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Magical Layered Chocolate Italian Love Cake with Creamy Ricotta Filling

A close-up of a slice of rich, dark chocolate Italian love cake featuring a creamy yellow filling layer.
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Make this decadent Italian Love Cake that features a moist chocolate base, a creamy ricotta layer that magically separates during baking, and a rich chocolate pudding frosting. This layered pudding cake is perfect for special occasions.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 box (15.25 oz) 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
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 container (15 oz) whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 box (3.4 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
  • 1 1/2 cups cold milk (for pudding)
  • 1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed (for frosting)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the chocolate cake mix, flour, granulated sugar, and baking soda. Mix well.
  3. Add the 1 cup of water, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for two minutes. Pour this batter into the prepared baking pan.
  4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, and almond extract until smooth. This is your creamy ricotta filling.
  5. In another small bowl, whisk the 3 eggs and 1 1/2 cups of cold milk together until combined.
  6. Pour the egg and milk mixture evenly over the chocolate batter in the pan.
  7. Gently drop spoonfuls of the ricotta filling mixture over the top of the liquid layer. Do not stir or spread the ricotta; it will settle on its own during baking.
  8. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. The cake will appear layered after baking, with the ricotta sinking to form the middle layer.
  9. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
  10. Prepare the chocolate pudding according to package directions using 1 1/2 cups of cold milk. Let it set for 5 minutes.
  11. Gently fold the prepared chocolate pudding into the thawed whipped topping until just combined. This creates your chocolate pudding frosting.
  12. Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake. Chill the cake for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving for the best texture.

Notes

  • This cake achieves its magical layers naturally as the heavier ricotta mixture sinks below the lighter liquid layer during baking. Do not try to mix the layers.
  • For an authentic Italian dessert for Valentine’s Day, dust the top lightly with cocoa powder before serving.
  • You can substitute the almond extract with 1 teaspoon of lemon zest for a citrus note in the ricotta layer.

Nutrition

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