Limoncello Ricotta Cheesecake
- Total Time: 7 hours
Description
When Ina Garten puts out a new book, I buy it without even thinking about it (in this case, ‘Cooking for Jeffrey’). And then wouldn’t you know it, my first flip through, I land on this cheesecake, and I have a bottle of limoncello liqueur in the freezer. It was meant to be, and it was very, very tasty. Make sure to pick a cake pan that will fit inside your roaster, as a water bath is required for baking – and as with most cheesecakes, this is a perfect dessert to make (the day) ahead – enjoy!
Ingredients
Limoncello Ricotta Cheesecake
Crust
2 c. graham cracker crumbs AND 2 T. sugar AND 1/2 c. butter, melted
Filling
2 packages (250 g) cream cheese, softened AND 1 1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. ricotta
1/2 c. limoncello liqueur, room temperature AND 1 t. vanilla AND 1 T. lemon zest
6 eggs (Ina called for 5 extra-large, I use large)
extra lemon zest for garnish and berries for serving
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 and lightly spray a 9 x 13 glass cake pan. In a medium bowl, mix together the 3 crust ingredients and then evenly press them into the bottom of your prepared pan – use the back of a measuring cup to make it all perfectly flat. Bake for 8 minutes then set the crust aside to cool.
For the filling, place the cream cheese and sugar into the bowl of your electric mixer (with the paddle attachment) and beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes until the mix is light and fluffy. Add in the ricotta, beat another minute, scraping down the sides as needed, then turn the mixer to low and carefully add in the limoncello, vanilla and zest and beat for another minute.
Next, add in the eggs, 2 at a time, beating in between additions and scraping down the bowl as needed. Continue to mix until the batter is smooth, then pour it carefully over your cooled crust. Place this cake pan inside another larger baking pan or roaster that is large enough to hold your 9 x 13 flat, then fill the gap between pans with the hottest tap water until the water level looks to be about half way up the cheesecake. Carefully place this ‘pan pile’ into the oven and bake for about 50 minutes until the center is almost set (it will still jiggle a titch when you give the pan a gentle shake). Turn off the oven and leave the cake in the water bath, in the oven, for about 15 minutes to prevent the cheesecake from cracking. Remove the cake from the water bath and place it on a rack to cool completely, then cover it tightly and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight. Sprinkle with some extra zest and berries if you wish and serve in large slices!
- Category: Cakes, Cheesecake, Ricotta, Lemon
