Oye. It’s kind of taking a while to get back into the swing of things since we’ve gotten home from New Zealand. Although I refuse to admit it, the trip back kind of took it out of me this time. Home was amazing, but there was a big to-do list waiting for me, that is kinda looming. But I feel like i’ve finally caught up on sleep, and am getting back into a routine (and we got a new foster cat this week, so all is right with the world!), so enough complaining, and let’s talk loaf cakes. Specifically, this chocolate chunk olive oil ricotta cake with dark chocolate buttercream. Yes it’s a mouthful. Literally. A delicious, chocolate, ricotta olive oil cake mouthful.
This is the perfect cake for if you want something easy to make, but still a little fancy. Because the cake is olive oil based, there is no need to cream butter and sugar. I added a little almond meal in to help give it that perfect dense texture, and the ricotta plays perfectly with the fruity olive oil. I topped it with a quick dark chocolate buttercream, which comes together super quickly, but utilises melted chocolate to help keep it silky. It’s amazing without the buttercream, but even more amazing with. You do you.
A few wee tips:
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There aren’t really too many tips for this one! I made it in a pound sized loaf tin, and tented it just toward the end.
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A good quality dark chocolate and good quality olive oil really make a difference here, so if you can, get a good quality of both!
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This does make quite a bit of buttercream, which I like, but feel free to scale it back by a third if you want a little less ( I wouldn’t if I were you, but you choose!)
Chocolate Chunk Olive Oil Ricotta Cake with Dark Chocolate Buttercream
- Makes one loaf cake -
Dark Chocolate buttercream from Butter and Brioche via The Brick Kitchen
Chocolate Chunk Olive Oil Ricotta Cake
250g good quality ricotta
100g extra virgin olive oil
135g sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 eggs, at room temperature
60g milk
200g all-purpose flour
50g almond meal
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
185g good quality dark chocolate (I used Guittard 72% wafers), chopped into chunks
Dark Chocolate Buttercream
150g good quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped
195g unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ tsp salt
150g powdered sugar, sifted
½ tsp vanilla bean paste
70g dutch process cocoa, sifted
2-3 Tbsp heavy cream
- PROCESS -
CAKE
Preheat the oven to 350˚f / 180˚c. Grease a loaf pan and line with a parchment paper sling.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta, olive oil, sugar, vanilla bean paste, eggs, and milk. In a second bowl, sift together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing until combined. Add the chopped chocolate, and fold in using a rubber spatula.
Transfer to the loaf tin and bake for 55-60 minutes, checking for doneness with a skewer at 55 minutes. It should come out clean with a few crumbs (keep in mind that if you poke it into the chocolate it will come out with some chocolate on it - you are looking for doneness of the cake itself). If the cake is browning too quickly, tent the top with foil for the last 15-20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, and cool in the tin for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack and cooling completely.
DARK CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
Melt the dark chocolate in 15 second increments in the microwave, stirring well between each until melted. Set aside to cool completely. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until light and fluffy, approx. 4 minutes. Add the salt, powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, and cocoa, and mix until smooth, scraping down the sides once or twice. Add the melted chocolate and mix well until silky. If needed, add cream 1 tbsp at a time to get the frosting to spreadable consistency.
Using an offset spatula, spread the buttercream over the top of the loaf cake.
Store leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container.
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