Italian Cream Cheese and Ricotta Cheesecake

I've made this cheesecake twice now. The first time I followed the recipe exactly. The texture was exactly what I was hoping for and it tasted great. Unfortunately the cake developed a gigantic crack while it was cooling. I think the baking temperature was too high and it got overbaked/dry. I really loved the flavor so I made it again with a couple alterations. This time around I used only 8oz of sour cream, and added another 8oz of cream cheese. I made a cinnamon graham cracker crust for it. I also baked it at 475 F for 10 minutes, then dropped the temperature to 200 F for an hour. I let it sit in the oven for about 3 hours after it was done baking, then set it on the counter to cool completely before putting it in the fridge. I blended up some fresh strawberries, and diced a few and mixed them together to top the cake. This time it didn't crack, the cake was very soft with a fluffy texture, and it tasted amazing! Quite possibly the best cheesecake I've ever had.

This is the best recipe by far but I've added some of the tips from my own experience that worked perfectly. I preheated at 350 degrees and then turned down to 325 to cook. I wrapped the base of the springform pan in 3 layers of tin foil (take my advice and try not to be cheap on the foil). I placed the pan in a roasting pan and then put about 1-1/2" of boiling water in the pan after its in the oven (easier not to spill or tip). I then bake for approx. 1-1/2 hours at 325 degrees instead of the 350. The center will still wiggle (area about the size of a 1/2 dollar) and then I turn off the oven and leave it in for 3 hours and I make sure once I check for it to wiggle, I don't open the oven door again for the entire 3 hours. I take it out and leave it on the counter for another 2 hours and then put in the refridgerator overnight. If you follow exactly the time limits, you are sure to have no cracks, no soggy crust from water seepage, and the most deliciously moist cheesecake you've ever had. I also add 1/2 tspn of lemon zest which gives it a nice slight lemony flavor which my family loves. I will continue to use this recipe and thanks for the hints. I hope I've helped. Enjoy!

I decided to make this cheesecake because it's true Italian with the use of Ricotta. I followed the ingredients; exactly. I also used a water bath by adding warm water and wrapping the 9" spring pan in foil, so that the water would not seep into the pan. I let it sit, after cooked, in the oven for 2 hours and then refrigerated overnight. Let me say--this is the BEST cheesecake that we have ever had! By "we" I mean about 12 people for dessert on Christmas. Everyone there was from New York (we now live in Texas) and they were beyond impressed. I was asked for the recipe by everyone. I will be making this again for New Year's Eve for some local friends. THIS IS A KEEPER and I will be making it often!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!

It's a basic good recipe-it's much like the Argo Cornstarch recipe of years ago. But by no means whatsoever is it an authentic Italian recipe:sour cream and cream cheese...these ingredients are just not Italian or used in Italy in ricotta pies or cheesecakes. Sorry. It's not a bad recipe-it just irks me when something is billed as authentic Italian fare and it's just not. Americans of Italian descent living in America would make this and call it "Italian". I would call it American-Italian. Like Ragu.

Very good cheesecake! Not too sweet. It was light and creamy. I followed the recipe exactly as it called for. I never opened the oven after the first hour of cooking, and left it in there another hour. After I took it out the cheesecake jiggled in the middle - I was so worried it wasn't cooked enough. But after the 6 hours of chilling in the fridge, it was awesome! Thank you!

Easily the BEST cheesecake I've ever eaten! And with no crust to distract from the creamy "cheese" taste...yum! It took me 4 tries to finally get zero cracks on the top. After mixing the cream and ricotta cheeses until smooth, add the sugar, eggs, lemon juice and zest, vanilla, cornstarch, flour and butter and combine all at the same time. Don't over-mix! Gently add sourcream last and don't pour everything right into the middle of the pan--try to evenly distribute. I also added two 9x13 pans filled with boiling water on the rack beneath the cheesecake. Baked at 325 degrees for one hour only and left in the oven for 2 hours with the hot water. After 2 hours removed the pan with the beautifully, un-cracked, perfect cake! After greasing the springform pans, you may want to cut a piece of parchment paper for the bottom before pouring in the batter. When releasing the pan, remove the ring, but leave the cake on the bottom (with the parchment) and place on a lovely footed cake stand for serving. The parchment will protect the cake from picking up the "metal" taste of the pan. Also, it is a necessity to let the cake sit in the refrigerator at least overnight prior to serving--make sure it's covered so it won't pick up the flavors of nearby foods. I've noticed that if it sits in the frig for a couple of days prior to serving, it tastes better. GREAT recipe--thanks SO MUCH!

