Our Light, Citrusy Ricotta Cheesecake Is Just the Sweet Ending Your Next Italian Feast Needs (2024)

Martha’s Italian cheesecake gets its light, tender texture from ricotta cheese rather than the cream cheese that’s used in most cheesecakes. It’s flavored with plenty of citrus zest—we love a mix of lemon and orange here—along with a touch of vanilla extract. Unlike many other cheesecake recipes, you won't need to pack a crust into the springform pan, nor will you use a water bath. Instead, you’ll simply pour the batter into the pan and pop it in the oven until the center is just set and the edges are golden brown. After baking, it requires an overnight chill in the refrigerator to firm up, so plan to make it at least one day ahead of serving. It’s a fantastic way to cap off an Italian meal but is easy enough to whip up on a whim.

Italian Cheesecake vs. New York-Style Cheesecake

Italian cheesecake differs from New York-style cheesecake in a few distinct ways. Where a New York-style cheesecake gets its rich, dense, and creamy texture from cream cheese, this recipe uses ricotta instead, which makes it light, tender, and slightly more dry. It's also thinner than a New York-style version and does not feature a crumb crust (though the edges and bottom do deepen in color and firm up to form a natural crust).

It's important to note that this cheesecake has more a rustic texture than the creamier cheesecakes you may be used to. That's thanks to the addition of ricotta and the fact that the ingredients are simply whisked together, not pureed in a food processor or beaten with an electric mixer. If you'd prefer a smoother texture, you can use a food processor instead.

Equipment for Italian Cheesecake

You'll only need a few pieces of kitchen equipment to make this simple recipe, including:

Cheesecloth: Cheesecloth is useful for draining excess liquid from the ricotta before combining it with the other cheesecake ingredients, which is important for achieving the right finished texture. (See tip below for more information.)

Springform pan: A nine-inch springform pan is exceedingly useful when making cheesecake thanks to its straight sides and easy-to-remove band. Be sure to prep the pan properly for cheesecake: butter the bottom and sides thoroughly, then dust them with a thin layer of flour before adding the batter.

Sifter or fine-mesh sieve: Use a sifter or fine-mesh sieve to sift the flour and sugar to remove any lumps before adding them to the cheesecake mixture. This also helps to incorporate a bit of air, giving you an even lighter finished texture.

Whisk: Though this recipe doesn't call for an electric mixer to bring the batter together, you will need a large whisk to incorporate the eggs—one at a time—into the ricotta mixture. Be sure to whisk until no streaks of egg or ricotta remain but be careful to not over mix.

Make Ahead

You can bake this cheesecake up to two days before you plan to serve it. Keep it refrigerated until then, covered with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container.

1. Heat oven; prepare pan:

   Preheat oven to 325°F. Set rack in the middle of the oven. Butter and flour a 9-by-2-inch springform pan and tap out excess flour. Place on a rimmed baking sheet.

   

2. Sift flour and sugar:

   In a medium bowl, sift sugar and flour.
   

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3. Whisk ricotta with zest:

   In a large bowl, combine ricotta and zest and whisk until smooth.
   

   

4. Add sugar-flour mixture:

   Add sugar and flour mixture and gently mix to combine.

   

5. Incorporate remaining ingredients:

   Add eggs, 1 at a time, and whisk to combine. Add the vanilla and salt.

   

6. Transfer batter to pan:

   Pour batter into the prepared pan.

   

7. Bake until just set:

   Bake in the center of the oven for about 55 to 60 minutes, until a light golden color. Make sure the center is fairly firm. If you're not sure, insert the point of a sharp knife in the center—it should come out clean.

   

8. Let cool completely; refrigerate:

   Cool completely on a wire rack. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator until chilled, at least 12 hours and up to one day.

   

Storage

Should you find yourself with leftover cheesecake, refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to four days.

How to Serve Italian Cheesecake

This cheesecake is delicious simply cut into slices. To dress it up a bit, consider topping each piece with a dusting of confectioners' sugar plus macerated berries, halved or quartered fresh figs, or a few orange segments to hint at the citrusy flavor.

Variations

In place of the vanilla extract, you can use an equal amount of anise-forward Sambuca or hazelnut-flavored Frangelico instead.

You can also use all lemon or orange zest instead of a mixture, or incorporate a little lime or grapefruit peel as well.

More Italian-Inspired Desserts to try:

• Panna Cotta With Vanilla Syrup
• Easy Tiramisu
• Hazelnut Gelato
• Pesche Con Crema
• Almond Biscotti
• Pound-Cake Tiramisu