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Salted Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Ricotta Cake

May 25, 2016

This moist, tender ricotta cake is loaded with dark chocolate chunks and topped with pistachio-oatmeal-brown sugar crumbles. It’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert!

Salted Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Ricotta Cake

I know I just posted s’mores bars on Monday, and now I’m back with another dessert–also with chocolate, no less. It’s a well-established fact that I have a crazy sweet tooth, but I swear I didn’t plan it. This cake just sort of happened.

Last Sunday Alex went to a baseball game with some friends, so Owen and I were on our own. It was kind of overcast and damp out, so we headed to an indoor playground so he could run around and burn off some energy. From there we went to a pizza place for lunch and then to CVS, which is Owen’s favorite store after Home Depot (seriously, he goes crazy for the car carts!).

Whenever I am at CVS I check to see if they have pistachios on sale. I know it sounds weird, but pistachios are really expensive! CVS has relatively cheap ones that are frequently buy-one-get-one-free. I picked up a few bags, and then later at home I discovered 1/2 carton of leftover ricotta in the fridge…

So while Owen was watching “Frozen” for the millionth time, I baked this cake.

Salted Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Ricotta Cake

I seriously can’t remember the last time I enjoyed myself so much in the kitchen. I felt like I was getting back to my roots! I love to bake, and I also love to improvise. Unfortunately, those two things don’t usually go hand in hand, because baking is a pretty exact science. But in this case, I took a simple ricotta pound cake recipe, stripped it down, and then reimagined it with whatever I saw that inspired me: an orange in the fruit bowl, a bar of Hershey’s dark chocolate in the cabinet, and those CVS pistachios.

Sometimes cakes are called “everyday cakes” meaning they aren’t fancy or fussy. I’d like to classify this as an “all day everyday cake.” It’s perfect for breakfast with a cup of coffee, for brunch with mimosas, or as a dinner party dessert dressed up with some lightly sweetened whipped cream. But my absolute favorite way to eat it? Sliced straight from the pan and eaten as a snack out of hand.

Salted Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Ricotta Cake

Fluffy, impossibly tender ricotta cake, creamy dark chocolate chunks, and salty, nutty pistachio-brown-sugar-oatmeal crumbles. What’s not to love? 

Salted Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Ricotta Cake
2016-05-25 00:15:23
Serves 8
This pistachio dark chocolate ricotta cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch or dessert! If you don't have a springform pan, you can bake this in a regular 8- or 9-inch round or square pan. Just slice and serve it directly from the pan.
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For the pistachio crumb topping
  1. 1/2 cup roasted salted pistachios
  2. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  3. 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
  4. 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  5. 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
For the cake
  1. 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  2. 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  3. 1 tablespoon orange zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
  4. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  5. 3 large eggs
  6. 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
  7. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  8. 2 teaspoons baking powder
  9. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  10. 1 cup dark chocolate chunks
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch round springform pan with nonstick spray and line the bottom with a round of parchment.
  2. To make the topping, combine the pistachios, flour, oats, and brown sugar in a food processor and pulse just until the nuts are broken up a bit. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture begins to come together in moist clumps, about 15 to 20 pulses. Set aside.
  3. To make the cake, in a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a handheld mixer) beat the butter, light brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the ricotta. Sprinkle the flour, baking powder, and salt over the surface of the bowl and beat just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chunks.
  4. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the crumb topping. Bake until golden brown and cake springs back lightly when pressed in the center, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan and transfer the cake to a serving plate.
By Turnip the Oven
Turnip the Oven https://turniptheoven.com/
This moist, tender ricotta cake is loaded with dark chocolate chunks and topped with pistachio-oatmeal-brown sugar crumbles. It's perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert!

Filed Under: Dessert Tagged With: cake, Chocolate, orange, pistachio, ricotta

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Comments

  1. Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs says

    May 25, 2016 at 10:53 am

    Oh my gosh – heavenly! I love combining salty with sweet and this recipe does it so well!

  2. Tania says

    May 25, 2016 at 11:07 am

    I love everything with pistachios in it! This cake goes to my “MUST TRY” list! Thanks for sharing!

  3. The Food Hunter says

    May 25, 2016 at 11:12 am

    this sounds amazing…pinning for later.

  4. Trish @ Rhubarbarians says

    May 25, 2016 at 11:18 am

    Ooooh I luuuuuv ricotta cheese! So mild and creamy. 🙂
    This cake looks so delicious, Lucy!

  5. swayam says

    May 25, 2016 at 12:40 pm

    This looks lovely. Sweet & salty is the best in desserts..!Totally love ricotta and pistachios in this

  6. Natalie @ Obsessive Cooking says

    May 26, 2016 at 12:29 am

    Never had ricotta cake before but pistachios and chocolate are my favorite things ever! I actually think baking has more wiggle room for improvising and mistakes than it’s credited!

  7. Stacey says

    June 20, 2017 at 9:05 pm

    I made this for my dad’s birthday today and it turned out surprisingly delicious! I substituted the butter in the cake for ~1/3 cup applesauce. Otherwise, I stuck to the recipe. For some reason, the pistachio topping didn’t crumble like it should have, it kind of turned to mush (used a nutribullet). It still worked out though, I just broke it up and placed it on top. It rises fantastically in the oven. The ricotta makes the cake a bit dense but I still recommend this recipe! Pairs nicely with some vanilla bean or pistachio ice cream.

Welcome!

Hi! I'm Lucy. Turnip the Oven is my vegetable-focused food blog, but sometimes I'm sidetracked by dessert. My recipes are simple and approachable, and I use fresh, seasonal ingredients. I hope I inspire you to eat more plants…and cookies.

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