Limoncello Ricotta Cheesecake ~ #TheCakeSlice Bakers

The only way cheese is dessert is when it's followed by the word cake.

It is hard to believe that The Cake Slice Bakers have been baking through our current book, The European Cake Cookbook for seven months now.  The time has really flown by and we have all baked some wonderful cakes, many that will be on repeat for a long time to come.

The choices for July were Apricot Almond Dream Cake, Strawberries & Cream Crepe Cake, Limoncello Ricotta Cheesecake, or a Raspberry Princess Torte. As usual two cakes caught my attention immediately, but I decided to go with the cheesecake. I make a lot of cheesecakes but I have never tried making one with ricotta and was really curious to see how it would compare.

I am always surprised when people tell me that they have never made a cheesecake as it is too hard.  This cheesecake, like most that I have made, is a breeze to make. Everything comes together very quickly, especially if you buy graham cracker crumbs rather than pulling out the food processor or rolling pin to crush them.  Just make sure that you really mix in the ricotta cheese after adding it to the bowl. And lastly really wrap the base of the springform pan tightly with foil.  The recipe calls for two layers but I would go with three, only because I pulled away the foil and there was some water in it.  I find it hard to believe that water got in to mine, so it could have been some excess moisture in the ricotta cheese, but it never hurts to have the cheesecake a little more protected when it comes to water baths.

So, the verdict?  Not my favorite I am sorry to say.  I found the ricotta kind of gritty even though I made sure that it was blended until the mixture was smooth, and it did not have enough lemon for my taste.  Of course it is up against my all-time favorite cheesecake to make which is a creamy, dreamy, chocolate chip cheesecake (with a lilikoi as a very close second), so it did have stiff competition. My family seemed to like it, although I am sure it is not going to replace the ones I already make. That being said it you prefer a lighter cheesecake this may be for you, although I would suggest making it in food processor rather than a stand mixer so that you can get a really smooth mixture.

Limoncello Ricotta Cheesecake
Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients
Cheesecake ~

• 130g (1½ cups) graham cracker crumbs (about 10 whole crackers)
• 60g (¼ cup) butter, melted
• 230g (8 oz) mascarpone cheese, softened
• 150g (¼ cup) sugar
• zest from 1 lemon
• 80ml (⅓ cup) limoncello
• 4 large eggs
• 910g (32 oz) whole milk ricotta cheese

Limoncello Cream ~

• 113g (4 oz) mascarpone cheese, softened
• 30ml (2 tablespoons) limoncello
• 240ml (1 cup) heavy cream, chilled
• 40g (3 tablespoons) sugar
• lemon wedges for garnish

Preparation
Cheesecake ~

1. Preheat the oven to 180℃ (350℉)
2. Double wrap the bottom of a 23cm (9-inch) springform pan with foil, in preparation for a water bath.
3. Ready a deep baking dish large enough to accommodate the springform pan.
4. In a large bowl, toss together the cookie crumbs and melted butter until the crumbs are well coated.
5. Transfer the crumbs to the prepared springform pan and use a large spoon to press the crumbs into a firm and even crust.
6. In a stand mixer fitted with the beater blade, cream together the mascarpone, sugar, lemon zest, and limoncello for 1 minute on medium speed.
7. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
8. Add the ricotta cheese last, mixing until well combined.
9. Pour the cheesecake batter over the prepared crust.
10. Prepare a simple water bath by placing the springform pan into the large baking dish and then adding about 2.5cm (1-inch) of water into the pan.
11. Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, 45 minutes to 2 hours; the center should be almost completely set - adding more water during baking if the water evaporates.
12. Turn off the oven once the cake is baked and allow to cool in the oven for 30 minutes before removing from the oven.
13. Place the cake into the refrigerator and cool completely overnight.

Limoncello Cream ~

1. In a small bowl, cream together the mascarpone cheese and limoncello for 1 minute on medium speed.
2. In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer,  whisk the cream and sugar for 4-5 minutes until stiff peaks form.
3. Add the cheese and whisk again for 1 minute.
4. Transfer the cream to a piping bag tipped with a star tip.
5. Garnish the top of the cheesecake with cream and lemon wedges.

Each month The Cake Slice Bakers are offered a selection of cakes from the current book we are baking through. This year it is The European Cake Cookbook by Tatyana Nesteruk. We each choose one cake to bake, and then on the 20th - never before - we all post about our cake on our blogs. There are a few rules that we follow, but the most important ones are to have fun and enjoy baking & eating cakes!

Follow our Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest pages where you can find all of our cakes, as well as inspiration for many other cakes. You can also click on the thumbnail pictures below to take you to each of our cakes. If you have a blog and are interested in joining The Cake Slice Bakers and baking along with us, please send an email to thecakeslicebakers at gmail dot com for more details.

The Cake Slice Bakers also have a new Facebook group called The Cake Slice Bakers and Friends. This group is perfect for those who do not have a blog but want to join in the fun and bake through this book.

Our choices for July 2019 were ~

1. Apricot Almond Dream Cake
2. Strawberries & Cream Crepe Cake
3. Limoncello Ricotta Cheesecake
4. Raspberry Princess Torte

Strawberries & Cream Crêpe Cake

• Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Karen's Kitchen Stories
• A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sweet Sensations 
• A Little Bit of All Right

Limoncello Ricotta Cheesecake

• Camille Cooks
• All That's Left Are The Crumbs

Raspberry Princess Torte

• Amandie Bakes

Apricot Almond Dream Cake

• Note - this cake was not chosen by any group members