What makes a cheesecake Italian?

Italian cheesecakes use ricotta cheese instead of the New York-style cheesecakes that use all cream cheese. Italian cakes are lighter, dryer, and less dense than the New York version.

What is the difference between ricotta and cream cheese cheesecake?

Ricotta cheesecake is made with ricotta instead of all cream cheese. The ricotta makes for a lighter and less dense cheesecake.

How long will this cheesecake last?

This cake will keep covered and chilled in the fridge for up to three days.

Italian Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

Name: Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 10 graham crackers; 3 tablespoons melted butter; 16 ounces ricotta; 8 ounces mascarpone cheese; 2 tablespoons flour; 4 eggs; 1 cup sugar; 2 teaspoons lemon zest- about 4 lemons; Juice from 1 lemon; 2 1/2 tsp vanilla; 1/4 cup heavy cream; 5 tablespoons lemon curd; dried or fresh lemon slices for garnish

Description

This light and refreshing Italian lemon ricotta cheesecake is as delicious as it is easy! Ricotta cheesecakes are the lighter and fluffier version of the new york style cheesecake.

Ingredients

Units Scale

10 graham crackers
3 tablespoons melted butter
16 ounces ricotta
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons flour
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest- about 4 lemons
Juice from 1 lemon
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons lemon curd
dried or fresh lemon slices for garnish

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Instructions

About an hour or two before baking, pull out the ricotta, mascarpone, and eggs and let them come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
In a food processor, blend the graham crackers with the melted butter until it resembles a coarse meal. Pour the mixture into a springform pan and use the bottom of a glass to push and spread the mixture into the pan.
In a food processor, blend the ricotta, mascarpone, flour, and cream until it is light and fluffy. About 5 minutes.
Next, add the sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and eggs. Blend to combine.
Pour the filling on top of the flatted crumbs and bake for 1 hour then turn off the oven and continue baking for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let the cake come to room temperature,
Smear the 5 tablespoons of lemon curd to the top of the cake and chill for at least 2 hours.
Serve with dried, candied, or fresh lemon slices. The slices pictured are dried lemons. To dry, bake thinly sliced lemons on a baking sheet with a cooling rack at 200 degrees for 4-6 hours.

Notes

Use fresh ricotta. The fresher the ricotta, the smoother the cake will be. If it's not fresh, it could produce a grainier texture.
Have all your ingredients at room temperature. This helps prevent splitting and the dreaded cracked top.
Add a little bit of flour. This also helps create a smooth texture and prevents splitting.
Leave the cake in the oven with heat off for 30 minutes after its done baking. This lets it cool down slowly, which also helps prevent cracking.