Very good cheesecake. I did substitute lower fat ingredients (1 block of 1/3 less fat cream cheese and low fat sour cream - other than that, regular ingredients). It was very quick to make since there is no crust. Just the right texture and wonderful flavor.

Perfect as is, but I made some changes to make it more buffet/pot luck friendly. I used a glass 9x13 pan, sprayed with baking spray. The big advantage here is that you can cut into easy-to-serve squares for people to serve themselves, a little easier than delicate slices. Press a cookie crust into the bottom (chocolate wafer crumbs, almond shortbread, anything you like. I save leftovers in the freezer). I like to add about 1/2 tsp each of orange and almond extract and mini chocolate chips...not necessary, but very good. Some people like to add orange and/or lemon zest instead of extract, depends what you have and what you like. I bake this the same time and temp. as written, but it fits inside a lasagna-type pan 1/2 full of hot water (cold water adds to the baking time). Unlike a springform pan, you don't have to wrap this pan in foil to prevent leaks. Avoid cheesecake cracks in general by not overbeating ingredients, especially with the eggs; too much air has to escape. the water bath helps too. I love this recipe because you can mix it all by hand. After the second hour cooling, you can open the oven door and let it cool slowly inside. I sometimes sift cocoa over, like a tiramisu. Can also decorate with strawberry slices or raspberries.

This cheesecake recipe is EXCEPTIONAL! I made it for my mom for Thanksgiving as she prefers and authentic crustless, toppingless cheesecake. I made it in a bain-marie and it turned out beautifully. The cake itself is light and airy and not very sweet at all, just like the cheesecakes at the deli! Tastes even better the day after!

Thanks for sharing this great recipe. Perfect texture. Delicious. Very easy to make. I look forward to making it over and over for friends and family in the future. AND..I will look forward to watching this recipe climb up the Allrecipes chart!!

this was UNBELIEVABLE!! delicioso!! GREAT texture and as other's reviewed, not too sweet! Next time I will definately make a graham cracker crust and then it will be MORE then perfect! Great recipe, thank you!!

Excellent cheesecake. I always read the reviews for tips. I used a 11 x 9 pan, preheated and full of water on the lower rack, as well as 3-8 oz of cream cheese and 8 oz of sour cream. Baked for an hour at 325, sat in the oven after baking for an hour. I also lined my spring pan with parchment to avoid any metallic taste. No cracks at all. Aging a day at least is a must for the true flavor. Some reviewers wrote its "not authentic" Italian. Yes, you could use Mascarpone and next time I may. As an Italian American, let me remind those reviewers that when most Italians first came to the States, homeland recipes were altered with local ingredients. True Italian ingredients were not available like they are now. Update: This time, made it with 16 oz of Mascarpone, 8 oz cream cheese and 8 oz sour cream. Used the same baking method. Delicious!!! 2ndUpdate: 3-8oz Mascarpone and no cream cheese, ricotta and 8 oz sour cream is great. It seems this recipe has been changed a couple of times on this site.

I made this cheese cake for my mother in-laws party with her German friends. It was the hit of the party. Everyone wanted the recipe and wanted me to make it the next time they got together.

Simply fabulous and so easy.

Real Italian Cheese cake recipe came from Italy many years ago. Italian cream cheese is Marscarpone, which not even close to American cream cheese. I do not question that the recipes are good tasting but cannot be considered Authentic by any stretch of the imagination, thus the 1 star rating.

Authentic ricotta cheesecake! Definitely do a water bath another thing that works well with cheesecakes is to get your cream and ricotta cheeses to room temp. and don't over mix. Although it didn't call for it, I did a graham cracker crust. This was light, fluffy and very good. After cooking, I let it chill, or "set" in the fridge for 6 hours. I topped it with cherry sauce and whippd cream.

Magnifico ! So very easy too. I would recommend sticking rigidly to the recipe as I doubt it can be improved upon.

