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Ricotta Cheesecake with Fresh Raspberries
With cream cheese, ricotta cheese and a ground almond crust, the cake is a hybrid between an American & Italian-style cheesecake.
Doesn’t this cheesecake look like it belongs in an Italian pastry shop window? The recipe was inspired by the “Obsessive Ricotta Cheesecake” in Gina DePalma’s Dolce Italiano, Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen, one of the best cookbooks I’ve come across in a long, long time.
Made with cream cheese, ricotta cheese, and a ground almond crust, the cake is a hybrid between an American-style cheesecake and an Italian-style cheesecake. The fruit topping is my addition; the tart sweetness of the jam and fresh raspberries is the perfect contrast to the cake, which isn’t overly sweet.
The best part is that it’s easy to make: unlike most cheesecakes, you don’t have to worry about the top cracking (or fuss with a water bath) because it all gets covered with fruit anyway.
What you’ll need to Make Ricotta cheesecake
What you’ll need to Make the Raspberry Topping
How to make Ricotta cheesecake
Start by spraying a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Dust with flour and tap out any excess.
For the crust, combine the almonds, flour, sugar and salt in a food processor.
Process until the nuts are finely chopped.
In a separate small bowl, combine the melted butter with the vanilla and egg yolk.
Add the liquid mixture to the nut mixture.
Process until the mixture is well combined. It will look moistened and crumbly.
Dump the mixture into the prepared pan.
And press into an even layer. You can use your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup.
Chill the crust in the freezer for about 10 minutes, then bake at 325°F for 10-15 minutes, until lightly golden.
Meanwhile, make the filling.
Add the cream cheese, sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Process until soft and creamy, about 1 minute.
Add the ricotta and process until the mixture is smooth and light, another 2 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for about 10 seconds after each addition.
Add the vanilla, amaretto, cornstarch and orange zest.
Process for a few seconds to combine.
Pour the filling on top of the baked crust.
And bake for about 50 minutes, until the outside is set and the center is jiggly but not liquid.
It will sink and crack a bit as it cools — that’s okay since it all gets covered with fruit anyway. Let it cool completely, then chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Before serving, spread the raspberry jam over top of the cheesecake, leaving a small border around the edges.
Arrange the raspberries neatly on top.
Then dust lightly with Confectioners’ sugar.
Serve and enjoy!
Note: I made a few changes to DePalma’s cake recipe: I used raw slivered almonds instead of toasted sliced almonds for the crust; I made the filling in a food processor instead of a mixer; and I added a raspberry jam and fresh raspberry topping.
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Ricotta Cheesecake with Fresh Raspberries
With cream cheese, ricotta cheese and a ground almond crust, the cake is a hybrid between an American & Italian-style cheesecake.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 3/4 cup slivered almonds
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Filling
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature (preferably Philadelphia brand)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 32-ounce tub (about 4 cups) whole milk ricotta (do not use low fat)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon amaretto (rum or Grand Marnier may be substituted)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons orange zest, from one orange
For the Topping
- 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam, best quality
- 8 ounces (about 2-1/2 cups) fresh raspberries (you'll need a pint but you'll have extra)
- Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray; dust it evenly with flour and tap out any excess.
- To make the crust: place the almonds, flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Process until the nuts are finely chopped and the mixture looks sandy. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, cooled melted butter and vanilla. Add the liquid mixture to the nut mixture and pulse several times until the ingredients are well combined, moistened and crumbly. Dump the mixture into the prepared pan and, using your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup, press into an even layer. Place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes (or the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes) to chill; then bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden. Let cool on a wire rack.
- Meanwhile, make the filling: Combine the cream cheese, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Process until soft and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the ricotta and process until the mixture is smooth and light, another 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, processing for 5-10 seconds between each addition. Add the vanilla, amaretto, cornstarch and orange zest and process until mixture is just combined (do not overmix).
