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Active Time
15 min
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Total Time
2 3/4 hr (includes cooling)
The difference between fresh and commercially prepared ricotta is proven dramatically with this cheesecake. Made with the commercial product, it tastes bland and somewhat grainy. When prepared with fresh ricotta, however, the cake dissolves creamily on the tongue and the ricotta's delicate sweetness shines through clean and true. To further emphasize the ricotta, we keep the other flavors to a minimum—just a smidgen of cinnamon, lemon zest, and vanilla is all you need.
Ingredients
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Step 1
Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in lower third.
Step 2
Lightly butter pan and coat with cookie crumbs, leaving any loose crumbs distributed over bottom of pan.
Step 3
Whisk together remaining ingredients and pour into crust.
Step 4
Bake until puffed and golden but center is still slightly wobbly, about 1 1/2 hours.
Step 5
Cool in pan on a rack (cake will sink a little).
Step 6
Serve cheesecake warm or at room temperature.
Ricotta cheesecake is best eaten the day it is made but can be made 1 day ahead and kept at cool room temperature.
Leave a Review
Reviews (9)
Back to TopThis was easy and delicious, even without a fruit sauce. I made what I thought would be enough ricotta, but 2 quarts of milk made little more than a cup. For the rest, I used whole milk ricotta. Amaretti are hard to find so I used ginger snaps, and they added a lot of flavor. My final change was baking in a shallow ceramic pie dish, which I coated with butter and then the ginger snap crumbs. I baked it for 90 minutes, and it's been great warm, room temperature and cold.
Anonymous
8/9/2022
Make this with homemade ricotta, and serve with a blueberry compote and/or homemade whipped cream. It's one of the best desserts, and easiest, you'll ever have! Don't use store bought ricotta, it's just not the same.
tqmagic
Boston, MA
3/7/2021
I've made this several times. This is not a sweet dessert, but a light, lemon finish to a dinner. The ingredients are important, and I can see if someone used commercial ricotta this would be a heavy, dense cake. With homemade ricotta, the amount of moisture left in the cheese will vary, so I have found the batter consistency can differ significantly. If it is too stiff I add back milk or some of the whey left over from making the ricotta. I've had best success when the batter is thick, but I can still stir with a whisk or spoon. Not as thin as pancake batter and not as thick as cookie dough. The amaretti cookie crust is a nice flavor, and an earlier suggestion of adding lemoncella is brilliant. I too add a bit more vanilla and cinnamon. Top it with a simple berry (blueberry is my favorite) compote and this will be a favorite.
westchesterfoodie
Westchester, NY
1/13/2018
definitely easy to make, but requires some dressing up to make really delicious, e.g. i doubled the lemon zest, used ginger snap cookies for the crust, and topped the cake with a blueberry lemon compote. thisl cheesecake is light & fluffy, making for a nice finish to a summer meal that isn't as heavy as a traditional ny cheesecake.
tiffto
palo alto, ca
6/21/2010
I thought this was delicious. I did use full fat store ricotta & it was fine. I.m sure the artisanal would be even better, but don't not make this if you can't get it. And it is easy, easy, easy--great dessert when you don't have time to bake--takes like five minutes to put together. I only have a 10" springform pan, so i baked the cake for an hour--it was just right, not at all dry. Also, didn't have a fresh lemon so used bottled juice and 2 tbls of limoncello--could taste lemon in cake. Maybe will use a bit more cinnamon the next time I make it. Served it with rhubarb compote--baked rhubarb with sugar & wine--it was delish with it. Everyone had second helpings & I gave our guests some to take home for breakfast!
zbleck
nj
4/26/2010
I'm surprised by the other reviews. I used store-bought fresh ricotta (which was delicious out of the tub and I thought this cake was fantastic. Plus, I served as part of a dinner party and it was so easy to make that I found it to be a blessing. Generally, authentic Italian pastry is less flavorful than people expect and certainly not so sweet. This cake was similar to many that I had growing up. To gild the lily, I added some whole fresh blueberries to the top, dusted it with confectioner's sugar, and then added a dollop of freshly whipped cream with a touch of confectioner's sugar and vanilla extract. Needless to say, there was none left. This is a keeper for the repertoire.
ravj61
Syracuse, NY
1/12/2010
Made this cheesecake for Easter and it was terrible! Used organic fresh whole milk ricotta from a small dairy in Vermont - as close to homemade as one could get. Added more lemon zest and some lemon oil to enhance the flavor. The whole thing was tasteless and very dense. Don't even think about bothering with this recipe!
Anonymous
Portland, ME
4/13/2009
( made it as directed. It cooked faster than the recipe indicated, so I think mine was a little overcooked - it was pretty dry. I made homemade ricotta from a recipe found on this site - had to double recipe to get enough ricotta.
immendorf
Madison, wi
1/14/2009
I used half fresh-made, half Polly-O ricotta. The cheesecake is very good, but very mild. I know it is supposed to showcase the cheese, but I found myself wishing I'd put more lemon zest, or had a fresh berry compote mixed with a dash of prosecco to top this with. Very good, but very plain. Will certainly make again however.
mleerskov
Sonoma, Ca
1/4/2009
