Chocolate Cottage Cheese Cake — Full Recipe
Texture: moist, fudgy and soft
Flavor: rich chocolate, mildly tangy from cottage cheese
Yield: 8–10 slices
Pan: 8 × 4-inch loaf pan or 8-inch square pan
Oven: 350°F / 175°C
Ingredients
Chocolate cake
1½ cups (340 g) cottage cheese, preferably 2–4% fat
2 large eggs
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (45–50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ cup (95 g) all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (30 ml) milk, if needed
½ cup (85 g) chocolate chips — optional
Chocolate topping
½ cup (85 g) semisweet or dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoons (30 ml) milk or heavy cream
1 teaspoon butter or coconut oil
½ teaspoon vanilla, optional
Decoration
Mini chocolate chips or chocolate curls
Berries, optional
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Prepare the pan
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C.
Line an 8 × 4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving some paper hanging over the sides so the cake can be lifted out easily.
Lightly grease the parchment.
2. Blend the cottage cheese
Put the cottage cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla into a blender or food processor.
Blend for 30–60 seconds, until the cottage cheese becomes as smooth as possible.
This step is important. If you simply stir the cottage cheese into the batter, you will see curds throughout the finished cake. Blending produces the smoother appearance shown in the photograph.
Puréeing cottage cheese is also commonly used in chocolate cakes and cheesecakes to create a creamy base.
E
Epicurious
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3. Mix the dry ingredients
In another bowl whisk together:
cocoa powder
flour
baking powder
baking soda
salt
Break up any cocoa lumps.
4. Make the batter
Pour the blended cottage-cheese mixture into the dry ingredients.
Fold together gently until just combined.
Do not overmix.
The batter should be thick but spreadable. If it seems unusually stiff, add 1 tablespoon milk at a time, up to about 2 tablespoons.
For an extra chocolatey cake, fold in the optional chocolate chips.
5. Bake
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
Smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake at 350°F / 175°C for approximately 30–40 minutes.
Start checking around 30 minutes.
The cake is ready when:
the edges are set,
the center no longer looks liquid,
a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Don’t wait for the toothpick to come out completely dry. Overbaking will make a cottage-cheese cake dry.
Recipes using cottage cheese and cocoa commonly use temperatures around 340–350°F, with baking times varying according to pan size and formulation.
K
Kashevar
+1
6. Cool completely
Leave the cake in the pan for about 15 minutes.
Lift it out using the parchment and place it on a cooling rack.
Allow it to cool completely before adding the topping.
For the fudgiest texture, refrigerate it for 1–2 hours before decorating.
Chocolate Topping
Put the chocolate chips, milk/cream and butter into a microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave for 20–30 seconds at a time, stirring after each interval.
Continue until smooth.
Alternatively, melt everything gently over a double boiler.
Let the chocolate cool for a few minutes so it becomes slightly thicker.
Pour it over the cooled cake and spread it toward the edges.
For the appearance in your picture, allow some chocolate to naturally run down the sides.
Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips.
Refrigerate for about 15–30 minutes to set the topping.
Serving
Slice with a sharp knife.
For clean slices, chill the cake first and wipe the knife between cuts.
It’s especially good with:
strawberries
raspberries
blueberries
Greek yogurt
powdered cocoa
a small scoop of vanilla ice cream
Nut Information
The basic recipe contains NO tree nuts and NO peanuts.
However, check the labels on:
chocolate chips
cocoa powder
cottage cheese
milk/cream
Chocolate products can be manufactured in facilities that also process peanuts or tree nuts.
To make it completely nut-free
Use chocolate specifically labeled peanut-free/tree-nut-free, according to your allergy requirements.
Optional nuts
You can add ½ cup (50–60 g) chopped walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts to the batter, but these are not included in the nutrition estimate below.
Approximate Nutrition
Using 2% cottage cheese, 100 g sugar, 95 g flour and the chocolate topping, the whole cake is approximately:
Nutrition Whole cake Per 10 slices
Calories ~2,100 kcal ~210 kcal
Protein ~80 g ~8 g
Carbohydrates ~270 g ~27 g
Fat ~85 g ~8.5 g
Fiber ~25 g ~2.5 g
Sugar ~170 g ~17 g
These are estimates, because cottage cheese and chocolate brands vary considerably. Cottage cheese itself can provide substantial protein; for example, USDA-derived data for creamed cottage cheese lists about 11.1 g protein per 100 g.
W
WhatYouEat
If you omit the chocolate topping, the calories and sugar drop substantially.
Higher-Protein Version
If your goal is a more protein-rich cake, use:
2 cups (450 g) cottage cheese
2 eggs
½ cup sugar or suitable sweetener
½ cup cocoa
¾ cup flour
1½ tsp baking powder
vanilla
pinch of salt
You can also replace part of the flour with additional oat flour, although the texture will become somewhat denser.
There are published cottage-cheese chocolate cakes that use cottage cheese as the primary protein-rich ingredient and avoid protein powder entirely.
J
Joy to the Food
Recipe Q&A
Can I use low-fat cottage cheese?
Yes. 1–2% works very well. Full-fat cottage cheese gives a richer, softer result.
Can I use large-curd cottage cheese?
Yes, but blend it thoroughly. Small-curd cottage cheese is easier to make smooth.
Can I make this without flour?
Yes. A flourless version can be made using cocoa plus a starch such as cornstarch/arrowroot. Similar flourless cottage-cheese chocolate cakes use eggs, cottage cheese, cocoa and starch.
T
Try Our Recipes
Can I use almond flour?
Yes, but this makes the cake not nut-free and changes the moisture balance. I would start by replacing only about ¼ of the regular flour.
Can I use oat flour?
Yes. Use approximately 95 g oat flour. The cake will be a little softer and denser.
Can I replace the sugar?
Yes. A granulated baking sweetener can be used, but the texture may change because regular sugar contributes moisture and structure.
Why is my cake wet in the middle?
Most likely one of three things:
It needs more baking time.
Your cottage cheese contained more water.
The pan was smaller/deeper.
Bake until the center is set but still moist.
Why did my cake become dry?
It was probably baked too long. Cottage-cheese cakes should remain slightly moist in the center.
Do I need to drain cottage cheese?
Usually no. If your cottage cheese is extremely watery, drain it for 10–20 minutes. Excess liquid can make the batter too loose.
Can I make it in an air fryer?
Yes. Use approximately 320°F / 160°C, and begin checking around 18–25 minutes, depending on the pan and air fryer.
Can I freeze it?
Yes. Freeze the cake without the topping for best texture.
Wrap individual slices tightly and freeze for up to about 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
How long does it keep?
In an airtight container:
Refrigerator: about 4–5 days
Room temperature: preferably no more than about 2 hours because of the dairy/egg content
Freezer: about 2–3 months
Can I make it more chocolatey?
Definitely. Add:
1 teaspoon espresso powder, or
30–50 g extra chocolate chips.
Espresso powder intensifies chocolate flavor without making the cake taste strongly like coffee.
Why blend the cottage cheese?
That’s the key to getting the smooth chocolate-cake appearance in the photograph. Blending breaks down the curds and produces a much more uniform batter. Similar cottage-cheese chocolate recipes specifically use a blender/food processor for this reason.
K
Kashevar
+1
Is this cheesecake?
Not exactly. It is closer to a moist chocolate cake made with cottage cheese. Cottage cheese can also be used as a cheesecake-style filling, but the pictured dessert looks more like a chocolate cake/loaf with chocolate glaze.
Most important tips
1. Blend the cottage cheese very smooth.
2. Don’t overmix after adding flour.
3. Don’t overbake.
4. Cool completely before glazing.