- Pour the filling into the crust, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake the cheesecake for about 50 minutes, until the top is lightly golden, the edges are set and the center is quite jiggly but not totally liquid (it will continue to cook as it cools). Carefully remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack. It will sink a bit -- that's okay. Once cool, If necessary, run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the cake to make sure it's not sticking to the sides (which can cause cracks as it cools), then cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to cool for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- For the topping: After the cake has chilled, spread the raspberry jam evenly over the top of the cheesecake, leaving a 3/4-inch border around the edge of the cake (essentially, the jam goes on the sunken part of the cake). Place the raspberries evenly over top. Using a fine sieve, dust the top of the cake with Confectioners' sugar. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- For serving: Remove the sides of the springform pan. Serve the cheesecake right from the base of the pan; or, to transfer it to a serving platter, run a long, thin spatula between the crust and the pan bottom, and then use two large spatulas to carefully transfer the cheesecake to a serving dish. Slice with a sharp knife, wiping the knife clean between slices. The cake keeps well for several days.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cheesecake may also be frozen without the topping for up to 3 months. To freeze: place the cake in the freezer briefly, unwrapped, to firm it up. Then double-wrap it tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator the night before you plan to eat it. Prepare the topping prior to serving the cheesecake.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 382
- Fat: 23g
- Saturated fat: 12g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Sugar: 22g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 13g
- Sodium: 207mg
- Cholesterol: 126mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Reviews & Comments
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This was a really light cheesecake. I didn’t add the amaretto, but the cheesecake had a nice orangey flavor. I also served it with just fresh raspberries on top which was good, but next time I will add the raspberry jelly.
Hi Jen,
I made the ricotta raspberry cheesecake with my daughter. I use cornflour instead of cornstarch, Minus amaretto biscuits and did a sour cream topping instead of jam. The cake turned out nice and tasty. Thank you for sharing your receipe.
My first cheesecake! It was actually pretty easy and turned out quite delicious. Notes: I had only whole almonds for the crust, which made the crust a bit more coarse than I would have liked. Try to get the slivered almonds, or chop more before adding anything else to the mix. Mine cooked about 60-65 minutes and then I let it sit in the oven for another 15. Cooled and chilled for 24 hours. It is very dense, but it had a nice smoothness to it. Just delicious. Jenn, I always love your recipes and appreciate your interaction with your chefs!
Awesome it’s tasty and magnificent 👌. I hope others take this advice and keep on sharing to others and doing it. And of you make some send it to me @[email protected]
Hi Jenn,
Came out great. My 1st time ever making a cheesecake! Baked it 55 minutes @ 325 degrees. A tip I learned from an Italian cooking class about store-bought Ricotta Cheese (yes, only use whole milk ricotta) — drain overnight in fridge in a colander placed over a shallow plate or pan to catch liquid. Can line colander with cheesecloth or use fine mesh colander/strainer or just leave as is in colander. Next day (optional), push ricotta through colander with a spatula for xtra smoothness; will look like cottage cheese and much easier to do than it sounds. This may help the batter from being too liquid & keep baking at recommended time, for those who had to bake it much longer.
Pretty good, overall, and thank you. It took way longer than 50 minutes to bake! I did a combination of almonds and walnuts for the crust, which worked out nicely. Not having Grand Marnier, I substituted orange juice from an organic orange. Nice texture, of course once it chills.
Hi Jenn, if I was to use a 20 cm/8 inch cake pan, how it is going to impact the baking time or cake texture?
I don’t understand how some other users cake give you 1 star … your recipes are all really good!
Hi Janice, if you want to use an 8-inch cake pan, I’d cut all of the ingredients by 1/3. Bake time may be slightly different so keep a close eye on it. (Keep in mind that It will be a little more challenging to get pieces out of the pan to serve, but it is doable.) Hope you enjoy!
I hated this cheesecake. The amount of Ricotta and the little amount of Philly make this a very wet recipe with the combination of the eggs. What you end up with is a pretty gross dessert. If you read the last bit about how you have to refrigirate it a minimum of 4 hours, it becomes clear that this is to save the dessert as an afterthought. Although it makes it a bit sturdier, that’s not the point. It does not taste good at all. It is super crumbly and there is way too little sugar, so you end up with a flat soufle with both the texture and the flavour busted. I wonder how many of the alleged 150+ five star reviews actually made this.
I made it and it was great.
This is my go to desert for a wow. Easy to make and it is so good!!!
I made this today and it was fantastic! No issues at all. A confident (and legit 🙂 ) 5 stars!!!
Hello! I just baked this cheesecake for my mom’s 99th birthday. It was the hit of the evening.
This was a great surprise to me as it took 45 minutes longer than the prescribed 50 minutes to bake. It was closer to completely liquid until maybe 30 minutes longer – at which point I thought: “if it doesn’t congeal to some degree by two hours of baking I’m calling it quits!” But by some seeming miracle fifteen minutes later it was ready. (It could have just been that the oven’s temperature was off…) Anyway it tasted great! Light yet substantial. I used a fresh strawberry sauce instead of raspberries which is my mom’s favorite style of cheesecake. Thanks so much for the combo ricotta/cream cheese recipe. I’ll definitely make it again!
