Ricotta Cake / An Italian-Style Cheesecake (Torta di Ricotta)

Crust:

• ¼ cup shortbread cookie crumbs
• 2 Tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

In a 10-inch springform pan, with a pastry brush, grease bottom and sides of pan with sweet cream butter and then dust with finely grated cracker crumbs to coat pan. If there are extra crumbs, sprinkle them on the bottom of the pan.

Cheesecake:

• 2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 2 Tablespoon vanilla
• 4 eggs, separated
• 8 oz. mascarpone cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup whole milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In separate bowls, beat egg whites until almost stiff and then add ½ cup sugar until stiff. In another bowl, beat egg yolks set aside. In a large bowl, mix ricotta and mascarpone until combined. Add ½ cup sugar, flour, vanilla and egg yolks. Mix well, slowly adding the milk until all is well-combined and then fold in the beaten egg whites.

Pour mixture into prepared spring form pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Place a pan of water on lower rack of the oven to create a steam bath for the cheesecake while baking. After 45 minutes, turn off the oven, but continue to leave the cake in the oven for one hour after it is turned off. Do Not Open the Door!

Cool. Refrigerate overnight. Remove cake from the pan and dust with powdered sugar. Serve.

© 2018 Cynthia Ferich. All Rights Reserved.