Italian Ricotta Cheesecake Recipe
Published October 12, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Sink your teeth into this deliciously tempting authentic Italian Ricotta Cheesecake Recipe with Fresh Figs and Honey. You will love the amazing Ricotta cheese flavor in this tasty cake that is sure to quickly become a family favorite.
Cake is one of my favorite desserts and will all the different kinds, the possibilities are endless. If you are looking to try out some delicious homemade cakes, then you must try my Carrot Cake or my Angel Food Cake.
Ricotta Cheesecake
Ricotta cheesecake is a basic cheesecake recipe where the cream cheese in the cake has been replaced with ricotta cheese. This type of cheesecake has been in Italian cuisine since Roman Times. It’s a lighter more cake-like cheesecake, and with the combination of cream cheese and ricotta, it is creamy and very flavorful.
While most Italian cakes don’t feature fresh fruit or any toppings, they will commonly use candied citron instead. With that being said, I added fresh figs and honey as an added option. You do not have to add this, but the flavor combination is delicious.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Almond Meal – This is used for the crust of the ricotta cheesecake. This is also known as almond flour.
- Sugar – You will use regular sugar in the crust as well as the filling.
- Butter – always use unsalted butter in your cooking and baking so that you control the salt content.
- Cream Cheese – Use full-fat cream cheese.
- Ricotta – I prefer to use whole milk ricotta cheese. If you can get ahold of sheep’s milk ricotta, even better.
- Eggs – Whole large cold or room temperature eggs are used in the filling.
- Vanilla – A little vanilla extract helps to add some flavor to the filling.
- Cornstarch – A small amount of cornstarch is used to help combine and stabilize the filling of the ricotta cheesecake as it cooks.
- Lemon – A little zest and juice will brighten up the flavors in this cake.
How to Make a Ricotta Cheesecake
Place the almond meal, sugar, butter, and salt in a food processor and process on high until the butter is the size of rice. Next, you’ll want to form the almond meal mixture to the bottom of a 9” springform pan to make a crust. Set aside.
In a standing mixer with the whisk attachment on high-speed whip the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Next, add in the ricotta and whip for 4 more minutes. Stop and scrape the bowl to make sure all the filling is getting mixed in. Add 1 egg at a time until completely mixed in. Stop and scrape the bowl again. Finish by adding in the vanilla bean seeds, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cornstarch, and mix until combined.
Pour the batter over the crust and transfer the springform pan to a 13×9 dish or 200 hotel pan. Next, you’ll want to place the pan on the rack in the oven and fill it with water until there is 1” in the pan. Bake for 90 to 100 minutes or until the center is slightly loose when gently giggling it. See the notes below on doneness.
Cool the cake to room temperature on a rack and then cool it completely in the refrigerator. Garnish the top of the cheesecake with fresh sliced figs, toasted almonds, and honey.
Baking in a Water Bath
Doing this will make sure it bakes evenly as well as assist in keeping the cheesecake moist since there will be moisture in the air from the water while baking it. This will also aid in keeping it from cracking on the top.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this cake up to 1 day ahead of time.
How to Store: Store this covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I usually leave it in the springform pan when storing it. This will freeze well covered for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake in the refrigerator for 1 day before serving.
Chef Notes + Tips
- I like to use the backside of a measuring cup to press in the graham cracker crust.
- It will take about 4 to 5 minutes for the cheese to soften in the stand mixer.
- Eggs and fat don’t mix naturally, so when you mix in 1 egg at a time until it is completely mixed in, it guarantees that all your ingredients are mixing. Take your time with this process.
- You can also run a knife around the cake right after baking. If you are doing it after it is chilled, heat the knife, you are using under hot water.
- Cheesecake is usually done when the center reaches 150°.
More Cake Recipes
Italian Ricotta Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups Superfine Almond Meal
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- pinch of salt
- 1 pound of cream cheese
- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 pounds of whole milk ricotta cheese
- 5 eggs
- seeds from 1 vanilla bean
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
- 1 pound of sliced fresh figs
- ½ cup of sliced toasted almonds
- ¼ cup of honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Place the almond meal, sugar, butter, and salt in a food processor and process on high until the butter is the size of rice.
- Form the almond meal mixture to the bottom of a 9” springform pan to make a crust. Set aside.
- In a standing mixer with the whisk attachment on high speed, whip the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Next, add in the ricotta and whip for 4 more minutes. Stop and scrape.
- Add 1 egg at a time until completely mixed in. Stop and scrape.
- Finish by adding in the vanilla bean seeds, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cornstarch, and mix until combined.
- Pour the batter over the crust and transfer the springform pan to a 13×9 pan.
- Place the pan on the rack in the oven and fill it with water until there is 1” in the pan.
- Bake for 90 to 100 minutes or until the center is slightly loose.
- Cool to room temperature on a rack and then cool completely into the refrigerator.
- Garnish the top of the cheesecake with fresh sliced figs, toasted almonds, and honey.
Billy, almost a technical question for you: I made several of these now, and when they’re at 150F temperature they still seem very liquid — sloppy loose all the way to the outside. I’m using standard large eggs to be clear about that. So I’ve been “over baking” and taking it to “too high” temps to reach a “normal” cheesecake consistency (slightly loose at the center). What would you do to remedy this? Trust the process and just stop at 150F? Add extra egg(s)? Or extra cornstarch? Or keep on baking way past 150F so it sets (like I’ve been doing)? Would love to learn your thoughts and wisdom on this.
