12 oz whole milk ricotta
16 oz mascarpone cream cheese @ room temp
3/4 cup natural sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 TBSP lemon or orange zest
4 large eggs
- Place two 9 x 11 Pyrex dishes filled with water on the bottom rack.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter or coconut oil and set aside.
- Blend the ricotta in a food processor (with S blade) until smooth.
- Add the cream cheese and sugar and blend well, stopping the machine occasionally to scrape down the sides.
- Blend in the honey and zest.
- Add the eggs and pulse until just blended.
- Pour the cheese mixture into the pan, reduce the oven temp to 325, and place pan on middle rack in oven (leave the water filled Pyrex dishes in the oven underneath it as the cake bakes).
- Bake for 1 hour, then without opening the oven door, turn the heat off but leave the cake in the oven for 15 minutes longer.
- Remove cake from oven and let cool for at least 1 hour before releasing cake from pan and refrigerating.
- Refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours before serving.
- Garnish with your choice of fresh fruit if desired.
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SIDE NOTES:
~ This is not your average American-style cheesecake. It’s more of a traditional Italian cheesecake with a lighter texture and more delicate flavors. It’s super easy to prepare and personally, I like it better than my other cheesecake recipe.
~ When you’re picking up the cream cheese, you’ll likely need to pick up 2 containers (as the 8 oz size is most common). You can find mascarpone (Italian cream cheese) at the grocery store near the fresh mozzarella, and other hunk style cheeses (usually by the deli section).
~ I recommend using an organic lemon or orange for the zest. From what I understand, chemicals soak into the rind of citrus fruits and you can’t really wash them off. For those new to zesting… well, first – you’ll need a zester 🙂 [$10]. Use the tool to shave off the outer layer of citrus fruit skin. Only shave the brightly colored (yellow/orange) portion. Once you start to see white, move to a different section of the skin.
~ The water filled Pyrex dishes will prevent the cake from cracking! 🙂
~ FYI — I line the bottom of the spring-form pan with parchment paper, but this is optional.
~ It’s delicious with fresh raspberries, but just as good plain with a cup of tea or coffee.
Enjoy! =)
