Description
A rich and dreamy dessert made with layers of chocolate cake, sweet ricotta filling, and a luscious pudding whipped topping an Italian-American classic known for its magical layer-swapping bake.
Ingredients
1 box chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients called for on box: eggs, oil, and water)
2 lbs ricotta cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 (5.9 oz) box instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup milk
1 (8 oz) container whipped topping (Cool Whip)
Chocolate shavings or mini chips for garnish
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Prepare chocolate cake batter according to package instructions. Pour batter evenly into the baking dish.
3. In a separate bowl, mix ricotta cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Gently pour the ricotta mixture over the cake batter. Do not stir — the layers will switch as it bakes.
5. Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Allow cake to cool completely.
7. In a medium bowl, whisk together pudding mix and milk until thickened. Fold in whipped topping until smooth.
8. Spread pudding mixture evenly over cooled cake.
9. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
10. Top with chocolate shavings or mini chips before serving.
Notes
The ricotta layer sinks during baking, creating the signature ‘flipped’ look.
Try using lemon pudding or vanilla cake mix for fun flavor variations.
Best served chilled — the texture improves as it sets overnight.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hr
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 36g
- Sodium: 420mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 13g
- Cholesterol: 115mg
Keywords: italian love cake, chocolate ricotta cake, layered dessert, pudding cake