Wow this was worth all the cooking time! Amazing and so light!

The ingredients are perfect with perfect portions. Thank you. I had to adjust baking time (which many people may have to with all the different ovens) but no biggie because I was putting a topping on anyway. It didn't change the flavor.

First of all, this is the best homemade cheesecake I've ever had! I baked it in a springform pan, suspended over a casserole dish with 1" water in it, and had to add about 20 extra minutes to baking time (I think the water cooled down the oven?). Followed other reviewers' advice and left it in the oven for an additional hour, then put in the refrigerator overnight. It only developed a small crack in the middle, which didn't really take away from the aesthetic of the cake. Texture is unlike any other cheesecake - fluffy and creamy without losing any of the decadent flavor characteristic of this dessert. Served with strawberries, this is the perfect ending to a formal dinner!

We made this recipe 2 months ago for the first time and I served it that same day. It did not go over too well with my friends and a lot was left over which went into the fridge for a couple of days. When we tried it again about 3 days later - OMG - what a difference. The cake needs "aging" at which point it becomes irresistible. It actually becomes better day by day but doesn't make it past 5 days in our house. The texture is creamy and light with just the right amount of sweetness. We since made the cake three more times and the only thing we changed in the recipe is that we used a bit more lemon juice as well as a good amount of lemon rind. HEAVENLY!!

Good stuff! Definitely something different from your average ho hum all cream cheese cheesecake. I'm not sure if I like the slightly bumpy texture of the cake because of the ricotta but it is certainly a lighter cake from a regular cheesecake! Also I added 2-3 tablespoons of lemon zest and it really gave the cake a nice fresh taste so I didn't even need a sauce. To prevent a cracked cake, bake in a waterbath with foil wrapped around the springform to prevent water seeping inside the pan at 325 for 1 hour. Then when it is no longer super jiggly, turn off the oven and leave the cake inside for at least 2 hours. Then remove and leave on counter to cool completely for 1-2 hours. Then refrigerate overnight. I made a little strawberry raspberry sauce for the top to add some pizzazz by melting half a jar of strawberry jam, then a tablespoon or so of lemon juice, a tsp or two of sugar, then adding some frozen raspberries at the very end so they are still whole in the sauce.

I've made this twice now. It is wonderful and special. I love how it is not so heavy and dense like most cheesecakes. It doesn't have the crust either. Its pure lovliness :) The second time I made it I subbed almond extract for vanilla and all cornstarch instead of 3 cornstarch/3 flour. Whenever I make cheesecakes I always have water in a separate dish in the oven to prevent the common crack that cheesecakes are known for. LOVE IT! THANK YOU APRILS GRANDMA! EDIT TO ADD...make sure you use a good italian ricotta...not store brand. I used Kroger this time and it was watery. It was full fat too.

We loved this cheesecake. DH is a cheesecake freak and I do believe that this is now his favorite cheesecake recipe. The texture is light and almost "egg custard-y;" almost like egg custard pie. If you're looking for dense, super smoothe, NY-style cheesecake, you need to look at other recipes. The ricotta cheese is prominent as well as the texture. Mine cracked horribly but I followed the recipe and method to a T. I do believe the temp needs to be at 325 degrees farenheit and the cake would probably benefit a water bath while cooking to prevent the cracks. The flavor is absolutely wonderful and, if covered with a sauce, is presentable. Oh, and I love the fact that there is no crust!

Excellent!!

I had high expectations after reading all the rave reviews. I was greatly disappointed. The texture was not creamy, more "fluffy." The taste was bland. It has no crust, which I find strange. This recipe needs it to bring some flavor to the table. I won't be making it again, there are much tastier recipes.

This is absolutely the best cheesecake ever! I am from Italian decent also and I have had family members make the "authentic Italian Ricotta Cheesecake" when I was a child. Over the years I have asked for theit recipe but was always told "Oh, I'll give it to you", but no one ever actually shared it with me. Thank you so very much for sharing what is clearly a family secret. I, like you, believe that everyone needs to know how to make this very authentic and traditional cheesecake. THIS WAS FABULOUS! And I will surely share it with my daughter as this is going to be a family favorite of ours for years to come!

