Torta di Ricotta e Mandorle Senza Cottura (Italian No-Bake Ricotta & Almond Cake)

Ricotta Cream:

1. Place 2 metal mixer bowls and whisk attachment in freezer for at least 15 minutes.
2. In the chilly bowl of a stand mixer fitted with cold whisk attachment, mix together ricotta and confectioners’ sugar. Then whip in cream, honey, and vanilla until mixture is thick and fluffy. Mix in mini chocolate chips.
3. Cover bowl and allow ricotta cream to rest in fridge for at least one hour.

Almond Cream Cream:

1. Wash whisk attachment, then pop it back in the freezer.
2. Remove lid, then microwave jar of almond cream in 15-second increments until almond cream is pourable. Allow to cool slightly. (You want the almond cream to be cool enough so it doesn’t melt the whipped cream, but loose enough so it can be folded into the whipped cream.)
3. In the chilly bowl of a stand mixer fitted with cold whisk attachment, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
4. Pour in cooled, softened almond cream, then fold into whipped cream.
5. Cover bowl and allow almond cream cream to rest in fridge for at least one hour.

Assembly & Decoration:

1. When you’re ready to assemble your cake, line a 9" wide by 3" tall springform pan with cling film, allowing cling film to drape over edges. Attach cling film to top edges with binder clips, if necessary.
2. Make the sweet almond soak for your ladyfingers by heating up the water, then stirring in the sugar and almond extract until the sugar dissolves.
3. Pour into a shallow bowl or other vessel. (We used a loaf pan, and that worked quite well for easily dipping the ladyfingers.) Pop into fridge to cool down and chill.
4. Cut ladyfingers slightly shorter than the height of your pan (2.5–2.75"). Hold onto the ends.
5. Retrieve ricotta cream, almond cream cream, and sweet almond soak from fridge.
6. Working one shortened ladyfinger at a time, very quickly dip ladyfingers into sweet almond soak (no more than 1 second), then arrange vertically around edge of pan.
7. Once pan edges are completely lined with soaked ladyfingers, continue to quickly soak ladyfingers and arrange them over the bottom of the pan. This is a good time to use up those chopped off ends as well.
8. Plop half of ricotta cream (about 390g) on top of bottom ladyfingers, smoothing top with an offset spatula.
9. Spread half of almond cream cream (about 235g) on top of ricotta cream, smoothing top with an offset spatula. Cover bowl of remaining almond cream cream and place back in fridge.
10. Plop on remaining ricotta cream, smoothing top with an offset spatula.
11. Quickly soak and arrange remaining ladyfingers over top layer of cream. (You may have a few ladyfingers left over. Bonus baker snack!)
12. If you used any, remove binder clips from pan. Loosely cover top of cake with beeswax wrap or cling film, then place in fridge overnight to chill and set.
13. After the cake has chilled and rested, place cake stand (or serving platter) upside-down on top of springform pan, then invert and set down on work surface. Now the top is the bottom, and the bottom is the top!
14. Carefully unclamp and remove outer ring of springform pan, then remove base. Gently peel cling film from cake.
15. Retrieve remaining almond cream cream from fridge. Pipe or spread over top of cake. Decorate with toasted, chopped almonds and mini chocolate chips.
16. Transfer cake to fridge and allow to chill for 1 hour before serving.