I have always loved recipes with soft cheeses, but this 7-ingredient ricotta cheesecake simply blew me away! Soft and very creamy, it leaves the most wonderful aroma in your kitchen, lasts for several days, and cuts like a dream.
Some years ago I would've said that if it didn't have cream cheese it couldn't be called a cheesecake, period. My cheesecake recipes were simple and most, if not all, have no flour or cornstarch at all. Nowadays I'm more flexible and don't need to be such a purist.
But my strong Italian heritage and food culture made me love all things ricotta - lemon ricotta pie, baked ricotta, berry squares, you name it - and especially this cheesecake recipe I'm sharing today.
Besides, if you look at how this gorgeous cake comes out of the oven, deeply golden, smelling amazing and with just the right firmness to it, you'll understand that it belongs in the cheesecake category. Not a pie, not a cake, but a ricotta cheesecake. Probably the best one ever.
Ingredients
- Ricotta: use full fat. More about this soft cheese below.
- Eggs: fresh is always better. And large is a good size for all the baking recipes in this blog.
- Sugar: white granulated sugar, the regular kind.
- Flour: a little bit of all purpose flour is used as a binding agent to give the cheesecake more structure.
- Salt: to enhance the flavors.
- Orange: only the zest is used.
- Vanilla: this is optional, but I like to use pure vanilla extract or paste. It works very well with the orange, but this recipe is amazing without it also.
About ricotta
Ricotta is a soft, grainy cheese made from cow's milk in this case (though it can also be made with goat, sheep, or buffalo milk). The type I use for all of my recipes is the regular soft ricotta (image below) sold in supermarkets or specialty stores. It's creamy, moist, and has an almost sweet taste.
Quality varies according to brands and you can find some with additives to make it thicker or whatever. I try to buy original ricotta sourced from good small producers. It tastes much better and I like the consistency more.
Ricotta vs. cottage cheese
Though they might look somewhat similar, ricotta and cottage cheese are different.
Ricotta is made from the whey that is left when the curds are separated in the milk or cream to make cheese, while cottage cheese is made from the curds.
Their textures are different as well as their flavors.
Substitution
Though for this recipe you should absolutely get the ricotta cheese (it is, after all, a ricotta cheesecake), you can use cottage cheese that has been processed with some cream cheese. If it has too much water you should let it drain a while on a strainer with a cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel over a bowl.
It cuts like a dream. You can see that in the pictures. The cake was almost room temperature and still hold its shape amazingly.
The simplicity part is that the ingredients are everyday staples and, apart from beating the egg whites separately, you just mix everything together without much detail. And it has no crust!
How to make this recipe
Being a no-crust cheesecake, this is a fairly easy recipe.
It does not require a water bath, something that makes many home bakers nervous because of the chance that some water might get into the batter. But good news, no water bath today.
The only part that takes a little more time is separating the egg yolks from the whites, which are beaten separately and then added at the last moment. More about this further down.
WATCH THE STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO 👇🏻
Beating egg whites
The whites can be stiffer or not so stiff, and they are incorporated without the excessive care that other recipes sometimes need. Like the best flourless chocolate cake ever (the photos are old but the recipe is amazing!).
I like to beat the whites to medium-soft peaks; that way the batter is more fluid and the cake is creamier. And have them at room t°, that is the way to maximize the volume when they are beaten.
If you love cheesecakes as much as I do, this is a different recipe that you will love for its versatility (flavorings) and simplicity - no crust, cuts easily.
All in all a wonderful recipe for a different cheesecake, slightly adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook, is phenomenal. I urge you to try it!
Other flavorings
- Citrus, use your favorite: lemon, lime, tangerine, a mix of all of them, you name it.
- Ground spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom, maybe nutmeg, pumpkin spice mix. Whatever you love more.
- Extracts (coffee, aniseed, almond, maple, there are so many to choose from)
- Liquors like Cointreau or Grand Marnier (orange), Frangelico (hazelnut), Amaretto (almond), Limoncello (lemon) or any other sweet or fruity one you like.
- A combination of the above, maybe almond extract and spice, or cinnamon with orange zest.
Let your imagination flow. So many options, I know.
Lemon ricotta cheesecake
I know lemon is a huge favorite when it comes to cheesecakes. I know I am a raving fan. So I'm leaving you the simple way to make this a lemon ricotta cake.
- Substitute the orange zest for lemon zest.
