How would you make a classic NY cheesecake lighter in texture than the typical recipe

We take cheesecake very seriously in our family- My mom was famous for hers and even made it as a wedding cake substitute:) We find that subbing some cream cheese for Ricotta is a nice variation and does result in a lighter texture when we want something a little less dense.

here is the recipe I use:

5 8oz packages of cream cheese (I used Philadelphia)
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
5 large eggs
2 large egg yokes
1/2 cup heavy cream

I used a a graham cracker crust.

And/or use cream cheese with lower-than-usual fat.

Hey, Coral...thank you!
I'll give that a try...

Hi Mone! For a lighter cheesecake (that otherwise adheres to a typical NY cheesecake recipe), instead of incorporating the eggs whole into the filling, try whipping the whites to stiff peaks (with 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar) separately, and folding them into the egg-yolk-and-cream-cheese filling. For an ultra ultra fluffy cheesecake, maybe you're looking for a Japanese-style one? https://food52.com/recipes/75515-japanese-cheesecake-regular-chocolate-cherry