This 7-ingredient Italian cheesecake recipe is a fantastic dessert. Soft and very creamy, it leaves the most wonderful aroma in your kitchen, lasts several days, and cuts like a dream. It's crustless and made with 100% ricotta cheese.
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, with no flour or cornstarch.
Nowadays, I'm more flexible and don't need to be such a purist. My strong Italian heritage and food culture make me love all things ricotta. So this recipe today (similar to a Sicilian cheesecake) and the classic ricotta cheesecake are a must in this blog and some of my personal favorite desserts.
Besides, if you look at how this gorgeous cake comes out of the oven, with its deep golden color and fantastic aroma, you'll understand why I'm such a fan.
It cuts like a dream. Even at room temperature, this cheesecake has the right firmness and holds its shape amazingly well.
The simple part is that the ingredients are everyday staples and, except for beating the egg whites separately, you just mix everything without much detail.
And it has no crust. Similar to some recipes for Sicilian cheesecake.
Reader review
I’ve made this recipe about 5 times now and it comes out perfect each and every time. It’s absolutely delicious! Fantastic!!!! Thanks so much for this recipe.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
- Carolyn
Step-by-step VIDEO
Ingredient list
- Ricotta: use regular, full-fat, whole-milk ricotta cheese.
- Eggs: fresh, large.
- Granulated sugar.
- Flour: a little bit of all-purpose flour is used as a binding agent to give the cheesecake more structure.
- Salt.
- Citrus zest: I used orange for this one, but lemon works very well.
- Vanilla extract.
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
What is ricotta cheese?
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).
I use regular soft ricotta (image below), which is sold in supermarkets and specialty stores, for all of my recipes.
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. 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 and can, ricotta and cottage cheese are different.
Ricotta is made from the whey left when the curds are separated from the milk or cream to make cheese, while cottage cheese is made from the curds. Their textures and flavors are different.
Difference between ricotta and cream cheese
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 a tad sweeter.
Substitution
Though for this recipe, you should get the ricotta cheese (it is, after all, a ricotta cheesecake), you can use cottage cheese that has been processed with some cream cheese.
Cottage cheese can be too watery. If that's the case, drain it on a strainer with a cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel over a bowl.
How to make a crustless cheesecake
- It does not require a water bath, which can make some people nervous because some water might get into the batter.
- Separating the egg yolks from the whites might be the only part that takes a little more time. The whites are beaten separately and then added at the last moment. They give the cheesecake a light texture.
Egg whites
- Use an electric mixer.
- Have them at room temperature. It's the way to maximize the volume when they are beaten.
- How stiff should you beat the egg whites? I recommend medium peaks that are still unctuous. That way, the batter is more fluid, and the cake is creamier.
- Incorporate them gently but without the excessive care that other recipes sometimes need. This is a more forgiving recipe.
It's done when the top is golden, the edges are set, and the center still jiggles slightly. A toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center should come out almost clean.
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.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Storing: this cheesecake lasts for several days in the fridge. I ate it after almost a week, and it was delicious. But 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 up to 3 days, well wrapped in plastic wrap.
- Freezing: I don't recommend it as the texture changes quite a bit for my taste. But you can if you want to. Make sure it's well wrapped. I would freeze just one slice to try at first and see how it goes.
- Serving: we like it plain, but, for a more sophisticated presentation, serve it with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries.
- Individual cheesecakes: use small springform pans and reduce the baking time, adjusting to the size of your pans.
Flavor substitutions
- Citrus, use your favorite: lemon, lime, tangerine, a mix of all of them, you name it.
- Ground spices like cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, or 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.
Variation: lemon ricotta cheesecake
I know lemon is a huge favorite when it comes to cheesecakes. So, I'm leaving you the simple way to make this lemon ricotta cake.
- Substitute the orange zest for lemon zest.
- Adding lemon juice: combining 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.
Related recipes you might like:
If you love cheesecakes as much as I do, this is a different recipe that you will love for its versatility (flavorings) and simplicity, lack of crust and easy cutting.
It's a wonderful recipe slightly adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook.
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Baked Ricotta Cheesecake (no crust)
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 a removable bottom and dust with sugar, shaking off excess.
- Mix ricotta, orange zest, and vanilla (if using) in a large bowl. 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, adding the yolks to 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 risk 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.
- Add the beaten egg whites to the ricotta mixture with a spatula in 3 parts, adding the next part after almost incorporating the last part. This way, you don't overmix the whites and they keep some volume.
- After the third part is added, make sure the mixture is combined. Don’t overmix it so it rises well in the oven and has airy texture.
- 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 for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then run a smooth knife around the sides to ensure it is not stuck.
- Let cool completely in the pan before transferring it to the serving plate. I like to wrap the pan in plastic and refrigerate the cheesecake for a few hours or until the next day before eating.
Courtney says
This is definitely authentic! I have a very old recipe from my husband's great grandmother and yours is almost the same, but hers makes a lot more (1 gallon of filling!) and uses anise flavoring and basket cheese. I prefer these to American cheesecake - so much lighter and fluffier!
Colleen Heath says
I use the whole 2 pound container of Ricotta cheese since I didn't want left over. I increased the eggs to 7, however I did not increase the flour. Not sure if I'd increase the flour next time, it as wonderfully light the way it was. I didn't have oranges so no orange vest. But I did have Blood Orange Olive Oil. I used 1 1/2 tsp and the 1/2 tsp vanilla. There was just a hint of blood orange flavor. Next time I will increase the Blood Orange Olive Oil, but not sure by how much yet. I was very pleased how light and airy this cake was. Think I liked it better than New York Cheesecae