I have made this recipe twice with adjustments from other bakers. I used 3 pkgs (8oz) cream cheese and only 1 cup sour cream. I also made my own ricotta (which is super easy and way better than store bought!). For baking time I preheated the oven to 350 degrees F than dropped to 325 for 1 1/2 hours. Turned off and left in oven for 3 hours and then on counter for an hour before refrigerating. First cheesecake we made into a coconut cheesecake, no recipe anywhere so we created our own by using cream of coconut instead of sour cream. For coconut lovers - yummy! Second cheesecake I made into a chocolate chip cheesecake by stirring in 1 cup of mini-chips. It is FANTASTIC! Very light but full of flavor. Only issue was I used a 9" spring form and should have used 10" - it rose over the top and dropped edges off (darn, had to eat those first...). Overall this is great cheesecake and you won't be disappointed. Also knocks the water bath method out of the water!

awsome recipe, very similar to one I have used for years (we are Italian also) A quick tip.. The water bath with all that foil etc. is not really necessary. Just put a small bowl of water on the other oven rack & the steam will give you th same results.

I thought this was just okay. I made it as written except I added a crust. The flavor was kind of bland and the texture was odd. Although I did a water bath and left it in the oven for 3 hours, it still cracked. I put a whipped chocolate ganache on top which gave it a bit more flavor. I won't make this again.

This is my go-to cheesecake recipe. I've made it several times - mostly because my family always requests it :-) In my opinion, this recipe is a cross between a new york style cheesecake and an italian cheesecake. It's not too cream-cheesy and the texture is light. It's awesome and would definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a good cheesecake recipe.

This was my first attempt at making an Italian cheesecake. I placed a pan of water above the baking cheesecake; I must say this is the first time I have ever made a cheesecake in a spring-form pan that did not have cracks! Does it really matter if the pan is in the water or not? I provided a humid baking environment and it turned out awesome. I used marscapone cheese instead American cream cheese, to make it even more Italian. I baked at 475 for 10 minutes, reduced oven to 325 and let it bake for an hour. I then shut off the oven and let it rest for three hours in the oven before even attempting to open the door. I took it out, let it cool further before putting into the fridge uncovered. The flavors were subtle, so I think next time I may add lemon zest in addition to the lemon juice and vanilla. Or maybe even lemon extract. I won't say this cake has a gritty texture but more of a, maybe, curdled texture. After conferencing with my 84 year old mother, she told me that when adding the melted butter to drizzle it in as opposed to dumping it all in, to better incorporate it. I read elsewhere to drain the ricotta cheese in a sieve and then run through a food processor to make it more smooth. I will definitely make this again!

First time I made this followed recipe exactly with the exception of: I added the zest of a 1/2 lemon and the zest of a small orange, also cooked in a water bath...The results OUTSTANDING just like the Ricotta cheesecake I ate as a kid living in New York....The flavor and texture are perfect as is....Just add the Zest and water bath and it will be PERFECT.....Enjoy

I was jealous of people here saying that this cheesecake was great for them until I baked one myself. I am not sure why some people have cracked results, but if you bake exactly to the directions it comes out perfect. I gave it a water bath and I added freshly grated nutmeg and a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon. This was most perfect cheesecake ever! If those of you who followed the directions and still got cracked results, it might be the oven temperature then because my oven's temp. runs higher than most recipes call for. Thank you for this valuable recipe. I will keep it for life.

absolutely wonderful. Took some of the sugestions and cut down on the sugar also I added a graham crust ...to die for

Followed Recipe exactly, then chilled in fridge overnight. Thank you so much, this was my first cheesecake and I was hesitant, however your recipe worked out fantastic, thank you, thank you!

This is my favorite recipe for cheesecake. It ALWAYS gets rave reviews! I follow the ingredients exactly as it's written. However, this cake WILL crack in the center if you don't bake it in a hot water bath. Wrap your pan in aluminum foil and place in a large roasting pan with about 1.5 inches of boiling water. After you turn off the oven, DO NOT open it. Leave it alone. I would also recommend leaving it in the oven unopened for 2 hours as opposed to 1. This is a great compromise between your traditional Italian cheesecake with a New York twist.