- Adding lemon juice: the combination of both zest and juice gives it a more intense and balanced flavor. But don't overdo it with the juice or you'll change the texture. You can add up to 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. If your cheese is dry this would be perfect, but if your ricotta cheese is on the wetter side, I suggest you let it drain for a while.
Storing
This ricotta cheesecake lasts for several days in the fridge.
I ate it after almost a week and I have to say it was delicious. The coldness of the refrigerator dries it up a bit every day (it's what refrigeration does to all baked goods), so my advice is no more than 3 days, well wrapped in plastic wrap.
Frequently asked questions
Both are soft cheeses, but ricotta is a grainy cheese while cream cheese is smooth. The amount of salt is also different, and ricotta tends to be sweeter.
For this recipe here it's done when the top is golden, edges are set but the center still jiggles a little. You can find all the tips in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Yes, that's what I recommend. It will get too soft if left at room temperature for too long, and it's a soft cheese, so the refrigerator is the best place to keep it.
It keeps for 3 days, well wrapped and refrigerated.
Related recipes you might like:
Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it, and if you had issues, so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here, it's much appreciated.
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Easy Orange Ricotta cheesecake
A fabulous take on cheesecake, with ricotta cheese. Only 7 ingredients!
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- ¾ cup white granulated sugar + more for the pan
- 1 ½ pounds whole milk ricotta, at room temperature
- 6 eggs, at room temperature
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons orange zest (2 oranges)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF /180ºC.
- Butter a 9-inch round cake pan with removable bottom and dust with sugar, shaking off excess.
- In a large bowl mix ricotta, orange zest, and vanilla if using. You can beat this for a minute or so if you want a smoother texture. I don’t do it.
- Add the flour, HALF the sugar, salt, and mix well.
- Separate eggs, one by one, putting the yolks into the bowl with the ricotta mixture and the whites in another clean (very clean and dry, with no traces of oil or grease) bowl. I use the stand mixer for the whites and put them directly in the mixing bowl. Try using an extra small bowl for cracking each egg so you don’t run the risk of the tiniest bit of yolk getting into the whites since it will prevent them from beating as they should.
- Beat whites for 30 seconds and gradually add the remaining HALF of the sugar while beating at medium speed.
- Keep on beating at high speed until it foams and triples in volume, but medium-soft peaks form when the beater is lifted.
- With a spatula, add the beaten egg whites to the ricotta mixture in 3 parts.
- Add the next part after almost incorporating the last part.
- After the third part is added make sure the mixture is combined. Don’t over mix it so it rises well in the oven and the texture is airy.
- Put in the prepared pan smoothing the surface and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until it’s golden but the center of the cheesecake still wiggles when lightly shaken, similar to brownies.
- Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes on a wire rack, then run a smooth knife all around the sides to make sure it is not stuck.
- Let cool completely in the pan before transferring it to the serving plate. I like to wrap it in plastic and put it in the fridge for a few hours or until the next day.
Notes
Flavoring ricotta cheesecakes (or cakes)
- Citrus, use your favorite: lemon, lime, tangerine, a mix of all of them, you name it.
- Ground spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom, maybe nutmeg, pumpkin spice mix. Whatever you love more.
- Extracts (coffee, aniseed, almond, maple, there are so many to choose from)
- Liquors like Cointreau or Grand Marnier (orange), Frangelico (hazelnut), Amaretto (almond), limoncello (lemon) or any other sweet or fruity one you like.
- A combination of the above, maybe almond extract and spice, or cinnamon with orange zest.
Egg whites
I like to beat the whites to medium-soft peaks; that way the batter is more fluid and the cake is creamier.
And have them at room temperature, that is the way to maximize the volume when they are beaten.
Substitutions
If you must substitute ricotta, you can use cottage cheese that has been processed with some cream cheese.
To turn this into a lemon cheesecake, simply substitute the orange zest for lemon zest.
- Adding lemon juice: the combination of both zest and juice gives it a more intense and balanced flavor. But don't overdo it with the juice or you'll change the texture. You can add up to 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. If your cheese is dry this would be perfect, but if your ricotta cheese is on the wet side, I suggest you let it drain for a while.
Freezing
It can be frozen, well wrapped, for about a month. Defrost in the refrigerator for best results.