So strange that it took that long to bake! Happy to hear that, in the end, it turned out well. And happy 99th (wow!) birthday to your mom! 🙂
Ours took 45 minutes longer as well 🤷♀️
It took a long time to bake – 50 mins + 45 mins total just so the center would not be jiggly.
Just made this and brought it to work this morning, and it is gone 1.5 hours later! Really delicious, and it looks stunning. I made it using homemade ricotta, which worked beautifully (I used Ina Garten’s recipe on Food Network and doubled it, which made more than enough for this cake). The only thing is that it definitely took longer than 50 minutes, I baked mine for more like 60-65 and the center was still quite jiggly when taken out of the oven, but it set up very nicely. Will definitely make again!
Hi !
I was wondering if I could use pressed cottage cheese(10%) and a bit of sour cream instead of the ricotta cheese. I’m trying to avoid stores.
Hi Linda, I haven’t tried it this way so it’s hard to say for sure but cheesecake is pretty finicky so I wouldn’t recommend it — sorry!
I’m looking forward to making this, however, I’m hoping to use a homemade cherry topping instead of the jam/raspberry combination. Do you think cherry will be an appropriate flavor compliment to the amaretto and orange in the cheesecake? If not, do you think making this a vanilla cheesecake would work?
Definitely, Jane – sounds delish!
Could I omit the orange and amaretto and add lemon instead? I love the lemon taste…how much of lemon peel , lemon juice or lemon extract?
Sure, Rita, Depending on how lemony you want it to taste, you can replace the amaretto with an equivalent amount of lemon juice and the vanilla extract with lemon extract. And I’d recommend using about 2 tsp. of lemon zest. I’d love to hear how it turns out with these tweaks!
OMG i just made this cake. It was amazing!!! so yummy. I had so many people tell me how amazing the cake taste. If I can attach a picture I would show you how beautiful this cake turned out. I didn’t even have any cracks on the cake top at all. The slight orange flavour just elevated the taste to a whole different level.
Very very happy with this recipe and how it turned out. I would recommend it to anyone who is trying to make a baked cheesecake.
I am making this for a party, and was not sure about the temp for the cake. I know the crust was 325 but I couldn’t find the temp for the actual cake. I googled it and there are many different temps listed depending if there was a water bath or the size of the pan etc. Mine did not turn out brown on top or sides. I pray the whole thing turns out in the end. If not I will still try and get it right but would be helpful having an accurate temp so I am not guessing and playing with the knob. Thanks
Hi Kathy, The whole cheesecake cooks at 325°F; browning will vary so I would take it out when it is set around the edges but still a bit jiggly in the center. Hope that helps!
Not only is this cheesecake easy to make but it is cafe quality! I will definitely be making this many times again in future. Love it!
Dear Jenn,
I made your New York-style cheesecake 15 or 20 times… and now I tried this one. I have to eat gluten free, so I use rice flour, and it works perfectly well. Everything turned out perfect already on first try ! 🙂 This recipe is already a classic, a valeur sûre… Thanks for sharing ! 🙂
Best regards from Europe,
Amélie
What do you think about roasted apricots and apricot jam instead of the raspberries?
Sure, Lee Ann, that should work. Hope you enjoy!
Jenn,
Could I make this with 100% ricotta and leave out the cream cheese?
I wouldn’t recommend it, Ilona — the cake will be a little dry and grainy with only ricotta.
Hi Jenn- can I make this cheesecake without the crust? I’m trying to cut out pie crusts where I can. Thanks-
Hi Diane, I’ve never made this without a crust but suspect that it would work. It may be a little bit more challenging to serve, though. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Hello, I plan on freezing this cake for a few weeks. Should I cool it in the fridge first? And (this is probably a silly question but…) should I remove it from the pan before putting it in the freezer?
Thanks much
PS. I will rate the recipe after I serve it on Christmas. Sounds great and easy.
Hi Roxane, The cheesecake should be cooled completely in the fridge before freezing. And, after you’ve placed the cheesecake in the freezer for a little while to let it firm up, I’d suggest removing the sides of pan and then double wrapping it tightly in foil or placing it in a heavy-duty freezer bag. Hope that helps and that everyone enjoys!
Jenn, I’m looking for a cheesecake recipe that yields a VERY dense cheesecake, a la Katz’s Deli in New York. Is this the one? Thanks!
Actually, I would recommend this one instead. Hope you enjoy!
Can i use a blender instead of food processor????
Hi Amber, I’m not sure a blender will be powerful enough to mix this filling (since there isn’t a lot of liquid) but you can give it a shot.
How’s about not only providing a picture of the ingredients, but also listing all of the exact amounts for each of the components. One could easily misjudged by the photo & add too much or too little. Would love to make this but not unless I have precise measurements.
