Lemony Ricotta Cheesecake

Cheesecake is very refreshing, but also decadent enough to finish your meal feeling satisfied yet not too full. The following cheesecake recipe is using French meringue to lighten up the cheesecake texture which can be too dense otherwise, with all that ricotta and cream cheese.

If you like berry compote with your cheesecake, I would recommend strawberry-rhubarb compote: the right balance of sweetness and tanginess makes it a perfect match for cheesecake. Please click here to see how to make strawberry-rhubarb compote.

Since the following recipe requires final chilling time of (at least) 8 hours before serving, it would be better to bake the cheesecake a day before you want to serve.

Lemony Ricotta Cheesecake

(Yield: one 8-inch cake / Cooking time: 2 hours)
* 2 hours' cooking time does not include final cooling time, which takes at least 8 hours. However, actual hands-on working time is only 30 minutes, and 2 hours are mostly baking and cooling time.


Ingredients:

Cake Batter
+ 16oz cream cheese
+ 16oz fresh ricotta
+ lemon zest from one lemon
+ 2 Tbsp lemon juice
+ 3 Tbsp honey
+ 1/2 cup sugar
+ 3 eggs (yolks and whites separated)
+ 1/4 tsp cream of tartar


Bottom Crust
+ 7oz dry cookies (lemon wafer cookies, lemon snaps, or graham crackers)
+ 4 Tbsp unsalted butter



Procedures:
1. Preheat your oven at 350°F (177°C), and line a springform pan with parchment paper.


2. First, grind 7oz cookies with a food processor. Melt four tablespoons of butter and pour the melted butter over the cookie crumbs. Pulse the food processor a few more times to incorporate the melted butter into cookie crumbs.


3. Pour the melted butter + cookie crumbs mixture to the springform pan from #1. Press the mixture really firmly to the bottom of the springform pan with hands or a wide spoon. Spread and press the mixture as flat as possible. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Take out the springform pan from the oven and cool the baked crust completely, for about 25 minutes.


4. While the bottom crust is cooling, mix all the following ingredients: cream cheese, ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, sugar (reserve 2 Tbsp for French meringue) and egg yolks. Please make sure all the ingredients are room temperature before mixing. You can either use a food processor, a whisk, or a stand mixer. Just make sure it is smooth like thick batter. Set aside.


5. Make meringue with egg whites. In a clean bowl, with a clean balloon whisk, whip room temperature egg whites until you can see foam. Add 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar and continue whipping. When the egg whites double in volume, sprinkle 2 Tbsp sugar gradually in 3-4 batches while whipping the egg whites. Egg whites start gaining more volume as sugar is added. Whip the egg whites until it reached to stiff peaks. This is "French meringue", the shiny velvety egg white foam. To watch a video how to make French meringue, please refer to the video about macaron baking that I posted before.


6. Fold the meringue into the mixture from #4.


7. When the springform pan is completely cooled, wrap the springform pan with cooking foil and place in a roasting pan. The reason to wrap the pan with cooking foil is to prevent (1) both cheesecake batter (2) and the water bath from leaking when you bake the cheesecake.


8. Pour #6 cheesecake batter over the baked crust, and flatten the top surface.


9. Boil a pot of water. Pull out an oven rack little bit and place the roasting pan with springform pan filled with cheesecake batter on the oven rack. Pour the boiling hot water in the roasting pan halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Push the rack carefully into the oven. Please be careful not to splash the water into the cake pan.


10. Bake the cheesecake until the top is slightly golden brown and the center is just set and jiggles slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.


11. Take out the springform pan from the roasting pan, and remove the cooking foil. Place the springform pan on a cooling rack to cool the cheesecake until the cheesecake is cooled enough to put in a fridge. Cover the springform pan and refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours.


12. When the cake is cooled enough, slide a paring knife between the cake and the side of springform, and make a gap all around between the wall of the pan and the cake. Remove the springform and cut the cheesecake into wedges and serve with strawberry-rhubarb compote for your preference. To make clean cut, dip your knife in hot water, wipe out the water with dry towel before cutting the cake into wedges.


Enjoy~