A delicious layer cake with ricotta frosting between the layers, buttercream on top and fun puzzle decoration: you can make it too!
Learn how to create this cake or similar in your kitchen, without much cake decorating experience.
How did I come up with the idea for this cake
I created the recipe and the design for a cake competition in 2015.
Unfortunately the site of the competition called Treadcakes does not exist any more. But I wanted to present here the recipe and part of the preparation process here, hoping that it might be useful for someone.
Tools needed for the decoration
To make this or similar jigsaw decoration, you would need:
- White fondant
- Rolling pin (to roll the fondant)
- Small cutting tool or just a small knife to cut the fondant
- Edible food dye: I prefer the gel ones
- Painting brush
- Painting palette or something similar, to mix the colours
- Colorless liquor such as vodka to dissolve the food dye
- Jigsaw shaped cookie cutter (optional)
How to make the designs
I bought a special cookie cutter resembling a jigsaw piece in order to cut shapes out of fondant. If you don't manage to find a similar one, you can make your own layouts and cut them out of fondant. I did so with some of the shapes.
Beware that when you cut the fondant, the shapes might look uneven. You may need to smooth them out with your hands.
I painted all shapes using the food dyes, a brush and the alcohol. The latter is needed in order to dissolve the colors. You can't paint with them directly, because they are way too concentrated and dark.
So you need to drop a good quantity of alcohol into the palette and then add just a drop of food dye. Test first on a piece of paper or on a plastic before drawing on the fondant.
You can't use water to dissolve the food dyes because it will make the fondant to melt! Fondant and any kind of sugar paste should not be in contact with water.
How to place the decoration on the cake
This cake has ricotta filling between the layers but it is covered all around with buttercream frosting. The buttercream is mandatory when it comes to fondant: almost any other frosting would make the sugar paste melt and you don't want this.
Before placing the fondant decoration on top, you absolutely need to cover the whole cake very well with the buttercream frosting, including any parts of the ricotta frosting and let it cool in the fridge.
Is the recipe easy
Below in the recipe card you will find the complete cake recipe. In any case you can use the same decoration on a different cake.
This recipe is quite uncomplicated, especially the layers. You can bake the whole batter in one 7 inch/ 18 cm pan.
It calls for simple ingredients, easy to find. The layers contain chocolate chips which make a nice texture. The filling is with ricotta cheese: very tasty!
I hope you will like this recipe and the tutorial will help you create a similar cake!
Please let me know in the comments if you made it: I would love to see your photos!
Here you will find few more interesting and easy cakes that you may like:
- Spiderman Themed Healthy Coconut Date Cake
- Sponge Cake with Fondant Fruits decoration {Video tutorial}
- Pumpkin Layer Cake with Mascarpone Frosting
- Moist Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- Best Chocolate Truffle Cake
📝 Recipe
Jigsaw Puzzle Chocolate Chip cake with Ricotta Filling
Ingredients
For the cake base:
- 1 cup/ 180 g granulated sugar
- ¼ cup/ 60 g butter, soft
- 2 tbsp/ 20 ml olive oil
- 2 eggs
- ⅞ cup/ 200 g plain yogurt
- 1 ½ cups/ 170 g all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup/ 40 g chocolate chips
For the buttercream frosting:
- 1 cup/ 220 g butter
- 3,5 cups/ 430 g confectioners sugar
- 1-2 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the ricotta filling:
- 1 cup / 100 g buttercream frosting, prepared as per above
- 1 cup/ 250 g ricotta
Instructions
Cake Base:
- Grease a 7 inch/ 18 cm cake pan and line it with a circle of baking paper. Preheat oven to 350° F/ 180°C.
- In a bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside.
- In a separate bowl combine oil, butter and sugar and beat until smooth. Add vanilla extract, eggs and yogurt and mix well.
- Gradually add the flour mixture. Beat in the stand mixer at a low speed (or use a rubber spatula to fold it in) until homogeneous. At the end add the chocolate chips and stir carefully until just absorbed in the batter.
- Bake the cake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top becomes golden brown.
- Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before carefully running a knife around the edge. Remove it from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.Don't start making the frostings and assembling before the layers are cooled!
Buttercream frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and vanilla. Add in the confectioners sugar, little by little, beating well after each addition. Add the milk and continue mixing until light and fluffy.
Ricotta filling:
- In a large bowl beat together the buttercream frosting with the ricotta until smooth.
To assemble the cake:
- When the cake base is completely cold, use a serrated knife to cut it horizontally in 3 equal layers. Place one layer on a serving plate or on a cake stand. Spread half of the Ricotta frosting over it. Cover with a second layer and spread the rest of the frosting on top. Cover with the third layer.
- Cover the cake all around with the remaining buttercream frosting. For best results first cover with a thin layer (a.k.a. crumb layer), let it stay in the freezer for 10 minutes and then cover it with the remaining frosting.
- Let the cake cool at least 2-3 hours in the fridge before placing the fondant decoration on top.
Notes
- Store leftovers 2-3 days in the fridge in airtight containers.
- Check out the post for detailed decoration instructions.
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