Thanks very much. I’m sure many others will appreciate that too!
Hi Sandi, If you click on the recipe tab at the top, you’ll find the exact quantities. Sorry for any confusion!
I’m going to make this tonight for my daughter’s birthday as we’re Italian and we know our cheesecake!! Here’s how I cool all ricotta cheesecakes I have made its an old kitchen trick for cheeesecakes After it cooks turn oven off and leave the oven door ajar held with a wooden spoon till cake is completely cool before taking out of the oven Works every time !!!
Hi Jenn
I made this a few months ago and it turned out perfect. Although it was a big hit my husband thought the crust was not enough.
Can I double the quantity of the crust?
Sure, I think it would work. You may need to bake the crust for just a few minutes longer.
Finally a ricotta cheesecake that worked for me! This recipe is a keeper. I made my mother in law a ricotta cheesecake for a past birthday with another recipe from someone else and after two attempts in the same day with another grocery run in between I was disappointed to serve a grainy mess. This year I redeemed myself with this recipe and it was not only easy to make, but it was delicious. I cooked it for just over an hour and think it would have been perfect with another 5 minutes after cutting into it, but different ovens have different results and that’s just me being critical, everyone loved it and it still sliced well. I used strawberry preserves for the top because of a raspberry allergy but I still decorated with alternating circles of raspberries and blueberries and served it with sliced strawberries on the side. I recommend that you powder with the sugar shortly before serving as it looks best right after you do it. OXO has a tea ball that works really well for this and is easy to bring along in a bag with a little powdered sugar in it if you are traveling with this dessert. You can taste the orange zest in this recipe and I did not find the crust to be bland as other reviews had commented. My husband’s grandmother was even visiting from Italy and gave this recipe her stamp of approval 🙂
Hello, can I not add the cornstarch, amaretto and orange zest? Or will there be a problem with the texture of the cheesecake?
HI Asma, I think it’s fine to omit both the orange zest and amaretto. If you want to omit the cornstarch, I’d suggest replacing it with an equivalent amount of flour. Hope you enjoy!
I made this cheese cake for my husbands 50th birthday and it was a huge hit. Hubby loved it and my father in law said, it was the best cheese cake he’s ever had. Will make this again. Thank you!
Glad everyone enjoyed – happy 50th to your husband!
my cheesecake is cooling in the pan. looks great.
do I remove it from the pan before placing it in the refrigerator overnight? thanks
Hi Donna, sorry I’m probably getting back to you too late, but it’s best to keep the sides on the pan until right before serving. Hope it turned out nicely!
Read all the great reviews so want to try and make this tomorrow. I don’t have a food processor – can I use a blender or hand held immersion blender instead?
Unfortunately, it won’t work without one, Heidi – I’m sorry!
Jenn!!!!please check your metric conversions. I live in the U.K. where we can only buy metrically. Imagine my surprise when I spent all morning making this for guests only to pour out a watery liquid into the crust because you understated the ricotta by 2/3 !!! I added another 250 grams and had an extra packet of cream cheese but I’m still out by 250 grams. 1 32 ounce packet is NOT 227 grams it’s almost 900 grams . I am so annoyed .
I am SO sorry, Lee Ann! I try my best to make sure the recipes are all accurate, and I do have checks in place, but we’re not perfect. I have corrected this and hope you were able to salvage dessert. So sorry again!
I did but I imagine the one with correct ingredients would be fabulous. Will try but sticking with your US measurements from now on and converting😉
One pound= 454 grams. 32 oz. is two pounds, or 908 grams. LeeAnn, I used to live in London and was always reversing the calculations! I also had the mystery of converting gas marks to Fahrenheit. Yikes! 🙂
So I’ve put up several reviews from my Christmas dinner and appropriately end with this dessert recipe. I’ve made many delicious cheesecake recipes and my family agreed this is by far the best. Your recipe adds the orange flavor that is like flavor fireworks on the tounge and who doesnt like that!! And it’s just beautiful with the added raspberries not Ron mention the flavor combo worth the orange. As with the other recipes, I’ll def make this again. Thank you for your great tastes!
Delicious! This is a delightful ricotta cheesecake. I followed the recipe precisely (except for baking time).
The orange flavor was delicate, and the fresh raspberries provided a delightful taste/texture contrast. I made this two days ahead for our dinner party, and it held beautifully.
I will absolutely make this dessert again.
I did find that in my oven, using a double-walled cake pan, the cake required significantly more than 50 minutes baking time.
Ah! I should have mention this as well in my review. I also needed to cook it for an additional 20 min in a water bath but it was beautiful and no cracking.
