Baked Ricotta Cheesecake (no crust)
This 7-ingredient ricotta cheesecake recipe is soft and very creamy. It leaves the most wonderful aroma in your kitchen, lasts several days, and cuts like a dream. A great addition to Mother's Day and Easter brunch tables, small Spring weddings and picnics.
Servings 8 servings
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.
Notes
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 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.
Egg whites: beat the whites to medium-soft peaks; that way, the batter is more fluid and the cake is creamier. Have them at room temperature, that is the way to maximize the volume when they are beaten.
Storing: his ricotta 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. I don't recommend freezing it.
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.
For variations & substitutions read the post above.