What’s it like once it’s cooled?
Shoot, I didn’t wrap my springform pan in foil. I wonder if this is going to be the problem the other person is talking about.
How’d it turn out?
Chef Parisi’s recipes never disappoint! I served the cheesecake with honey, chopped roasted almonds, and chopped dark chocolate chips in bowls and my guests could use what they liked. Some of the comments when I served it were – “You made this? I thought it was from a bakery.” “I like this better than regular cheesecake. It is so light.” “I think the almond crust is better than the graham cracker crust.”
Hints: the batter may fill the springform pan almost to the top. Don’t worry. It will be fine. I wrapped the bottom of the springform pan with foil. I looked up the conversion for a vanilla bean and I used 1 Tbsp of vanilla extract. Next time, I will try 1/2 Tbsp because I could not taste the lemon. A hint from another reviewer said to par-bake the crust. I did mine for 10 minutes. I may try 15 next time. I used Publix Greenwise Ricotta. If you have a Publix Grocery Store, this ricotta only has three ingredients. When I make cannoli, I do not have to drain this ricotta overnight.
I’ve had the pleasure of trying several recipes from Chef Billy Parisi, and I must say, he has an exceptional talent for making even the most challenging dishes seem approachable. His detailed guidance and clear instructions make cooking a joy. The recipes have a delightful blend of old-world charm and modern freshness that brings a unique twist to classic dishes.From the creamy, rich ricotta cheesecake to the perfectly crispy pan pizza, and the succulent pan-seared salmon, each dish has been an absolute hit in my household. Chef Billy Parisi’s recipes not only taste delicious but also bring a sense of tradition and innovation to my kitchen. Thank you, Chef, for making cooking such an enjoyable and rewarding experience!
Thank you!
You probably don’t have a big staff to help edit so I hope you’ll forgive me mentioning that a 9″ springform (inner diameter) may not mechanically fit within a 13×9″ pan. Not enough clearance for 9″ to fit inside 9″. I needed to switch to a large baking pan for the outer container.
With that comment done, the cheesecake rocked. I cannot think of a thing I’d want to change and even though I like to do original work of my own I would foresee this appearing from time to time in my rotation. Thanks and respect
I forgot to add that I used my own homemade ricotta. I ran across the recipe a couple years ago. It’s a Sicilian great grandmother recipe recipe. It’s not made with any vinegar and it comes up perfect every time
Amazing!
Thanks for the comment about the internal temperature of the cheesecake when it’s done.. That’s a great heads up.
my pleasure!
the best ever, a new addition to our recipe tradition.
Phenomenal
Cannot find vanilla bean seed. Is there a substitute, like vanilla bean paste?
extract
Can this be started in a cold oven and baked at 325 degree ?
I would follow the instructions as written.
This was the most amazing cheesecake!! Creamy and the lemon vanilla flair was so good!
It was also great to share with my boss was is gluten intolerant!
A win all the way around!!
You never disappoint Chef Billy Parisi!!
Thanks
thanks for giving it a shot!!
I’ve been making Italian cheesecake since the 70s and this one is by far the best! So delicious and creamy.
Love hearing that.
Spectacular!
This recipe was so easy to follow, and the results were great! I’ve made this cheesecake three times now and each time it was perfect and very much praised by my friends. Thank you 🙂
This was delicious. Loved the almond flavor of the crust, though I’ll use the tip to par-bake it next time for a touch of crispness. Fresh figs out of season now, but a few prunes on the side offset the creaminess and the honey/almond topping. Also lasted well in the fridge. Will have to revisit this when there are figs!
Amazing recipe! Made this last night using figs off my brother-in-law’s tree here in Sanremo, Italy and it was a huge hit. The best of both worlds between New York and Italian cheesecakes! Only issue I had is that the crust got a bit soggy, even if the rest of the cake was deliciously moist. Think prebaking the crust would help? Or placing the water bath on a lower oven rack, rather than immersing the pan directly? Grazie ancora for this stunning recipe!
Can I just skip the crust? Not a big fan of crusts.
Anyone try making this dairy free? Sounds so good, thinking of trying it.
This is a stunning cheesecake!! I am planning on making this for Christmas- how far ahead could I make the cheesecake prior to eating?
I mean you could do it a day or two before for sure.
Looks like a great recipe and easy to make. Can’t wait to make it.
Do I need to wrap the spring form pan with foil before placing in waterbath? At what point do I remove the spring form pan from cheesecake? Before or after cooling to room temperature?
Can I use vanilla bean paste instead? If so, how much do you recommend?
Thanks! You can wrap in foil if you’re worried your spring form pan leaks but just to be safe do it anyways. You remove the pan after it has completely cooled. You can use vanilla bean paste, but honestly I’m not sure on a perfect conversion for you, maybe 1/2 teaspoon?
Can you use mascarpon instead of cream cheese?
I’ve never tested it, so I’m not 100% sure.
Mmmm. Looks and sounds decadent. Cheesecakes and pies are my two favorites desserts to make. Pinning this for future inspiration! 🙂
Wow! This cake looks absolutely gorgeous. Pinning it.