Hi Jen,
Can this Ricotta cheesecake be frozen?
Yep!
I don’t think the problem is your recipe, but mine came out very grainy and I am very dissapointed. I just grabbed the only brand of ricotta they had at the market without researching and I believe it to be the fault of bad quality ricotta. Maybe you could suggest a brand or two you like? I am sure homeade would be superior, but then that greatly adds to the time & effort.
Hi Marcy, Sorry to hear the texture wasn’t right for you. I use Galbani ricotta cheese. Hope that helps!
You have listed 325 degrees to bake the shell but at what temperatire do I bake the filing for 50 minutes. I don’t see the oven temperature listed any where in your recipe. Do I bake the filling for 60 minutes at 325, 350 or what? If it’s 325 degrees for the shell & the filling it should be stated in this recipe.
Hi, Sorry if you found the recipe to be unclear. Both the crust and the filling get baked at 325 degrees. Hope that clarifies!
He Jenn—-I’ve never had a recipe of yours that hasn’t been amazing. Thanks for your mad skills!
A question. I’m trying to avoid going to the grocery store. I know your recipe says full-fat ricotta, but all I have on hand is part-skim. Will it still work? I’ve loved baking with what’s on hand these past few weeks!
So glad you’ve had success with the recipes! 🙂 You can get away with using part-skim ricotta here; it won’t be quite as rich and creamy but it should work. Hope you enjoy!
After reading all of the positive feedback I decided to use this recipe as my base for a gluten/sugar free cake. I substituted almond flour for the flour and a homemade Truvia (xylitol and stevia) for the sugar. Absolutely delicious! Great texture and taste! Thank you!
I made this cheesecake for my Italian friends and they told me it brought back memories of their Italian grandmother. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Jenn, this is one of the easiest cheesecakes I’ve ever made..loved using the food processor for the whole recipe. I ended up adding 20 minutes to the cooking time, but I think it’s because I used extra large eggs rather than large. The centre was pretty jiggly when I took it out of the oven, but it did firm up as you promised. Made the cake Saturday, had it for dessert Sunday, but worth the wait! Not too sweet, really nice texture, not too heavy like regular cheesecakes. The only thing I would change is the crust, there wasn’t enough of it and thought it was bland. Other than that, another keeper! When is your cookbook coming out Jenn? I’m running out of space in my recipe binder lol
Glad you enjoyed it, Glenda. Cookbook is coming out in the spring!
The cheesecake is good, especially considering that it is lower in calories than a traditional cheesecake. That said, I missed the smooth, creamy mouth feel that a cheesecake recipe with more cream cheese delivers. Likewise, I was a little disappointed that the almond flavor wasn’t more pronounced. Perhaps it was the brand of Amaretto that I purchased, but the orange flavor over-shadowed the almond. Loved the raspberry topping using Smucker’s seedless raspberry jam. Easy and delicious! Will probably make the recipe again as it is a good lower fat option, but for a “cheesecake to impress,” I’ll continue to turn to my NY-style cheesecake recipes.
I love this version of a traditional ricotta cheesecake; it is lower in sugar than most and has a nice “cheese” flavor unlike many. A friend of mine made this with a baking sugar substitute and she tells me it was even more delicious because she knew it wouldn’t make her blood sugar spike!!!! Thanks Jenn!!!!
no measure amounts of ingredients what are they
Hi Toni, It sounds like you are just looking at the portion of the page that has the pictures with some instructions underneath. If you scroll down a bit to under the pictures, you’ll find the full recipe. Alternatively, at the very top of the page, you can click the “recipe” button right under the recipe title.
Awesome. Easy. Delicious. Beautiful. Came out perfect on the first try. Substituted pecans for almonds in crust and Cointreau for Amaretto in filling. This will be a regular holiday dessert fo us.
I made the cheesecake for Easter and it looked and tasted wonderful. My only complaint is that I substituted 1/2 c. almond flour for ground almonds as recommended in another comment and the crust was both tasteless and soggy after a few hours.
I don’t understand why you would rate this recipe less based on the fact that you altered the recipe as posted.
Your rating is on the other comment then, no?
I am planning to make this for Easter. Can I use Almond flour instead of the slivered almonds. Also, could I leave out the Amaretto and use fresh lemon juice instead? Thanks. I look forward to making this recipe
Hi Karen, You could substitute almond flour here, but it would be less than 3/4 cup (as the once the almonds are chopped in the food processor, they take up less volume). I think you’d need about half that much almond flour. And you can just omit the amaretto, but if you’d prefer to substitute lemon juice for it, that should be fine too. Lmk how it turns out!