I followed the advice of the other bakers and baked it at a lower temperature for longer, wrapped it and placed it in 1 inch of water. There was no cracking, but the cake was too moist. Next time I will try without the water bath. The cake was incredibly tasty. I served it with a blackberry sauce and whipped cream. It was a big hit! I'm only giving it four stars because I prefer a less rich ricotta cheesecake that my husband's grandmother passed down to our family which is simply ricotta, sugar, eggs, and flavorings. The cream cheese and sour cream make this cake very rich. I highly recommend it!

This was pretty tasty, but my hubby did not care for it.

Yummy...not too sweet and the family loved it. It did crack, though...

this was UNBELIEVABLE!! delicioso!! GREAT texture and as other's reviewed, not too sweet! Next time I will definately make a graham cracker crust and then it will be MORE then perfect! Great recipe, thank you!!

My Mom has wanted me to bake an Italian Ricotta Cheesecake forever, so for Xmas, I gave this one a try. It was simply the best we had ever tasted, and I was asked for the recipe! Not overly sweet, light and creamy texture, light golden brown on top and we served it with fresh berries. Italian cheesecake has No crust, and it didn't need one. I followed ALL the tips by previous reviewers, and wrapped the springform pan base with 3 layers of foil, and baked in a boiling water bath. Left it in the oven after baking time 3 hours, and then on the counter an additional 2 with no cracks at all in the cake. This is a classic winner!

Followed to a tee, waterbath the cheesecake and it came out very browned on top and many cracks...won't make again. sorry

Without a doubt this is one of the best cheesecake I've ever tried! I followed Dan le Chef's suggestions (added the extra cream cheese and dropped the sour cream to 8 oz.), but I also added a container filled with water underneath to add moisture. My cheesecake was immaculate! Not one crack and the taste was absolutely delicious! I plan on making another one this weekend because the first one was consumed so quickly. Thank you for sharing your recipe, it really is fantastic!

this was awesome! I literally lost sleep knowing I had this in the fridge so I just gave in and ate it at 5 AM. Just went to Wallyworld so I can make it again!

This is the only cheesecake I make, everyone loves it immensely. Very easy 1 bowl cake, for hundreds of praises!!!

I made it !! it was so good ..love it ,thanks for sharing

I followed this recipe to exactly. I am not a huge cheesecake fan, but this makes me like cheesecake. My husband says it is close to the best cheesecake he's ever had (in Italy) but not quite there. He says it needs to be creamier...which I think can be solved by using Mascarpone cheese instead of cream cheese. Also...I almost didn't make this because the recipe did not state what size spring-form pan to use. ***I ended up using a 9".****

Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe.

very awesome recipe......thank u so much

Followed the baking directions to a T. However I tweaked the recipe a bit but none the less it csme out amazing! This is definitely my new go to cheesecake recipe!

This cheesecake recipe wasn't for me. I guess I'm too used to cream cheese based cheesecakes which are smooth. This recipe is not smooth it retains the ricotta cheese texture which is kind of grainy. Also taste wise it tasted like ricotta cheese despite the addition of cream cheese and sour cream. This was my first time making a ricotta based cheese cake. I think this will be my last. I would like to add that the recipe I followed is based on one reviewers suggestion which adds additional cream cheese and takes out some of the sour cream.

I had never had a cheesecake like this before. It sounded interesting so I decided to make it. Am I ever glad. It was amazing!! Everyone loved the flavor. Several did comment on the texture, so when I make again, I will try to make it smoother. Wonderful cake.

Excellent! The best I ever made. Thought I kept it for 1 hour 15 min in the oven before turning the oven off. I served it with rasberry sauce. Which made it taste amazing.

I have to agree that this is an excellent recipe. The texture and taste are far superior to other cheesecakes I've made. I consider this equivalent to one of those fancy cheesecakes you can get in a high-end bakery. Yum! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

This ricotta cheesecake is so good and pretty easy to make. I love that there is no crust!

Great recipe! I did not have ricotta and so I used Indian cottage cheese called 'Paneer' here in India. I took the suggestion of one of the reviewers and used an additional 8 ounce package of cream cheese. I blitzed the cottage cheese first in a blender with a few tablespoonfuls of water to give a creamy texture before mixing with the cream cheese. Omitted the sour cream and baked a chocolate sponge base before pouring the batter and to top it all, I melted some dark chocolate (about 8 -10 ounces) and swirled it in the batter before baking. As suggested, I left the cheesecake in the oven for an hour before taking it out. It was perfect, with no cracks! Everyone loved it and I will definitely make it again. Thanks for the recipe!

real authentic italian cheesecake!!!!! i will never use another cheesecake recipe again my whole family loved it, and by whole family i mean about 30 people. i now have to make this for every thanksgiving and christmas i also made it for my grandmothers birthday per her request. thank you!!!!