Recommendation: if you want to make it for freezing I suggest you use half ricotta cheese and half cream cheese. The same total amount of cheese as stated in the recipe (1 ½ pounds) . Ricotta tends to be grainy and holds more water than cream cheese. This variation will make for a smoother cheesecake after it's thawed.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cooling time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛
- Calories: 288
- Sugar: 19.1 g
- Sodium: 197.6 mg
- Fat: 14.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 24.6 g
- Protein: 14.7 g
- Cholesterol: 182.9 mg
Keywords: ricotta cheesecake
Slightly adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook
Jaci Yescas says
Hello I’ve been making ricotta cheesecake for years and I would like some advice on preventing my cake from sinking. It always puffs up so nicely in the oven but when I take it out to cool it collapses and looks very sad. Please any tips. I love this cake but I’m always embarrassed about how ugly it looks! This is why I usually top with fresh whipped cream and fruit to give it more height! Thank you for any advice.
★★★★★
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Jaci! Don't beat the cheesecake mixture, it only needs to be stirred well, but we don't want to get too much air that it will rise during baking and then sink. Ingredients at the right temperature according to the recipe instruction is important together with the right oven temperature and baking times according to the recipe.
Diana says
Hello, I just made this cake but used lemon zest rather than orange zest. It looked beautiful but as it set I have a huge crack in the middle. Do you have any suggestions on what to do for this problem. The cake doesn’t look very nice and I’m bringing it to a Memorial Day party tomorrow.
I have a tub of whipped cream cheese and was tempted to add sugar and vanilla for a topping but I’m unsure if I should do this. I also have a can of blueberry pie filling.
Any suggestions you can provide will be appreciated and very helpful.
Thank you, Diana
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Diana! I would add whatever you're planning on serving it with as a topping. Whipped cream with fresh blueberries works very well with lemon. I would not pile a lot of cream though, just fill the crack and add a thin layer so it doesn't distract from the flavor of the cheesecake.
A layer of blueberry sauce is always great on top of cheesecakes also.
Peck says
I have a lot of cream cheese in my fridge. Can I use cream cheese instead of ricotta? And will it be alright if I add some fresh cubed mangoes into the batter to be baked together?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Peck, you can in, but if you change the ricotta it will be a very different cheesecake in texture. I would substitute half of it for this recipe. If you want a recipe with all cream cheese, there are several more traditional cheesecake recipes in the archives that use it.
Grace DiTommaso says
Because of all the ads, I can’t print this (3 pages, 3 in-removable ads) and I certainly can’t read it off the screen. Oh well!
★★★
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Grace, sorry for that issue. I sent you an email with the link to the recipe. Have a great weekend!
Dolly says
Making this tomorrow & looking forward to it. Question: other cheesecake recipes call for wrapping the cake pan with foil & using a water bath. Why doesn't your recipe require a water bath please? Thanks !
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Dolly, it's not necessary. It uses ricotta and the texture is different from traditional cheesecakes. Happy baking!
Katrina says
I made this but subbed out gluten free 1:1 flour for the regular flour (I'm celiac) and it came out amazing. Absolutely delicious and very easy to make. I have been missing ricotta cakes and pies!
★★★★★
Paula Montenegro says
So happy it turned out so well Katrina! And thanks for the tip on using GF flour. Have a great weekend!
Maria Vene says
I have been eating this cheesecake since I was a child. It was my grandmother's recipe and she was born in 1901. Our recipe is slightly different. 3lbs. Ricotta, 10 eggs, 1C Sugar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg. Beat all ingredients together, bake @ 350 degrees 1.5 hours. You can put colored sprinkles on top prior to baking. We do that for Easter, otherwise, we dust powdered sugar on top after cooled.
maria vene says
forgot also 1 tsp. Real Vanilla!
Margaret says
1 tsp real vanilla . . . Please, is that real vanilla beans or is it vanilla extract or vanilla essence . . . thank you
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Margaret, you can use any type of vanilla you like. I use pure vanilla extract or paste, but a good essence also works well.
Paula Montenegro says
Love the idea of adding Easter-colored sprinkles Maria! Thanks for the vintage recipe. I will definitely try it.
Brandi Fox says
If I only have 1 lb of ricotta, can I add just sour cream to make up the additional half pound or is that too much? Thanks!
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Brandi! You should be fine but the cake will have a different texture, smoother probably and it might not be as fluffy because the sour cream is denser. But I can't imagine it not being delicious. Hope this helps. Happy holidays!