Italian Ricotta Cheesecake with Blueberries
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Italian Ricotta Cheesecake with Blueberries is so easy to put together and quite delicious. The blueberry sauce is a sweet lovely compliment to the fluffy cheesecake.
I love cheesecake, especially New York Style baked cheesecake. My mother-in-law introduced me to it years ago when she gave small cheesecakes to us for Christmas. Always delightful!
After this introduction, I began baking it myself and have several recipes on this site that we’ve enjoyed. Chocolate Chip Cheesecake. Chocolate Fudge Truffle Cheesecake. Apple Delight Cheesecake. And Baked Cheesecake with Almonds. (Recipes will be updated as soon as I’m able.)
A few years ago I learned you could make cheesecake from Ricotta. I am a big fan of Lidia Bastianich and watch her cooking shows on PBS. And I am a huge fan of Italian cuisine. So, of course, I had to try my hand at a ricotta cheesecake.
An Italian Cheesecake is so easy to put together. I love how the semolina flour makes a light self-forming crust. Much easier than making a graham cracker crust.
Ingredients to Make Italian Ricotta Cheesecake with Blueberries
- granulated sugar
- grated lemon zest
- whole-milk Ricotta cheese
- cream cheese
- semolina flour
- large eggs
- Marsala wine or apple juice
- lemon juice
- kosher salt
Blueberry Sauce
- fresh blueberries
- granulated sugar
- water
- lemon juice
- lemon zest
A Few Notes about the Ingredients
I switched out cream cheese for the Mascarpone used in most recipes. I’m sure I would prefer Mascarpone, but it is difficult to find here in rural Kansas.
If you don’t have Marsala Wine, you may substitute apple juice in it’s place.
Instructions for Making This Recipe
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9″ springform pan with cooking spray, then dust pan with about 2 tablespoons semolina flour, tapping out the excess.
In a food processor, combine 1/2 cup sugar and the lemon zest. Process until moist about 15 seconds. Add the ricotta and cream cheese and process until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides as needed.
Some recipes I found suggested draining your ricotta cheese. I didn’t find that necessary as the ricotta I used wasn’t watery. If it is, you may want to drain it the night before or several hours prior to making this recipe.
Add the semolina flour, egg yolks, Marsala wine, lemon juice, and salt. Process again until combined about 15 seconds. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
In a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites on medium high until light and foamy. Slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and continue to whip until they form firm peaks about 2-3 minutes.
Add half of the egg whites to the cheese mixture, stirring until combined. Lightly fold in the remaining egg whites until just incorporated.
Folding in the egg whites will give the cheesecake a light and airy lift.
Transfer batter to the prepared springform pan and spread into an even layer. Gently tap on the counter to release any air bubbles.
Bake for 45-55 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and the cake is just set, but still jiggles when shaken. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour.
It is okay for an Italian cheesecake to crack on top, as this is part of its settling process. This is perfectly fine and expected. It doesn’t matter.
Cover and refrigerate for another 2 hours before removing from pan.
To Prepare Blueberry Sauce
In small saucepan, bring 1 cup blueberries, granulated sugar, water, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in remaining blueberries. Cool completely. Cover and chill until ready to serve over cheesecake.
To serve, top cheesecake with blueberry sauce. The blueberry topping is a sweet compliment to the dessert. I used fresh blueberries, but you could make the sauce with frozen berries if you want. This cheesecake will serve 8-10 people.
I’ve also topped it with apples, a caramel glaze and English Walnuts, which is pretty fabulous, so says my husband. View my Ricotta Cheesecake with Apple Topping Here.
See more Italian Food Here. View more Desserts Here.
Italian Ricotta Cheesecake with Blueberries
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar divided
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 16 oz. whole-milk Ricotta
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup semolina flour plus some for pan
- 4 large eggs separated
- 2 tablespoons Marsala wine or apple juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Blueberry Sauce
- 2 cups fresh blueberries divided
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9" springform pan with cooking spray, then dust pan with about 2 tablespoons semolina flour, tapping out the excess.
- In a food processor, combine 1/2 cup sugar and the lemon zest. Process until moist about 15 seconds. Add the ricotta and cream cheese and process until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the semolina flour, egg yolks, Marsala wine, lemon juice, and salt. Process again until combined about 15 seconds. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- In a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites on medium high until light and foamy. Slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and continue to whip until they form firm peaks about 2-3 minutes.
- Add half of the egg whites to the cheese mixture, stirring until combined. Lightly fold in the remaining egg whites until just incorporated. Transfer batter to prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Tap on the counter to release any air bubbles.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and the cake is just set, but still jiggles when shaken. (It is okay for an Italian cheesecake to crack on top, as this is part of its settling process.) Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate for another 2 hours before removing from pan. Top with blueberry sauce. Serves 8-10.
- To prepare Blueberry Sauce: In small saucepan, bring 1 cup blueberries, sugar, water, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in remaining blueberries. Cool completely. Cover and chill until ready to serve over cheesecake.