Ah, chocolate… I’ve got a crush on you! Honestly, at a push I can live without most food groups but chocolate!? Now, that would be almost impossible for me. Having said that I don’t actually like desserts or cakes that are too sweet or sticky and this raspberry, ricotta and chocolate cake sounds like my perfect chocolate fix. [What do you mean chocolate isn’t a food group!?]

It’s from one of my favourite American food bloggers, the talented Kankana Saxena who experimented with a recipe by Liren of Kitchen Confidante and found that adding ricotta and raspberries to the mix just made her day! Make that days as it sounds like she had it for lunch and dinner. What an endorsement from a professional cook and food writer. She says about her own creation:

With a striking balance of sweetness from raspberries, richness from ricotta and bitterness from cocoa powder, this cake totally made my day. It was crumbly, soft, not overly sweet and perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.

If you’re like me and can’t get enough of Kankana’s creations follow her blog Playful Cooking and subscribe to her email updates. Her gorgeous photos are already on my Pinterest FOOD board and you can find more recipes by her in the Stylejuicer FOOD category: ricotta and sage bread and zesty fish curry with coconut milk.

RASPBERRY RICOTTA CHOCOLATE CAKE

TIMINGS:

PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOK TIME: 40 minutes
TOTAL: 60 minutes
SERVING SIZE: Makes a 6 inch round cake

INGREDIENTS:

225g (1-1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
75g (1/2 cup) cocoa powder (Kankana uses dutch dark cocoa powder)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
175ml (3/4 cup) oil
225g (1 cup) sugar
2 eggs
55g (1/2 cup) ricotta cheese
60ml (1/4 cup) milk
150g (1 cup) fresh raspberries

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt). In a separate bowl, whisk egg and sugar until they’re mixed together. Add oil, ricotta and milk and give another whisk. Empty the mixed dry ingredients to the wet ingredients bowl and whisk again. Finally, drop the fresh raspberries and using a spoon, mix it lightly.
Pour the cake batter in a six-inch round baking pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until it’s baked through. Check by inserting a knife or tooth pick right in the center. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready.

Enjoy and I hope you’re inspired!

More information & photography | Playful Cooking