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Magical Layered Italian Love Cake with Ricotta Filling

Close-up of a rich slice of Italian love cake showing three dark chocolate cake layers separated by thick white cream filling.
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Make this decadent, layered Italian Love Cake that bakes itself into three distinct layers: a moist chocolate cake base, a creamy ricotta filling, and a light pudding topping. This show-stopping dessert is perfect for celebrations and is surprisingly easy to prepare.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 box (15.25 ounces) chocolate cake mix
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs, separated
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 container (15 ounces) whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 1 cup cold milk
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the chocolate cake mix, flour, and 1 cup of granulated sugar. Whisk these dry ingredients together.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cold water, vegetable oil, and egg yolks until combined. Add this wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
  4. In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the cake batter until no streaks remain. Pour this batter into the prepared baking pan.
  5. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, instant vanilla pudding mix, 1 cup cold milk, and almond extract. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
  6. Drop spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture evenly over the top of the chocolate batter in the pan. Do not spread; the layers will separate during baking.
  7. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. The cake will appear done when the top is set, but the middle may still look slightly soft.
  8. While the cake cools completely, prepare the frosting. In a bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  9. Once the cake is completely cool, spread the frosting evenly over the top. Chill the cake for at least 2 hours before slicing to allow the layers to set fully.

Notes

  • This cake is excellent made ahead of time; chilling helps the layers stabilize for clean slicing.
  • You can substitute the chocolate cake mix for yellow cake mix if you prefer a vanilla base, but the chocolate base is traditional for this layered version.
  • For an extra citrus note, add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest to the ricotta filling mixture.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://hearthbite.com/italian-love-cake-magical-layered-ricotta-dessert/