Italian Mascarpone and Ricotta Cheesecake

I have only three words to describe this Italian mascarpone and ricotta cheesecake: To. Die. For.

Ok, I lied. I have more words. And pictures.

This ricotta cheesecake is very light and almost fluffy thanks to the texture of the ricotta itself. It’s not as dense and what you’d expect from a traditional cheesecake, which for me is fabulous! So if you sometimes feel put off by the density of a traditional cheesecake, you’ll love this lighter version.

How else is this mascarpone and ricotta cheesecake different than traditional cheesecake?

The flavor is a bit different too as you might expect. The mild flavor of the ricotta blended with the mascarpone makes for a much less rich cheesecake than what you may be familiar with.

I personally don’t love such rich desserts. I’m usually pretty full from dinner when I get to dessert so a rich dessert can just be too much.

You’ll love the flavor boost that comes from a subtle blend of almond extract, vanilla, and lemon juice!

It’s all about the cheese—Mascarpone and Ricotta. Cheesecake’s new BFFs.

The use of these two less common cheeses blended with familiar cream cheese is what really make this stand out from other cheesecake recipes. However, it’s just as easy to throw together as any other cheesecake you may have prepared before.

You can even cheat and use a pre-made crust if you’re short on time. However, the almond crust is really good and really not too hard to make.

Watch step by step how to make this cheesecake.

This is an easy recipe to make if you follow the directions. Check out this quick video that shows each step and the various topping ideas:

What kind of pan do you need to make a cheesecake?

There is a special pan you’ll need to use to make a proper cheesecake — a springform pan. They look like this:For this recipe, you’ll want to use a 9″ springform pan. A springform pan has a bottom that releases from the sides after the cheesecake is cooked.

This special pan is what gives your cheesecake the perfect, low-profile, flat-topped shape you see at restaurants but to really perfect your cheesecake, you’ll need to bake the cheesecake in a water bath. 

A water bath is an important technique that prevents the top of your cheesecake from cracking. It’s not hard so don’t skip this step!

With a water bath you get a perfectly smooth and flat top to your cheesecake, like this:

Read through the recipe directions below for more explanation and watch the video to learn you how to set up your water bath. It’s pretty easy once you have the right tools and you’ll really feel like a pro after you have done it once or twice.

How to Make an Easy and Delicious Honey Oat Crust with Almond

For the crust, here are the granola bars I start with:

You can find these at most grocery stores in the snack aisle or near the breakfast bars. Most popular stores like Walmart and Target carry these. If you can’t find them, a traditional graham cracker crust works well too. Or you can order them on Amazon.

Then just add almonds for added nutty flavor and use a bit of butter and a pinch of salt to bind it all together and an easy and delicious homemade crust!

Other helpful tools for making this mascarpone and ricotta cheesecake:

• Food processor
• Aluminum Foil
• Roasting Dish – (Perfect for the water bath)
• Cooling Rack
• Server

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This mascarpone and ricotta cheesecake recipe was features on Sew It Cook It Craft It and Sweet Little Bluebird!