American
Baked Ricotta Cheesecake by Chef Toni Roberts of Torali at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago
- Prep time 20 minutes
- Cook time 1 hour
- Serves 8-10
Author Notes
At the Ritz Carlton Chicago, Chef Toni Roberts’s sweet creations can be found throughout the property. Not only does she serve Italian inspired desserts at Torali Restaurant and Bar, but she also creates all of the breakfast pastries, cookies and confections at The Café. Chef Roberts handles all manners of sweets in the hotel's expansive meeting spaces and ballrooms. Attendees continually rave about her decadent salted chocolate chunk cookies, in addition to her towering wedding cakes. At Torali, the hotel's restaurant, the most popular dessert is the Baked Ricotta Cheesecake. The dish is creamy and flavorful with a touch of sweetness.
Chef Toni is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Notably in her career she received a Jean Banchet Award for Culinary Excellence for Rising Star Pastry Chef, won the Best Dessert Menu award by Pastryscoop.com, and had her dessert selected by TimeOut Chicago as one of the “100 Best Things We Ate This Year.” She also had the privilege to assist Chef Marcus Samuelsson at the White House during his guest chef preparation of the Obama Administration’s first State Dinner.
During her internship with acclaimed Pastry Chef Emily Luchetti at Farralon in San Francisco, an appreciation for seasonality and simplicity was honed. Toni then started her career in Boston at Grill 23 and Excelsior Cuisine and Cocktails. She moved to Chicago to work at Chicago’s C-House before joining theWit Hotel as executive pastry chef, where she oversaw all pastry operations for 9 years.
In her free time, Chef Toni enjoys traveling to recharge in nature and find new food inspiration from local dives to Michelin star dining rooms.
—Food52
Ingredients
-
13 ounces
Cream Cheese at Room Temp
-
8 ounces
Full Fat Ricotta Cheese
-
1 cup
Granulated Sugar
-
3/4 teaspoon
Kosher Salt
-
2 teaspoons
Vanilla Paste or Extract
-
4
Eggs
-
1/2 cup
Heavy Cream
-
1/2 cup
Crém Fraiche
-
1/4 cup
All-purpose flour
Directions
- Pre-heat the oven to 375F. Prep an 8” cake pan by spraying with pan spray and lining the bottom with parchment paper.
- Place everything in a blender and blend smooth.
- Alternatively, place the cream cheese, ricotta, sugar, salt and vanilla paste in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Scrape the side of the bowl between additions.
- Whisk together the heavy cream, crème fraiche, and flour. Blend in the mixture until there are no lumps.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
- Bake (no water bath!) 30-40 minutes until the cheesecake feels set, but still jiggles a bit. Turn the oven off and allow to sit in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature and then chill overnight for best results.
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