ITALLIAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Cake:
INGREDIENTS

3 cups all purpose flour
1-1/4 cupe unsweetened cocoa
2-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. baking pwoder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups sugar
1-1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup Whole Milk Ricotta
3 large eggs
2-1/2 cups water

Chocolate frosting:
INGREDIENTS

12 ox. quality milk chocolate
1 cup sour cream at room temperature

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of two 9" cake pans. Sift dry ingredients, mix together in bowl, set aside. In mixer bowl, mix sugar, oil, ricotta and vanilla on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs. Beat until incorporated. On low speed, beat in flour alternately with water in 3 additions. Scrape bowl and beat at medium speed for 1 minute. Divide equally in pans and bake for 35 to 45 minutes until cake test done. Cool in pans for 10 minutes and then turn onto plates. Frost when cakes are cool.

Frosting: Melt chocolate over simmering water, stir until smooth, ltet cool to room temp. Mix sour cream into chocolate with a wire wisk. Frost the first layer,to with second layer, then frost the top and sides. Garnish with chocolate shavings, raspberries and whippd cream as desired.