Q1: Why did my cheesecake crack?

The two most common culprits are overmixing the eggs (which incorporates too much air) and cooling the cheesecake too quickly. Be sure to mix your eggs in on a low speed, and to follow the recipe's instructions for letting the cheesecake cool down slowly in the turned-off oven.

Q2: What is the difference between this and a New York-style cheesecake?

A classic New York cheesecake is made with all cream cheese , which gives it a very dense, heavy, and tangy texture. This Italian-style cheesecake uses a blend of cream cheese and ricotta , which makes the final texture much lighter, moister, and fluffier.

Q3: Can I make this with a crust?

Yes, absolutely! This beautiful, creamy filling would be fantastic with a classic, graham cracker or a gingersnap crust. Simply press your favorite crust mixture into the bottom of the springform pan before you add the filling.

Q4: My ricotta cheese seems very watery. What should I do?

If you find your brand of ricotta is very watery, a great professional trick is to let it drain in a fine-mesh sieve lined with a cheesecloth for about an hour before you make your filling. This will prevent your final cheesecake from being too wet.

Q5: Do I really need to use a springform pan?

Yes. A springform pan, with its removable sides, is the only way you will be able to successfully unmold and serve this beautiful, tall, and delicate cheesecake.

Italian Ricotta Cheesecake (An Easy, Foolproof Recipe!)

A rich, dense, and creamy Italian-style cheesecake. This from-scratch recipe uses a blend of both cream cheese and ricotta cheese for a unique, slightly lighter texture than a traditional New York cheesecake. The filling is a simple, one-bowl mixture flavored with lemon and vanilla, and is naturally crustless. A key technique involves cooling the cheesecake in the turned-off oven to prevent cracking.

Author: Grace

Ingredients

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (16 ounce) container ricotta cheese
4 large eggs
1 ½ cups white sugar
½ cup butter, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint (2 cups) sour cream

Instructions

Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the softened cream cheese and ricotta cheese together until well combined and smooth.
Add the eggs, sugar, melted butter, flour, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined. Do not overbeat.
Gently stir in the sour cream.
Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
Turn the oven off. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven with the door closed for 1 hour. This step is crucial to prevent the top from cracking.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool completely at room temperature.
Chill the cheesecake completely in the refrigerator (at least 4 hours or overnight) before removing from the pan and serving.

Notes

This is a classic Italian-style cheesecake, which is often denser than a New York-style cheesecake, thanks to the addition of ricotta.
A key technique in this recipe is to cool the cheesecake in the turned-off oven with the door closed. This slow cooling process is the secret to preventing the top from cracking.
Ensure all dairy ingredients (cream cheese, ricotta, eggs, sour cream) are at room temperature before mixing to ensure the smoothest, lump-free batter.
This recipe is for a crustless cheesecake.

Find it online: https://www.eatswithsoul.com/italian-ricotta-cheesecake/