cuisine, Dishware, Ingredient, Dessert, Serveware, Plate, Sweetness, Dish, Baked goods,

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Yields:

Prep Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

20 mins

Ingredients

350 g (12oz) good quality chocolate sponge cake
300 ml (½ pint) double cream
50 g (2oz) icing sugar, plus extra to dust
4 Tbsp. Kirsch or cherry brandy
250 g (9oz) ricotta cheese
100 g (3½oz) plain chocolate, chopped
100 g (3½oz) natural glacé cherries, halved
100 g (3½oz) pistachio nuts, chopped
A little cocoa powder to dust

Directions

1. Step 1
  Use a little water to dampen a 1.8 litre (3¼ pint) freezerproof mixing bowl and line with clingfilm. Thinly slice the chocolate cake and use about two-thirds to line the base and sides of the bowl, leaving no gaps.
2. Step 2
  Whip the cream, icing sugar and liqueur until the mixture just holds its shape. Lightly beat in the ricotta cheese, then stir in the plain chocolate, cherries and nuts. Spoon into the bowl and smooth the surface.
3. Step 3
  Top with remaining sponge, then fold over any excess cake around the sides of the bowl to cover the cream. Cover with clingfilm and chill for at least 4hr or overnight.
4. Step 4
  Take off the clingfilm and turn on to a flat plate. Dust generously with cocoa, then with a thin layer of icing sugar. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.
  
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Get Ahead

Make recipe to the end of step three and freeze for up to a month. The day before serving, transfer the bowl to the fridge. Complete recipe.

Per Serving:

Calories: 520
Total carbs: 40 g
Sugars: 31 g
Total fat: 36 g
Saturated fat: 14 g

What to read next

The GH Kitchen Team

A crack team of highly skilled food content producers, the GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time.

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