
While we have nothing against the rich, dense, cream cheese filling you encounter in American cheesecakes, this Italian version is tangy, fluffy, and just begging to be topped with summer fruit. Try this recipe with do-it-yourself ricotta and bring a dessert to the table you can really say you made yourself.
Never seen a springform pan before? They’re designed to pop away from the cake when it’s done, taking the issue of cake sticking to the sides off the table.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 4 cups fresh ricotta cheese
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- 5 eggs, separated
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a medium bowl.
3. Press graham cracker mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and up the sides to form a pie crust
4. Bake for 5 minutes
5. In a stand mixer, add ricotta a third at a time and blend until smooth.
6. Gradually mix in 3/4 cup sugar, reserving the remainder.
7. One by one, add egg yolks to mixture until fully combined
8. Gradually add flour, then vanilla and increase speed slightly to combine well. Set mixture aside.
9. Beat egg whites with remaining 1/4 cup of sugar until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
10. Whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form, then gently fold together whipped cream, egg whites and batter until combined.
11. Pour batter into crust and bake at 325 for one hour, then turn off heat and allow cheesecake to cool in oven fo 2 hours. Refrigerate overnight and serve.