This dessert came about because I had a shit ton of ricotta cheese leftover, and I needed to use it. I wound up making cannoli cream, which is made with heavily whipped ricotta and chocolate chips. I figured that it would be the easiest way to use the ricotta, since I was not about to try baking it into cake batter. From my experience, it makes the cake very chewy and almost soggy, so yeah, we are not going there with that. The name of the cake was inspired by bombolini, which are Italian doughnuts that could be made from ricotta cheese, which is also why I made chocolate doughnuts to garnish the cake with, as another homage to that.

For the different layers, we have a Colombian chocolate cake, cannoli filling, coffee glaze, chocolate doughnut cakes, and more coffee glaze to finish. This cake can serve easily eight people, or just one Fred, because I’m a fatass with no shame or self-restraint. What? Life is so boring when you live it following the rules all the time.

For the chocolate cake:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup finely chopped Colombian cacao (you can also use cocoa powder, since that won’t require you to fly all the way out to Colombia)
1/4 cup dark chocolate; finely chopped
1 cup milk
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons black vinegar (you can also use balsamic or malt vinegar)
1 teaspoon baking soda
a pinch of salt
3/4 cups granulated sugar

In a pot, melt down the butter, milk, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, dark chocolate, and cacao. Once melted and fully incorporated, set aside to cool to room temperature. In a bowl, whip together the remaining sugar, egg whites, baking soda, vinegar, and salt with vanilla until they form stiff peaks. Sift the flour. Fold everything together. Pipe out six doughnuts into a doughnut-shaped baking mold using this batter, then spread the rest of it onto a lined sheet tray. Bake the cake for 25 minutes and the doughnuts for 13 minutes, both at 350 degrees F.

Cannoli cream:
1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream; whipped stiff
1 1/2 teaspoons gelatin powder + 2 tablespoons water
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup chocolate chips; chopped

Melt down the bloomed gelatin and salt in water. Whip egg yolks to stiff peaks with the sugar. Temper the eggs with the water, and the continue whisking over heat for 3 minutes. Strain into the ricotta cheese and continue whipping until the mixture is at room temperature. Finally, fold in the whipped cream, vanilla, and chocolate chips.

Chocolate-coffee soaking liquid:
1/4 cup Colombian coffee powder
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2/3 cups water
a pinch of salt

Combine and bring to a simmer. Strain then cool completely.

For coffee glaze:
1 cup dark chocolate chips
7 oz condensed milk
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons Colombian coffee powder
1 tablespoon mizuame
a pinch of salt
1 1/2 tablespoons gelatin powder + 1/4 cup water

Bloom gelatin powder in water. Melt into the 1/3 cup water with the coffee powder, mizuame, salt, and condensed milk. Bring to a simmer. Add in the chocolate chips and allow the chips to melt into the liquid, off heat. Pass through a strainer.

Assembly:
Using a 6 inch ring mold, cut out two rounds of cake and reserve the scraps. Line the mold with acetate or parchment, and start by pressing the scraps into the bottom of the cake. Soak with 1/3 of the liquid. Add in half of the ricotta filling. Add on the next layer of cake, and repeat the same steps. Finally, put on the last layer of cake and the remainder of the soaking liquid. Freeze completely (3-4 hours).

Dip the doughnuts into the coffee glaze first. Once the cake is frozen, remove the acetate, and pour on the remaining glaze. Garnish with the doughnuts.