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Prep time
20 minutes
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Cook time
2 hours 15 minutes
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makes
one 9-inch or 10-inch cake
Author Notes
When my husband and I first started dating we were regulars at a restaurant in Millwood, New York where the owner made the best ricotta cheesecake I’d ever tasted. I never had the nerve to ask him for the recipe—some things are just not done—but I was determined to try to make it at home. So, I began with a recipe from a trusted source, Nick Malgieri, and played with the ingredients and the method until I came up with this, which is the closest I’ve come to the original. It’s delicate and light: a perfectly simple yet elegant finale for just about any dinner menu.
It’s best when made a day ahead and chilled before being brought back to room temperature for serving. If you’re short on time, you can make the cake early on the day you want to serve it. Just be sure it cools down completely before you cut into it. —Margot Mustich
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Ingredients
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3 pounds
whole milk ricotta cheese (for best results, use Polly-O
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scant ½ cups
all-purpose flour
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1 cup
granulated sugar
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1 pinch
fine sea salt
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8
large eggs
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1 tablespoon
pure vanilla extract
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1 tablespoon
Amaretto di Saronno
Directions
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Take the ricotta cheese and the eggs out of the refrigerator at least an hour beforehand to bring them to room temperature.
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Butter and flour a 9- or 10-inch springform pan. Cut a 14-inch square piece of aluminum foil. Turn the pan upside down and wrap the foil over the bottom of the pan and partway up the sides. (This will prevent any leaks from dripping down and burning on the bottom of the oven.) Invert the pan again and set aside.
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Preheat the oven to 400° F.
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Stir the ricotta cheese in a large mixing bowl by hand with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula until smooth.
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Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Add this to the ricotta and stir until blended.
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Add the eggs, one at a time, and stir slowly and evenly until smooth, all the while trying not to incorporate too much air into the batter. Add the vanilla extract and the Amaretto and stir well.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Lift the pan and tilt in a circular motion to allow the batter to come up to the top edge of the pan all around. Then, holding the pan level again above a clear work surface, let the pan drop down onto the counter to settle the batter into the pan.
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Bake on the center rack of the oven for ten minutes at 400° F. Lower the oven temperature to 325° F, and bake for one hour. Remove the pan from the oven. Move the oven rack to the top third of the oven. Replace the cake pan to the top rack and bake for another 45 to 60 minutes, until the top is good and brown and a paring knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
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Transfer the pan to a rack to cool completely. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
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Unmold the cake from the pan when the cake is cold. Use a long metal spatula or a table knife to trace a clean line between the side of the cake and the inside of the pan. Then loosen the clasp on the outside of the pan and lift the metal ring off. Leave the cake on the pan base, and let it sit, loosely covered, at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours before serving.
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Serve as is or garnished with fresh berries in season.
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