Stacy's Italian Love Cake
This is a really rich dessert that you have to make ahead for setting. There are lots of components but it will be sure to please anyone I love making this for my honey and will make it a Valentines Day staple.
This is a really rich dessert that you have to make ahead for setting. There are lots of components but it will be sure to please anyone I love making this for my honey and will make it a Valentines Day staple.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup whole milk
- for the topping
- 3/4 cup sugar
- for the cake:
- 1/4 cup baking cocoa
- 3 lg eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- for the filling
- 2 lb ricotta cheese part skim or whole
- 1 4 oz pkg white chocolate or cheesecake instant pudding (can also use oreo hmmm..)
- 1 container cool whip topping
- 1/2 bag milk chocolate chips
- Carbohydrate 4.12860277973068 g
- Cholesterol 106.678472227587 mg
- Fat 27.8774153547267 g
- Fiber 0.794666685438382 g
- Protein 2.98640909737554 g
- Saturated Fat 13.9396366339904 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -15 serving (182g)
- Sodium 3792.90351014768 mg
- Sugar 3.3339360942923 g
- Trans Fat 7.23250994230153 g
- Calories 273 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 325.
- First, make the cake:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar cocoa, baking powder and baking soda. Beat in mayonnaise and water.
- Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan.
- Mix the cheese, eggs, vanilla and the sugar.
- Pour directly onto the top of the chocolate cake batter. DO NOT MIX INTO IT. Spread as much as possible working from the center of the cheese mixture. The cheese is much heavier than the cake batter and you will notice after it cooks it sinks below the cake batter.
- Bake in the 325 preheated oven for about 1 hour. (Some places or weather plays with this and you might have to bake for up to 1.5 hours. Just keep an eye out. Toothpick will come out clean). You will notice it looks like chocolate cake cause the cheese mix sunk.
- Cool and refrigerate for a few hours (overnight is better if you can).
- When all cooled and set, mix the toppings together and frost your cooled cake. Do not leave out, keep in fridge.
A dense, chocolatey base anchors a heavy ricotta layer that sinks during baking, creating distinct strata beneath a whipped topping. This multi-layered dessert demands patience because the structure relies on a mandatory chilling window of at least five hours to set properly. When budgeting for ingredients, use part-skim ricotta instead of whole milk varieties to lower costs without sacrificing the creamy density required for the filling.
Pairing and Scaling Strategy
Rich desserts require sharp balancing elements. Serve thin slices alongside bitter espresso or unsweetened black tea to cut through the sugar and fat content. Acidic fruit salads featuring segments of grapefruit or oranges also provide a necessary contrast to the heavy dairy. Doubling this recipe works well in standard commercial catering pans, but ensure the oven temperature remains strictly at 325 degrees Fahrenheit so the thicker center cooks evenly without scorching the exterior edges.
- If the ricotta layer refuses to sink into the chocolate batter, avoid stirring them manually; the density difference takes effect naturally during the thermal expansion in the oven.
- Store leftovers strictly inside the refrigerator at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit due to the perishable dairy filling, consuming the dessert within four days for optimal texture.