Everyone loved this recipe! It’s a picture perfect cheesecake. Another great recipe!
Thank you
Another fabulous recipe! I made this to take to a dinner where there were gluten issues, so I substituted rice flour in the crust. It was a huge hit! And we are Italian – we know our ricotta cake!
Jenn: You are so dependable! You are my #1 go to for recipes. Made this cheesecake for company. I had 2 diebectic guests, so had to tweek the sugar type and measurment. Used only a 1/4 cup of organic coconut palm sugar. (has a lower glycemic index). It was outstanding & enjoy by all. Thanks Jenn
PS: I didn’t have almonds so I used my almond flour instead for the crust. That worked out fine.
Hi Jenn,
Can almond extract be substituted for the amaretto? If so, in the same amount?
Thank you!
Hi Christina, I would use 1 tsp more vanilla plus 1/4 tsp almond extract (it’s very strong). You could also just omit the amaretto if you want. Hope you enjoy!
I have made this cheesecake several times and it’s a little time consuming but it always comes out great
Where are the ingriedient quantities? I don’t know how much nuts or sugar or salt to put. I need the quantities. Thank you .
Hi Omar, It sounds like you are just looking at the portion of the page that has the pictures with some instructions underneath. If you scroll down a bit to under the pictures, you’ll find the full recipe. Alternatively, at the very top of the page, you can click the “recipe” button right under the recipe title.
Can I use almond meal for the crust?
I assume you mean instead of the slivered almonds? If so, yes. Hope you enjoy!
This recipe looks wonderful and i’m interested in making a lemoncello cheesecake. Do you think i could substitute the amaretto for lemoncello?
Hi Stacy, I haven’t tried it with lemoncello, but I think that should work. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I love cheese cakes especially the dense texture of the american style. This is a lighter and delicious variation though. I made just a small change on the topping did not use jam and whole raspberry but made a syrup with lemon juice and powder sugar , added the smashed raspberry, filtered the mix to take off the seeds to create a nice syrup to pour on top of each slice. Yummy!!!! Thank you Jennifer for another great recipe!!!
Can I make this in a 7″ springform pan? What modifications would be needed? I plan to make this in my pressure cooker like I’ve done other cheesecakes… and I really want to try this!! I love your other recipes.
Hi Melissa, I had no idea a cheesecake could be prepared in a pressure cooker! Yes, you could get away with a 7-inch springform pan here. The baking time should be 5 to 10 minutes longer, but keep an eye on it. Enjoy!
Thanks! You don’t think it’ll be too much for the 7″ pan? I’ll let you know how it turns out! If it’s a bust, I’ll make it in the oven!
It will be deeper, but I think it should work. LMK how it turns out!
Thanks for this beautiful recipe. I had ladyfinger cookies as crust with rest of the other ingredients except Almonds. It turned out perfect!! Wish I could post a picture 🙂
Hey Jenn,
With respect to the ricotta cheesecake:
Can the recipe be doubled to make a somewhat deeper cake?
Will a 9″ springform pan still be able to accommodate the doubled-up recipe.
If the 9″ pan will suffice, how much time should be added for baking the doubled recipe?
I look forward to receiving your response.
Regards,
Al
Hi Alan, I think the doubled batter would fit in the pan, but will obviously be much deeper. I honestly don’t know how long it will take to bake, so I’d just keep a close eye on it.
What would your bake time and temp be in a professional oven? Hi/low fan? Individual cakes about 2 in
Hi Nicole, I would use the regular setting on your oven (no fan) and I’m really not sure about timing as it depends on how deep the individual cakes are. I’m guessing maybe 15 minutes, but definitely keep any eye on them.
Delicious cake! I made this for my husband for his birthday. He is a cheesecake lover and he approved! I used rum instead of amaretto and that worked great. The crust was yummy. I may try to make and use more crust next time, but it is good as is too. Thank you.
Hi Jenn, this recipe tastes very similar to my late mother-in-law’s cheesecake, except this one has a slight egg taste. Could I reduce the number of eggs to 2?
Hi Meghna, I wouldn’t suggest reducing the eggs in this recipe– sorry!
Can I substitute potato starch for corn starch? Just realized i don’t have it in my pantry.
Karmela
Hi Karmela, I haven’t tried this with potato starch, but I think it should work.
Where you list the nutritional information – the carbohydrates are 32g but the sugar is 22g. Normally when they list carbohydrates the sugar is under the carb category. Are you saying that 22g of the total carbohydrates are sugar and the remaining 10g is whatever other types of carbohydrates there are?
