I have always wanted to make an authentic Italian Cheesecake.
Rob was coming home for a little mini-vacation and
requested my famous spaghetti.
So, along with baking a loaf of Mother's Dilly Bread,
I added this delightful cheesecake as a sweet ending.
This recipe was in honor of the "real Italians" in our family...
our son-in-law, Jay and his dad, Pat (Pasquale)!
This is a tiny Bar in the hills of Savoca, near Taormina.
The Divine Miss M and her family traveled to Italy
in 2007, wanting to tour the birthplace of Jay's father.
You may recognize this bar.......
it was the famous scene in the Godfather where
Michael Corleone asked the father of Appolonia Vitelli
to begin their courtship!
I am so grateful they were able to take this trip
and enjoy the gloaming hours in Italy
sipping on Limoncellos'......
I know this trip meant the world to him.....
Our beloved Pat passed away early this summer.
I love this photo of them......
of course it is framed and hung in a place of honor
in their Atlanta home.
This cheesecake has a lovely consistency and texture.
It baked perfectly.
It also has no crust.
It is not sweet like most cheesecakes,
so you will probably enjoy it more
with a very sweet topping!
AUTHENTIC
ITALIAN CHEESECAKE
1
1⁄2 lbs ricotta
cheese
1
3/4 cups sugar
16
ounces cream cheese
6
eggs
6
tablespoons flour
1
pint sour cream
Juice
of one fresh lemon
1
tablespoon vanilla
Grease
a 10" spring form pan.
Mix
the ricotta, sugar, and cream cheese together.
Add
6 egg, (one at a time and mixing between each, flour, and sour cream, lemon
juice, and vanilla.
Pour
batter into pan and bake 1 hour at 350 F. After 1 hour, turn the oven to OFF.
The important part of this step is to not open the oven door. Allow the
cheesecake to remain in the oven for an additional hour.
Cool
completely and spread with 1 can of cherry pie filling, fresh strawberries, or chocolate
ganache.
Chocolate Ganache for the darling.....
Fresh Strawberries for Rob.....
The cake looks really good ♥
ReplyDeletesummerdaisycottage.blogspot.com
My Italian husband swears this is the only correct way to make cheesecake - with Ricotta cheese. I got a similar recipe from his Godmother in New Jersey years ago, but rarely make it. I like your version, so thanks for the reminder to give it a try again!
ReplyDeleteOh, my word...I must buy the special pan so I can make this...it sounds so perfect...and it would be cherries for me, too. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post, Betsy. Your cheesecake is beautiful! What a great photo of your son-in-law and his father. Italy has been on my heart today with the earthquake that occurred there. So sad. It's such a beautiful country full of history and wonderful people.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your weekend. ♥
Looks really tasty.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Such a sweet post, Betsy! Love the darling picture of your son-in-law and his father at the Godfather bar. That was a great movie! Your cheesecake looks beautiful and tasty! I have no Italian ancestry anywhere in my family (that I know of) but I absolutely LOVE Italian food. Italian truly is one of my very favorite cuisines (next to Southern, of course). :) Everywhere Hal and I have lived, we've always had our favorite "neighborhood" Italian restaurant, run by real Italians. Such fun.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Warm hugs,
Denise at Forest Manor
MMMmmmmmm, I'll take mine with strawberries, please. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteHow lovely!! What a special place Italy must hold for your family!
ReplyDeleteMy Louis Dean came to my rescue and undid the paper jam in my printer and then reset it so I can use it again! The main reason I use it is to print off your recipes! Thank you, again, for sharing them!
I must make this. hmmmmm...so interesting with no crust. but come to think of it, during my solo trip to Italy for over 6 weeks I ate their cheesecake all the time and I really don't they had crusts either. making next weekend ~ looks awesome!
ReplyDeleteMaking this today, I've never made a cheesecake so my son bought me the 10 inch spring pan and its St. Patrick's day so I'm trying it with no topping. Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteDoes this need a water bath and is it cooked on a cookie sheet or directly on the oven rack?
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to make it!
Does this need a water bath and does it need to be cooked on a cookie sheet or directly on the oven rack?
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to make it!
Hi Linda...this particular recipe did not call for a water bath. I agree and normally bake some cheesecakes in a water bath..I think this one baked beautifully without one. Enjoy!
DeleteHi
ReplyDeleteGreat recipe
Did a test run tonight for Easter
Can I make this a few days in advance of Easter... say Wednesday for Sunday?
Does it need to be refrigerated?
Good Morning....yes the cheesecake can be prepared a few days ahead and yes, always keep refrigrated. You may want to let it sit out about one hour before serving.
Deletedoes it make a crust like on the bottom?
ReplyDeleteFabulous cake. Thank you from my whole family! I had friends over for a nice Sunday dinner and made this cheesecake for desert. We served an assortment of gelatos with it and it was a huge hit! Thanks again for sharing.
ReplyDeleteOh I am so very happy you enjoyed the recipe Rose...I very much appreciate you sharing this...blessings and hugs for a very joyous fall season!
