This 7-ingredient Italian cheesecake recipe (no crust, no cream cheese) is a fantastic dessert. With over forty 5-star reviews, it leaves the most wonderful aroma in your kitchen as it comes out of the oven. It's very creamy but doesn't need to be fussed over like a classic cheesecake, lasts for several days, and cuts like a dream.
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Unique Italian dessert
Some years ago, I would've said that if it didn't have cream cheese, it couldn't be called a cheesecake, period. My recipe was simple and classic, with no flour or cornstarch. Nowadays, I'm more flexible (or more mature, lol) and don't need to be such a purist. And the cheesecake recipes in this blog can attest to that, including a wonderful American-style ricotta cheesecake.
My strong Italian heritage and food culture make me love all things ricotta. And this recipe today is more in tune with a no-crust Sicilian cheesecake. Everyday staples and no complicated technique; except for beating the egg whites separately, you just mix everything without much fuss.
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.
- Jojo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Without a doubt, this is one of the best ricotta cakes I've ever eaten and made outside of my childhood growing up as an Italian; very Impressive. And if you've ever had my family's, that's saying a lot. Thank you.
- Dana ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I never leave reviews. But this seriously came out amazing!! Great recipe. Thank you !!!
- Carolyn ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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.
Testing 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.
Beat the whites until they form medium peaks
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 covered in plastic wrap.
I don't recommend freezing 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.
Individual cheesecakes: use small springform pans and reduce the baking time, adjusting to the size of your pans.
Ingredients
Quantities are listed in the recipe card toward the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands I use.
- Ricotta: use regular, full-fat, whole-milk ricotta cheese. Though it can work with reduced-fat cheese, the texture will not be as rich.
- Fresh citrus zest: I used orange for this one, but lemon works very well. Freshly grated makes a difference.
Type of ricotta cheese to use
Ricotta is a soft, grainy cheese made from cow's milk. It's creamy, moist, and has an almost sweet taste.
I use regular soft ricotta, which is sold in supermarkets and specialty stores, for all of my recipes. 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, the textures and flavors of 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.
Ricotta vs. 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 before processing.
How to make a ricotta cheesecake
- It does not require a water bath.
- Separating the egg yolks from the whites might be the only part that takes a little more time.
Ricotta mixture
The ricotta and rest of the ingredients, except for the egg whites, are mixed in a large bowl with a hand whisk.
The whites are beaten separately and then added at the last moment. They give the cheesecake a light texture.
Egg whites
Have them at room temperature and use an electric mixer. It's the way to maximize the volume.
How stiff should you beat them? I recommend medium peaks that are still unctuous so 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.
Prepare the pan
It has to be buttered and coated with sugar, shaking off the excess. It will create a wonderful crust as it bakes.
How do you know when the cheesecake is done?
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. Let it cool and refrigerate for a few hours before cutting.
If you're a fan of 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.
Flavor substitutions
- Citrus: use your favorite. Lemon, lime, tangerine, or a mix.
- Ground spices and citrus, like cinnamon or pumpkin spice mix with orange zest. Cardamom or nutmeg with lemon zest.
- Extracts: coffee, aniseed, almond, or maple are good on their own or with a spice.
- Liquors like Cointreau or Grand Marnier (orange), Frangelico (hazelnut), Amaretto (almond), Limoncello (lemon), or any other sweet or fruity one you like.
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.
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Baked Italian Ricotta Cheesecake (no crust)
Ingredients
To prepare the pan:
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, approximately, to grease the pan
- 2 tablespoons white sugar, approximately, to coat the pan
For the ricotta cheesecake batter:
- 1 ½ pounds whole milk ricotta, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons orange zest, from about 2 oranges
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 eggs, at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Butter a 9-inch round cake pan with a removable bottom and dust with 2 tablespoons white sugar, shaking off excess.
- In a large bowl, mix 1 ½ pounds whole milk ricotta, 2 tablespoons orange zest, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. You can beat this for a minute or so if you want a smoother texture. I don't do it.
- Add the ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ⅜ cup white sugar(eyeball half the amount), ¼ teaspoon salt and mix well.
- Separate 6 eggs, one by one, adding the 6 yolks to the bowl with the ricotta mixture and the 6 whites to 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. The whites should not have even the tiniest bit of yolk, since it will prevent them from beating as they should.
- Beat the egg whites for 30 seconds and gradually add ⅜ cup white sugar (remaining sugar) while beating at medium speed. Keep on beating at high speed until it foams and triples in volume, and it forms medium-soft peaks 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 an 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 the oven and let the pan cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then run a smooth knife around the sides to ensure it is not stuck. Then, let it cool completely in the pan, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 2-3 hours before transferring it to the serving plate and cutting. I like to make it the day before and keep it wrapped and refrigerated until ready to serve.
tom lenfestey says
Thought it was sugar free
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Tom, most of my sweet recipes have sugar. If you specifically want sugar-free bakes, there are dedicated sites you can look up. They should have tested recipes that can work for you.
Mel says
Does the ricotta get strained?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Mel, you can if it’s too watery.
Bill Kraemer says
Best cheesecake ever!
Jojo Baker says
Without a doubt. This is one of the best ricotta pies I’ve ever eaten and made outside of my childhood growing up as an Italian, very Impressive. And, if you’ve ever had my family’s, that’s saying a lot. Thank you.
Dana Licari says
This was so delicious!!! Thank you for this!! Definitely making again!! I made with lemons and wow!!
Dana says
I never leave reviews. But this seriously came out amazing!! Great recipe. Thank you !!!
Eileen says
Delicious recipe, tried once with a crust and twice without and it’s better without. I served one with strawberries, another time with raspberries on outer edge and raspberry jam on top of the cooled cheesecake.
Maria says
Easy,Easy.. a winner with the family.and keto with small substitutions
retrolady says
my husband loves this cake i make it at least once a month very very light and not to sweet!!
Amanda says
Fabulous . I tweaked a little, but then again I do that with everything.
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