I would love to make the recipe but want to make sure that I can have a small slice because right now I’m struggling with gestational diabetes.
Hi Ashli, Because I’m not a nutritionist, I use a program to calculate the nutritional info for each recipe. Without having much knowledge in this area, I would suspect you’re right– that 22g of the total carbs are sugar and the remaining 10g are other types of carbs (but don’t quote me on it :)!
I live at 7000 feet. You need to bake the cake a little longer, that’s all. Cheese Cakes are not affected by the altitude as they contain no leavening (baking powder or baking soda). They only require a bit more time in the oven. It should remain slightly softer in the middle, but not too jiggly.
Great recipe, as always, Jenn!
Absolutely delicious. Although I made a little more crust to make it thicker.
Hi Jenn,
I have an 8 and a 10 inch springform pan, so just checking that it would be best to use the 10, right? I feel like this might be a silly question! I am Italian, and I always make the Juniors Famous Cheesecake from their cookbook. However, we are big fans of ricotta, so I am eager to try this recipe! I thoroughly enjoy your website and the recipes you share! I appreciate the way you provide very clear instruction, as well as sharing recipes that we home cooks are able to enjoy and share with confidence!
Thank you!
Hi Doreen, I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipes! Yes, I’d go with the 10-inch springform pan. The cooking time will be slightly shorter. I’d check it at about 45 minutes. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
What Can I use instead of Amaretto? They don’t sell it where I live or close to where we are.
Thank you
Sara
Hi Sara, you can just omit the amaretto or use Frangelico in its place if you have that.
This is AMAZING. The best-tasting cheesecake I have ever tried. Very creamy and smooth, like how a good cheesecake should be. And it is so easy that I could get it right on my first try! This is the 4th recipe I have tried from your website. All of them were fantastic and do not disappoint!
How much almond meal should I use to substitute the silvered almonds? Do I also just add 3/4, a cup or what? Thanks in advance! 🙂
Hi Sam, I think about 1/2 cup of almond meal should work here. Hope you enjoy!
Can I make this with just cream cheese and no ricotta? if so what would be the amount of cream cheese to use?
Thank you for the lovely recipes!!
Hi Yara, Not certain how this would turn out with just cream cheese. I would suggest using the crust from this recipe and searching online for a classic NY-Style cheese cake. Hope that helps!
Can I use almond meal instead of grinding up almonds for the crust?
Yes Rosanne, that’s fine. Enjoy!
Loved this recipe. Had several people comment on it and ask for the recipe. Its such a refreshing taste compared to the very dense and rich traditional cheesecake (which I still enjoy:)).
I have baked cheesecakes for 40 years and never have I seen a recipe that was as uncomplicated as this one. And yet it still looks (and tastes) like I spent extra time on it! This will be my new go-to recipe! Thanks Jenn!
This cheesecake is absolutely beautiful and delicious. The crust is so much better than a graham cracker crust. I prepared the cheesecake per the instructions except I had to substitute Triple Sec for Gran Marnier. The cheesecake did continue to set after removal from the oven. It fell and cracked slightly during cooling which formed the perfect well for the jam and berries. Thank you for this great recipe. Lots of oohs and aahs from the family!
Fabulous crust and delicious cheesecake. I have some cheesecake connoisseurs in the family and this one passed the test! Thank you!
Love the ricotta cheesecake recipe. can’t wait to try it. but I will try with other sweetners because I can’t have sugar. Thanks for the recipe. love your facebook page.
I made this for thanksgiving dessert. I used a raspberry /cranberry sauce to top it instead of whole berries. It was a big hit!
Hi there, thanks for the recipe! American style cream cheese is hard to find and really expensive where I live. Can I replace the cream cheese with ricotta (essentially only using ricotta in the cheese cake)? Do you think that home-made ricotta would work? Thanks!
Hi Brooke, Homemade ricotta is fine but I don’t recommend all ricotta — the cake will be a little dry and grainy. Are you able to find mascarpone?
Hi Jenn, Do you by chance have an apple crisp recipe that does not include oatmeal? I would really appreciate it. Regards Diane
Hi Diane, I don’t but I’ll keep an eye out.
Made this for a family BBQ on the weekend, everyone loved it. Thank you again for a delicious recipe.
This is absolutely the best cheesecake I have ever made. I used fresh blackberries along with the raspberries because my bushes had not yet produced enough raspberries. The crust was unbeatable–I just ground up raw whole almonds. This recipe is a keeper!
Any temp/time mods for high altitude? My cake was not solid in the middle and solid but gritty on the edges. Is the gritty texture due to the ricotta? Can you describe what the texture of the cheesecake should be? I look forward to perfecting this recipe. Thank you.
