Italian ricotta cheesecake with dark chocolate hazelnut spread

A cheesecake with an Italian twist, with lemon and orange zest, and a dark chocolate hazelnut spread, inspired by Via Carota ricotta cake.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Keyword cheesecake, ricotta

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 30

Resting time 12

Total Time 14

Ingredients

For the crust

▢ 175 grams (6 oz) dry cookies, such as Oro Saiwa, or Digestive
▢ 50 grams (1¾ oz) toasted hazelnuts
▢ 20 grams (1⅔ tbsp) sugar
▢ ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
▢ 85 grams (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

Drain the ricotta.

Place the ricotta to drain in a fine-mesh strainer for about an hour, at room temperature, to release its water. This will allow you to have firmer ricotta. A too-watery ricotta would compromise the final result and the filling texture, so don't skip this step.

Prepare the pan.

Butter a springform pan and wrap it on the outside with two long pieces of aluminium foil. To make this easier, arrange the two pieces of aluminium foil on your working surface to form a cross, place the pan in the centre, and then bring up the ends up to completely wrap the sides of the pan, securing them at the edges. This will allow you to bake the cake in a bain-marie, preventing water from entering the pan. This is an important step, because otherwise, if water gets in while baking, you risk having a mushy bottom.

Make the crust.

Blend the cookies with the hazelnuts, sugar and salt until fine crumbs form. Transfer the crumbs to a small bowl and add the melted butter, then rub the ingredients together: if squeezing the crumbs in your hands, they stick together, the crust is ready, otherwise add a teaspoon of milk.
Pour the crumbs onto the springform pan and press them well onto the base and along the sides up to 3 cm/1 inch.
Place the springform pan in the freezer for 15 minutes and preheat the oven to 325°F/165°C. In the meantime, heat 2 litres of water in a kettle, which you will need later to bake the cheesecake.
When the oven is hot, transfer the springform pan from the freezer to the oven and bake the crust for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the filling.

Mix the dry ingredients - flour, sugar, and salt - in a small bowl.
In a larger bowl, add the finely grated lemon and orange zest, the well-drained ricotta and the mascarpone. If the ricotta is too lumpy, pass it through a colander or blend it with an immersion blender to make it smoother, otherwise, it will be difficult to remove the lumps afterwards. Stir with a spatula to mix all the ingredients together.
In a smaller bowl, briefly whisk the eggs, egg yolks and vanilla extract, then pour them over the ricotta and mascarpone mixture gradually, mixing with a spatula so as not to incorporate too much air.
As a final step, incorporate the prepared dry ingredients into the ricotta and mascarpone mixture.
When the cheesecake crust is ready, remove the pan from the oven and pour the filling onto the baked crust.
Place the springform pan into the prepared roasting pan, and pour the hot water to come about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
Carefully transfer the cheesecake into the oven and bake for about an hour and a half, until it is golden brown on the surface and still slightly wobbly in the centre when you shake the pan.
Remove the pan from the water and place it to cool on a wire rack. Remove the foil and run a knife around the edges of the cake. Allow the cheesecake to cool at room temperature for a few hours, then transfer it to the fridge for at least 8 hours, or better overnight.
When the cheesecake is cold, release the pan and top the surface with the dark chocolate hazelnut spread. If the spread is too thick, microwave it for about 30 seconds so that it becomes runny and easy to spread. Finish with flaky sea salt and serve.
The cheesecake will keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

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