Love this cheesecake! I did not make it far enough ahead so the center was still warm. I can't wait to try the really chilled leftovers tonight. Only thing I changed was I left it in the oven 2 hrs after baking. I did have a huge split in the center (yes I used a water bath) but that did not hurt the taste one bit. It is light in texture, creamy and just sweet enough. It pulled away clean from the pan like no other cheesecake has done before. Loved it!

Thanks for this recipe, April! It is wonderful!! I made a couple of alterations based on others reviews..I added 8 more oz of cr. cheese and used only 8 oz of sour cream, per Dan leChef. I also baked it in a water bath at 350 for and hour and a half and then left it in the oven for 3 hours. It was perfect...no cracking!!! I also made a fruit topping for it with strawberries...very yummy! I am making this for my mother's birthday and will make a chocolate sauce to drizzle over the top!! Terrific recipe and easy, too!!

Great Recipe, I took out the lemon extract, added a large can of pumpkin and a tbs of pumpkin spice. Made great Pumpkin Cheesecake.

This was good, I used 5 eggs.....this is not really a italian cheesecake.....as it has cream cheese in it and sour cream....but good anyway

This is delicious! However, my cake did not cook all the way through. I left it in for 1 hour and 20 minutes, AND I let it cool in the oven for three hours afterward. I never opened the oven. I then put it in the refrigerator for three hours. It never cooked in the middle, and my oven is only a few years old. Also, I have had Italian cheesecake from an Italian bakery, and it had far more ricotta. However, this was still a great cheesecake, even though it wasn't what I was expecting. Overall, I give this four stars because of the failure to cook properly and the texture, which was more American than Italian.

This ricotta cheesecake did not have the density of ricotta that I was hoping for (hence 4 stars) but it is a winner nevertheless! I added long shreds of lemon zest to mine (about 1 TB., or the zest of one lemon) and it was a HUGE hit with the family at Easter. Light and slightly lemony. It was easy to mix up by hand in no time. I took the advice of others here and placed a large pan of water in the rack below the cake. It did still get a crack, but that settled in upon cooling. Perhaps I overbaked it? Adding another 15 minutes when I thought it was too "wobbly?" I used frozen cherries to make a fruit sauce to spoon over the top. This cake was so popular with the family that I am making another for Mother's Day. (This time with freshly sliced strawberries and a little sugar.) THANK YOU SO Much for sharing what must have been a family secret, with this Irish-American who loves good Italian food.

I made this cheesecake for a dinner party I was invited to. Everyone loved it, and I had a couple of people asking for the recipe. It was a little more jiggly than I expected. I cooked it in a water bath for 1 hour and 15 minutes, but took it out because the top was geting rather brown. Next time I will leave it in the oven for longer (maybe 90 or 100 minutes) and cover it with foil for the first hour. The texture on this was fantastic, it was light and airy!

Excellent, I used lowfat ingredients and it turned out great. I followed the suggestions of baking in pan of water. Next time, I would like to try it with Ideal sugar to make it low carb as well

Superb!

Ok mine cracked like the San Andreas fault, but I did not care. It was delicious!! Best and easiest cheesecake I ever made. I did not miss the graham cracker crust at all. The cake was lighter then NY style cheesecake and not as crumbly. Had a delicious flavor. Not exactly like my Italian grandma used to make (I think she used all ricotta) but still the best cheesecake I've ever had.

Not as sweet as I am used to but then again I had never had real italian cheesecake. This was absolutely amazing! I followed the recipe exactly only I didnt have have any lemon juice and i let it cool in the oven for 3 hours like someone had suggested. I will definitely make this again!

Delicious recipe. My secret for getting a crack-free cheesecake is to wrap the springform pan in foil and put it in a larger pan. Fill the outer pan 1/2 way up the springform with COLD water, not hot. The theory behind this is that as the water heats in the oven, the sides won't overbake before the center is done. Works for me.

