Occasionally, you want to elevate beyond the standard chocolate cake. Not because it's dull—but because you're willing for something that tastes more refined. More considered. Perhaps it's Sunday brunch, a birthday party, or an intimate night in where you want to serve dessert at the table that causes people to pause mid-chew and inquire, "What's that?"
That's precisely what this Silk Chocolate Blueberry Ricotta Cake with Macadamia Nuts provides. It's rich but not dense, sweet with exactly the right amount of pungency, and filled with a combination of ingredients each of which contributes something to the bite. The ricotta contributes a gentle creaminess. Blueberries provide a burst of tartness. Macadamia nuts add a gentle crunch and a whisper of butter. And then there is silk chocolate—melted in, holding all together with a smooth, fudgy texture.
This is not a recipe you'll get at any corner bakery. But it doesn't require special skills or specialized equipment. If you're okay with melting chocolate and blending cake batter, you're good to go. Here's all you need to do to make it the correct way.
Ingredients:
Method:
Preheat your oven to 175°C. Grease and line a deep round cake tin. In a large bowl, cream softened butter and brown sugar until well combined. Add eggs one by one, well mixing after every addition. Mix in the ricotta and vanilla. Fold the melted silk chocolate in. Whisk together baking powder, salt, flour, and baking soda in another bowl. Add dry ingredients to wet mix gradually. Fold lightly. Add milk as required. Gently mix blueberries and chopped macadamia nuts. Level the top after pouring batter in the tin. Bake at 50–55 minutes or until a skewer removes a moist crumb. Cool down completely before serving.
The ricotta will be soft and grainy out of the container, and without being treated appropriately, it won't be a smooth blend. To achieve the smooth finish, press the ricotta gently with a sieve prior to incorporating into your batter. This quick step helps it blend into the mix without forming little pockets. It also lightens the overall feel of the cake, especially with the richness from the chocolate and butter. Choose fresh ricotta if possible—store-bought works, but look for one with a mild, milky base, not too salty or sour.
Cut chocolate adds depth but melted silk chocolate alters the whole foundation of the cake. It holds everything together in a rich, smooth finish with no hard pieces or dryness. Melt it slowly over steam or in short microwave bursts and cool it a little before adding—this prevents it from cooking the eggs in the batter. Use high-quality silk chocolate—it should be creamy, not too sweet. This single adjustment makes the cake taste more like a gourmet dessert than a plain bake.
Macadamias have a natural buttery flavor, but to develop their full flavor, toast them in a dry pan for 2–3 minutes before incorporating. This process makes them fragrant and provides them with just enough bite to balance the softness of the cake. Don't chop them too fine—you want each bite to catch you off guard with a little crunch. Add them just before adding the batter to the tin so they don't sink. They go particularly well with the blueberries and the creaminess of the chocolate.
If you're using frozen blueberries, don't thaw them. Just add them to a spoon of flour before folding into batter. This prevents them from sinking and bleeding into the mixture. Fresh berries are best, but frozen berries work equally well if you treat them well. The tartness provides balance to the richness of chocolate and the heft of the nuts, slicing through for a bright, clean bite. You don't want too many—¾ cup will provide that flash without making it a fruit cake.
This is not the type of cake that should be served warm. Actually, it's better the following day. Allow the cake to sit overnight because this allows the chocolate to settle, the ricotta to soften the crumb, and the berries and nuts to break into the base. Wrap it tightly and allow it to stand at room temperature for as long as a day. To get a more pronounced finish, dust with a small amount of cocoa or icing sugar before serving. With a scoop of vanilla ice cream or black coffee, this cake stands on its own.