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Baking recipe · from the recipe book

Orange Ricotta Snack Cake with Cocoa Filling

A moist, tender orange-scented ricotta crumb wrapped around a fudgy layer of cocoa, brown sugar and toasted walnuts, finished with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Orange Ricotta Snack Cake with Cocoa Filling

Ingredients

  • 1¾ cups220 gAll-purpose flour
  • 1¾ tsp8 gBaking powder
  • ½ tsp2 gBaking soda
  • ½ tsp3 gSalt
  • 1 cup250 gPart-skim ricottaat room temperature
  • ¾ cup170 gGranulated sugar
  • 2 large100 gEggsat room temperature
  • ⅓ cup80 gOlive oilmild-flavored
  • ¼ cup (60 ml)60 gOrange juice
  • 2 tsp4 gLemon zest
  • 1¼ tsp5 gVanilla extract
  • ¼ cup25 gUnsweetened cocoa powdersifted
  • ¼ cup packed60 gBrown sugar
  • ¾ tsp2 gGround cinnamon
  • ½ cup chopped50 gWalnutschopped
  • ½ cup70 gSemisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tbsp28 gUnsalted buttermelted, plus a little for the pan
  • 1½ tbsp10 gPowdered sugar

Steps

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch square pan with a little of the melted butter and line it with parchment.
  2. Make the cocoa filling first: in a small bowl, stir together the unsweetened cocoa powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, walnuts and chocolate chips, then stir in the rest of the melted butter until it looks like damp crumbs. Set the cocoa filling aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk the ricotta and the granulated sugar until smooth, then whisk in the eggs one at a time, followed by the olive oil, orange juice, lemon zest and vanilla.
  5. Fold the flour mixture into the ricotta mixture just until no dry streaks remain.
  6. Spread half of the batter in the pan, then scatter all of the cocoa filling evenly over it.
  7. Dollop the remaining half of the batter over the filling and gently spread it to the edges.
  8. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until golden and a toothpick in the center cake (not a melted chip) comes out clean.
  9. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for at least 45 minutes, then lift it out, dust with the powdered sugar and cut into 12 slices.

Food safety: Don't taste raw dough or batter: raw flour and raw eggs can carry germs.

Contains: Milk, Egg, Tree nuts, Gluten. Some brands contain soy.

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Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

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