DeleteThis recipe uses all purpose flour Sharon
ReplyDeleteI had a similar recipe only it also called for cottage cheese instead of ricotta and had two sticks of butter besides. Scrumptious! We always put blueberry pie filling in the top. Used to make it yearly then about every five years. Those ingredients are expensive but it was Sooo delicious and decadent. I’m due to make it but will try yours. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteBetsy, You mentioned your famous spaghetti. Would you be willing to share your recipe for it? Meat and spaghetti is my favorite. Thanks and I really enjoy your blog.
ReplyDeleteHi Alice...welcome to Estelle's...of course I would be happy to share my spaghetti...it is my Mother's recipe which has been published...thank you for visiting me and commenting...have a great weekend!
DeleteCan you estimate the amount of lemon juice from a fresh squeezed lemon? They come in many different sizes and I don't want to add too much or not enough lemon juice. Thank you
ReplyDeleteAn average sized lemon will measure about 1/8 to 1/4 cup of lemon juice.
DeletePlease allow me to present you the version from my tiny Greek Island: 1/2 cup honey,1 teaspoon of cinnamon,orange/tangerin rind and greek youghurt strained with a cheese cloth instead of cream cheese. All other ingredients are the same as in your great recipe. We have many citrus trees here and some very industrious ladies make citrus flower preserves,which they spread over the warm cake (in this version no sugar or honey is added). Thanks,keep well!
ReplyDeleteOh my lord, I'm so excited to try and make this cheese cake. My grandma was from Italy and passed this recipe in to my momma. 3 yrs ago my momma passed on and this recipe was lost. I'm so excited to see if this tastes like theirs! Just needed a piece of home
ReplyDeleteMaking it right know!
ReplyDeleteI made this for dessert when I had company. It was rich and delicious. Everyone loved it. I would definitely make it again.
ReplyDeleteCan’t wait to make this! Thank you so much for sharing! God bless you Estelle!
ReplyDeleteHis Estelle, do you know how long this cheesecake will last in the fridge?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't keep it any longer than a week...maybe 5-7 days...
DeleteI just put one of these in the oven! I have a recipe for a German cheesecake that is beautiful as well. The one thing that I did find out today, is that a 32 oz container of ricotta cheese is not actually 32oz nor is a 16 oz container of sour cream 16 oz. Is actually about 14. I did not know this until today. So I'm really really really really hoping that this cheesecake comes out.
DeleteI am making this cheesecake for the second time. My Italian husband, wanted one without a crust, like his Italian grandmother made. Well, I found a 10 inch cheesecake pan at the local thrift store. (Oh, if only those donors had this recipe). I measured and followed the directions, as written. I used 1/4 cup strained fresh squeezed lemon juice. I did not peek for that hour. I was rewarded with the most glorious cheesecake! NO cracks, No waterbath, and no mess. Low and slow is what prevents cracks! OH,SO Yummy!
ReplyDeleteMy DIL must have a gluten free diet. I’m glad this has no crust, but was wondering if I could use gluten free flour in place of the all purpose flour? Would I need to make any adjustments as to the amount of flour — or any other adjustments to the recipe?
ReplyDeleteThank you in advance for your help. I’m looking forward to giving it a try! It sounds wonderful!
I am certainly not a baking expert Becky, but from what I have researches, you can use a gluten free flour just as you would regular flour. I am not sure if it would effect the taste, but I think it will be fine....thank you for this question!
DeleteI use corn starch in place of the flour read on the corn starch jar how to convert
DeleteMy first attempt at this cheesecake did not turn out well at all. I've made dozens of cheesecakes and know how tricky they can be, but something went awry. I ended up with a VERY cracked cheesecake. On my next attempt, I lowered the oven temp to 325°, baked for 90 minutes, turned oven off, cracked door open very slightly with a potholder and let cheesecake sit in oven for another hour. I also put a roaster pan of UPDATE:: I tried again with some modifications, resulting in success!!!
ReplyDeleteI only have a 9 inch pan,how can I make it in that. My mother in law birthday is Saturday, and would love to make it. Please help
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately a 9 inch cake pan will not work for this recipe...you will need a springform 8 to 10 inch baking pan.
DeleteI made this yesterday and it looks glorious. I'm in British Columbia. Canada and don't know why but it was not done after the hour of baking and hour with the oven off. I had to reheat the oven and bake for another 30 minutes and 30 minutes more with the oven off. Now it does look glorious! It is a lovely, easy to follow recipe that will stay in my Cheesecake board on Pinterest.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the lovely family photos takes in Italy, such precious memories. I am looking forward to maki ng this cheesecake for my family. I wish I could find a delicious ricotta pie recipe. I gave my mother's recipe, she has passed. Every time I make it I am disappointed. Does anyone have,a ricotta pie recipe that uses eggs whites only. Again thank you for sharing. God bless everyone and stay safe and well during these crazy times with this virus. Sharing recipes help keep us happy and productive during such turbulent times. Praying for better days ahead and fun baking your delicious cheesecake. You did make me smile. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteI have made this cheesecake several times, my family loves it. I have tweaked it too, our favorite is adding the zest of 2 lemons and it turns out very refreshing. 5 stars for this recipe.
ReplyDelete