Einkorn Ricotta Cake with Chocolate Chips

This easy, but delicious cake is comforting and has just the right amount of sweetness. Adding ricotta to recipes is very common in Italian cooking, both in sweet and savory dishes. In this cake it adds a wonderful flavor and fluffy texture that I’m sure you will love.

I often describe this cake as a ‘grandma cake’ because it is the kind of cake that you always seem to find in a nonna’s house, especially on the weekend. The kind of cake that maybe does not look like much, but always tastes incredible.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Remove all ingredients from the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes.
2. In the meantime, separate the egg yolks and whites into two separate large bowls. Put the whites in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the batter. Melt the butter over low heat and set aside.
3. Add the sugar to the same bowl as the egg yolks, using the electric mixer (starting on a lower speed, then increasing it to high), whip the mixture until light in color and frothy. This process could take some time. Lower the speed of the mixer to medium and add in the melted butter. Continue mixing until fully incorporated. Add in the ricotta and continue mixing at the same speed, until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
4. Remove the egg whites from the fridge and whip them using an electric mixer, until you obtain stiff peaks. Fold them into the batter slowly with a spatula until fully combined. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into the same bowl, then fold that into the batter as well. The mixture could seem thick, this is normal.
5. Add the milk to the batter and mix with the spatula until fully absorbed. Finally, fold in most of the chocolate chips, leaving a handful on the side.
6. Butter an 8-inch cake pan and put a circle of parchment paper covering the bottom to help remove the cake once cooked. Pour the batter into the cake pan and spread it evenly using a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top. Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes at 350° F (or until a toothpick comes out clean), cover the top with foil if it begins to brown excessively. Remove from the oven and let cool 30 minutes before removing from the cake pan and serving.