This was really easy to make and tasted awesome!

I followed the ingredients exactly but halved the recipe, cooking it in an 8" springform pan, but allowed it to set in the oven longer (after it was turned off) since we were leaving for a while. The taste is wonderful, but I don't much care for the texture of the ricotta cheese, seems a little grainy for my liking. I'll stick to cream cheese and sour cream cheesecakes I think. Are some ricotta's creamier than others?

wowwwwwwww! everyone that tried this cheesecake thought it was from a bakery! i did not change a thing about this recipe>>>i only baked it in a bain marie and it came out so soft and deliscious! thank you soooooooo much for this! Whoever your grandma was should be sooooo proud!

excellent.. i put a little less butter and came out just as good...and this comes from some one who has eaten a lot of cheese cakes all over the world...the texture is neither too soft nor too dense...just the way i like it.

Very good. I processed it all together in a food processor and poured it into a graham cracker crust.

It was unbelievable! I followed some of Dan le Chef's tips. Truly a gourmet cake. I did top it off with lemon curd. Received rave reviews from family and friends.

Thanks! Like apparently many others, this recipe was used by my Italian-american grammy, but I couldn't find it so came on here. This cake is the best. To those complaining it's not "authentic", you are missing the point, it's a style of cheesecake, and yes some ingredients have been adapted and swapped out for american counterparts, but recipes are fluid things and that's what happens over time. It is authentic Italians american style, and this is what italian -Americans call it. Also, if you have trouble with cracking, try a water-bath.

Tried this recipe using the variation that Dan la Chef recommended. My cake cracked within three minutes off being in the oven. Also no where in this recipe does it say what size pan to use. I used a 9" but would have been better with a larger size. Taste is great. Cracks had to be distinguished with fruit topping

Excellent! I made this for my husband's birthday and we both loved it.

This cheesecake turned out good... I had to make my own sour cream and think it altered the texture just a bit but it is delicious... will definately keep this one....

I actually found this recipe by punching in 'ricotta' into the ingredient list and omitting 'tomato'. I feel that it is very versatile and you can really substitute pretty freely. I had to do this since this was a "last of" cake. I used the last of a few things that I needed to get out of the fridge. I only had two eggs, only had orange juice instead of lemon (and used it generously, probably about 4 tbsp), had no sour cream so I used about 13 ounces honey flavored greek yogurt (full fat) and had about 20 ounces ricotta. I had less than the needed butter as well by about 2 tablespoons. Had this turned out horribly I wouldn't have rated the recipe but it was divine. No crust needed, no fruit needed, it's just a great basic recipe that you can alter to your taste or available ingredients.

This was one of my best cheesecakes. I know use the water bath method to keep the cake from cracking and retain moisture. I also cut up fresh strawberries with a little sugar and put them on top of the cheesecake.

I have so far made 3 of these cheesecakes, they are awesome, last time I made two of them and I cut the sugar in half, and it was still awesome. I did not alter anything else. I do put tin foil around the spring foam pan, and then I place on a flat cookie sheet. I cook for one hour and leave in oven for one hr then the frig. My son in law at the cake in 3 days, he woke up in the middle of the night to eat it. It is light but yet dense, it is the perfect combination of ricotta cheese, cream cheese and sour cream, I added orange zest. This cake is way better then some brand names and it's user friendly to make, and it smells amazing. It is alot of cake too, and would cost a fortune, had I have to buy it in a bakery. It is a keeper. It gets thicker after a few days, and transforms into AMAZING! Yummo!

This was soooooo good, ricotta can be a little bland so I added a scant amount of fresh grated nutmeg and served with blueberry sauce that I added a little nutmeg to as well. Helps a little to keep from cracking if you put a pan 1/2 full of water in the oven w/the cheesecake. Thanks for a lighter authentic cheesecake recipe!

Excellent cheesecake. It was exactly what I was searching for! This was also my very first attempt at making a cheesecake. I followed the directions to the letter and am happy I did. I would not change a thing!

This is wonderful!!!!!

This cheesecake was delicious! I'm looking forward to baking it again for Easter. This time I will probably substitute some low fat ingredients but the recipe is perfect as written. Thanks

I made this cheesecake for my husband's birthday. It is time for my son-in-love's birthday and he asked my daughter if I'd make it for his special day! I will be adding a cookie crust this time. Thanks for sharing a great one!!!

