Ricotta Cheesecake with Balsamic Strawberries
This is probably the fluffiest cheesecake you'll ever make. Because the eggs are separated, and the egg whites are whipped separately and then gently incorporated in the cheesecake batter, the cake is incredibly light and airy. This recipe also uses ricotta cheese, which is lighter and tangier than cream cheese, so this cheesecake is not as rich and decadent. It's very fresh, zingy, and light. The recipe is based on and adapted from Taste.com.au.
Category: Cakes
Recipe in PDF format (print friendly)
- Makes one 24cm cheesecake
- Prep time: 20min
- Cook time: 1h
- Total time: 1h 20min + chilling time
- Difficulty: Basic
For the crust:
Ingredients
- 200g digestive biscuits
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 80g butter, melted
Directions
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease the bottom and sides of a 24cm round springform pan. Crush the biscuits in a food processor. Add honey and melted butter and mix to combine. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and refrigerate while you're preparing the filling.
For the filling:
Ingredients
- 650g strained Ricotta cheese
- 120g sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 eggs, separated
- 150g sour cream
Directions
In a large bowl, beat together ricotta, sugar, vanilla sugar, cornflour, lemon zest, and juice. Add egg yolks one at a time while beating constantly. Finally, mix in sour cream. In a separate clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then gently fold into the ricotta mixture. Pour over the base and bake for 50-55 minutes until golden and firm, but still a bit wobbly in the center. Do not open the oven door during baking time. Turn the oven off and open the door slightly. Leave the cake in the oven for 15 minutes and then take it out. Carefully run a sharp knife all around the sides of the pan and then leave the cake to cool to room temperature. Transfer the cheesecake to the refrigerator and chill overnight or at least 4 hours. Once cold, remove the ring and transfer the cake to a serving plate or cake stand.
For the balsamic strawberries:
Ingredients
- 60g sugar
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 60ml water
- 1 teaspoon cornflour + 1 tablespoon water
- 250g strawberries, halved
Directions
Place the sugar, balsamic, and water in a saucepan over low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Combine the cornflour with 1 tablespoon cold water until smooth, then add to the pan and cook for 2 minutes until the sauce is syrupy. Remove from heat and toss in the strawberries. Let the syrup infuse and cool to room temperature. Once ready to serve, drizzle each piece of the cheesecake with balsamic strawberries.
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