Hi Katie, You may need to bake it a bit longer — the center will be jiggly but not completely liquid when it’s done. The texture is a touch gritty from the ricotta, but in a pleasant way if that makes sense 🙂
This cheesecake is absolutely beautiful, and so delicious! It’s looks so fancy, like it came from a professional bakery. Loved it!
This looks wonderful. I need cheesecake for 12. Can this be made in square pan and cut in squares for servings?
Thanks!
Hi Virginia, Yes, that should work fine. Enjoy 🙂
Thank you so much for your quick response! I’ll post a picture to your FB page!
What adjustments would I need to make if I wanted to make individual serving size cheesecakes in ramekins?
Hi Patty, The only change would be to reduce the cook time; I’d start checking at 20 minutes.
I made this cake with my 4 year old and we had a lot of fun. I think I could just eat the creamy part alone as a pudding like dessert. The cake came out delicious. We swapped Grand Marnier for the Amaretto. Everyone was very impressed with the cake.
Delicious recipe – been wanting to make a ricotta cheesecake forever. My new favorite dessert. Love this blog!
After trying a few of your recipes I was very excited to try the cheesecake recipe. I followed your instructions, but I did have to cook it a little longer and increase the temperature to get it to set. After cooling it then refrigerating it, I served it to my guests, and to our great disappointment it was not creamy but very gritty. Any ideas what may have happened?
Thanks!
Teri
Hi Teri, So so sorry you had trouble with the cheesecake. My guess is that the grittiness came from overcooking and turning up the temperature. It is important to cook cheesecakes at 325 for the best texture — and it really is done after 50 minutes, even though it looks very jiggly in the center. The cake continues to cook as it cools.
I AM VERY IMPRESSED WITH YOUR RECIPES. I CAN’T WAIT TO TRY THEM. Do you have a cookbook?
Thank you so much, Elaine. I don’t have a cookbook — you can find all my recipes online 🙂
Jen, Made your cheesecake recipe this weekend for my extended family and it was hands down the best cheesecake I’ve ever made. Not only that, it was easy and gorgeous looking…just like the picture. Thank you for always making me look good!
How many calories compared to regular cheesecake?
Hi Gwen, The nutritional data is beneath the recipe. Calories are probably about the same.
I made this exactly how you posted and it was awesome, but I had to cook it at a higher temperature, 350 for almost an hour and a half. What do you think I did wrong? We have made alot of your recipes and have never been dissapointed , you are our goto when it comes to making something new. Thank you for time for this website.
Hi Billy, Thanks for your feedback; so glad you are enjoying the recipes! It is difficult to tell when a cheesecake is done — the middle will jiggle a lot and look completely undercooked when, in fact, it is done. If your oven temperature is accurate, this cake shouldn’t take longer than 50 minutes. It’s done when the edges are set and the middle is still quite wiggly; it continues to cook and will set completely as it cools.
Can I use frozen raspberries?
It’s very rare to find fresh ones in Israel.
Thank you!
Hi Judy, Don’t think it will look pretty with frozen but you can top with any other berry instead.
This looks delicious, can it be prepared with a stand mixer instead of the food processor? And which attachment would you recommend? Wisk? Or mixing paddle? Thank you
Hi Alison, Yes, actually, the original recipe calls for the filling to made in a mixer with the paddle attachment. The crust still needs to be made in the food processor, though. Good luck!
While I can’t review it (yet), and I don’t have a question (yet), I do want to thank you for solving my, “What should I make for Mother’s Day dessert?” question. It looks scrumptious! Thanks Jenn!
I have a nut allergy so what could I use instead of the almonds in the Ricotta Cheesescake? Thank you.
Hi Violet, I would replace the crust with a standard graham cracker crust — will be delicious 🙂
Thanks for the recipe. I love ricotta cheesecake but would like a lighter, lower fat version. What adjustments would you recommend to reduce the fat and sugar content of this cake?
Hi Helen, Go ahead and try it with low fat ricotta and low fat cottage cheese — won’t be quite as rich and creamy but should work. The cake is not that sweet so I’d be reluctant to reduce the sugar, but you can omit the raspberry jam and cover the cake simply with fresh raspberries. Good luck and please let me know how it comes out.
Oooooo! Lovely.
But, I’ve got a nut allergy in the family! Do you have a recommendation for a nut-free crust? And perhaps something to take the place of the amaretto?
Thank you!!
A graham cracker crust will work just fine, and you can omit the amaretto. Enjoy!
I did the recipe with my daughter and it was amazing, it tasted really delicious.
Thanks for searching the recipe.