Fabulous cheesecake. I'm originally from NY and living in the Midwest and all I've come across here is very creamy textured cheesecakes. I made this for my holiday party as well as for my daughter's teacher's birthday all with rave reviews. My only change was 2 TBS vanilla. I also did one with potato flour for a coworker who eats gluten free and she loved it.

Great italian cheesecake! I had no cracked top after using the "water bath" technique. I also cooked for an hour, let sit in the oven for an hour, left on the counter for an hour, then put the cheesecake in the fridge overnight. Added 3-4 TBSP. of cocoa to make it chocolate (other than that I followed as is).

Everyone loved this cheesecake! I've been looking for a good ricotta cheese recipe and now I've found it! It wasn't too heavy nor too light - just right! I followed others' advice and wrapped the bottom of the springform pan w/foil and baked it in about a 1-inch water bath. Baked 1 hour, and then let sit in oven (without opening) for another 2 1/2 hours. Cooled on counter for another 1 1/2 hours, then refrigerated overnight. My daughter helped me top it with fresh blueberries and sliced strawberries. I've tried many cheesecake recipes and we all really liked this one.

I enjoyed the flavour of this cheesecake, but the texture was a little bit too dense for what I was looking for. I thought having the ricotta would make for a lighter cake. I got rave reviews from my guests. Next time I think the temperature should be lower - maybe 325. I got a deeply cracked top and slightly browned edges, but not enough to affect the flavour - I trimmed the golden brown edges anyway, and covered in cherry sauce with whipped cream, so no one could tell.

I made this exactly following the recipe, except I followed the advice of other reviewers, wrapped the springform pan in 3 layers of aluminum, and placed 2 round 9" cake pans filled with water on the rack below the cheesecake. Baked for 1.5 hours, left it in the oven for another 3 hours, then rested it outside the oven for 2 hours before putting it on the fridge. No cracking at all as some people complained. Just out of preference I added a graham cracker crumb crust and a strawberry glaze. I served it after letting it sit a day in the fridge at a family Christmas dinner and everyone loved it! I was surprised by how easy it was, just requires appropriate resting time.

Great cheese cake I make it every year. I am of Italian decent and my great grand parents are from Naples Italy. Although my grand mother only used Ricotta (no cream cheese) this cheese cake is better than the ones I purchase at Eileen's , Juniors and D’aiuto in NYP. I use the recipe but bake at 335 for one hour with two cake pans of hot water underneath the cheese cake and let it rest in oven for two hours, no cracks

This recipe was delicious! I had leftover ricotta, so I tried this recipe. I didn't have enough ricotta or cream cheese, probably about 3/4 of each. I simply cut back on the other ingredients a little. The fact that it was still delicious says a lot about this recipe. I did add a brown sugar crust by mixing about 2 cups of brown sugar with 1-2 tbps. butter (just enough to make crumbly) then press into the bottom of pan. I also did not have a springform pan, so I improvised with a square cake pan and it still turned out great, although it may not have looked as pretty. For a little something extra sprinkle chocolate chips on top before baking or drizzle caramel on top just before serving. Excellent recipe, I will definitely make again.

Fantastically good! This is actually better than the local Cheesecake Factory's cheesecake, my family loves it!

THIS WAS MY FIRST ATTEMPT TO MAKE A CHEESECAKE. IT WAS FOR MY DAUGHTERS BIRTHDAY. ACCIDENTALLY I FORGET THE MELT ED BUTTER, BUT GUESS WHAT IT WAS SIMPLY MARVELOUS! I ADDED A STRAWBERRRY SAUCE. SHE REALLY ENJOYED IT.

My father-in-law really enjoyed this recipe. He said it reminded him of the cheese cake he would eat as a child.

Oh, my, a very good cheesecake, and I love that it doesn't have a crust. Mine had some major cracks despite the ice cubes thrown in the oven twice during baking. No matter, it was for just us. I must say, however, that after tasting it the day after making it I wasn't impressed. BUT....the next day and the next it just got better and better. Even my cheesecake-hating husband likes it. Very, very good....just wish it was prettier!