During the summer months, I always find it hard to resist the urge to bake. It's usually too hot to turn on the oven, but when I'm craving a homemade treat all the common sense in the world can't stop me from digging out my electric mixer and assembling something sweet. This recipe was born out of necessity: I had some leftover ricotta cheese that I didn't want to see go to waste. The end result was a light but decadent chocolate cake perfect for lazy–and warm–summer afternoons.

 

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Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola oil + extra for greasing

1 cup ricotta

1/2 cup milk

2 cups cake flour

1/3 cup cacao powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a large bundt pan with oil.

2. Beat oil, sugar and vanilla extract together. Add ricotta and beat until smooth.

3. Sift flour, cacao, salt, baking power and soda in a medium bowl, then add to wet mixture. Add milk, beating until smooth.

4. Fill bundt pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until cake tests done. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack to cool.