This delicious cheesecake is light because of the ricotta cheese and creamy because of the cream cheese. There is no need to bake it in a water bath and you can put all of the cake ingredients into a food processor, almost all at once. It comes out perfect every time. This is a wonderful dessert to serve after a Sunday dinner.
2 (15 oz) containers whole milk ricotta cheese
1 T unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 T sugar
2 T unseasoned dry breadcrumbs or matzo meal
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature, cut into cubes
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 T fresh lemon juice
Grated zest of one medium lemon
2 t pure vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt or kosher salt
Put ricotta in a large fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl and let drain for 30 minutes.
Every once in a while, gently press the ricotta with a large spoon to help release the liquid.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter an 8 to 9-inch springform cake pan.
Mix the 1 tablespoon of sugar and breadcrumbs in a small bowl; sprinkle over
buttered pan bottom to coat. Tap out excess crumbs.
Spoon ricotta into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade and purée for a few seconds.
Add cream cheese and eggs and purée a few more seconds.
Add the remaining ingredients and purée, scraping down the sides occasionally, until smooth.
Scrape batter into the prepared pan.
Place on a baking sheet and bake cheesecake until golden brown and just set, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Transfer to a rack and let cool in pan.
Refrigerate uncovered until cool, about 4 hours.
Loosen cake by running a table knife around the edges.
Remove the cake pan sides and place on a serving plate.
You can also use a large thin spatula to remove the entire cake from the bottom of the cake pan and place on a serving plate.
Dust with powdered sugar and cut into wedges.
Serves 8