Desserts Recipes - Baked Ricotta Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 50 g/2 oz butter or margarine

• 175 g/6 oz digestive biscuits, crushed

• 250 g/8 oz ricotta cheese

• 2 eggs, separated

• 50 g/2 oz ground almonds

• finely grated rind of 1 lemon

• 150 ml/1/4 pint single cream

• 50 g/2 oz caster sugar

To decorate:

• icing sugar, for dusting

• lemon rind slivers

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Method:

1. Oil a 20 cm/8 inch spring form cake tin.

2. Melt the butter in a small pan, then mix in the biscuit crumbs. Press the mixture over the base of the cake tin, then chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes until firm.

3. Beat the ricotta cheese with the egg yolks, almonds and lemon rind until smooth, then gradually stir in the cream.

4. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then whisk in the sugar a little at a time. Carefully fold into the cheese mixture, then spoon over the biscuit base and level the surface.

5. Bake in a preheated oven, 160°C (325°F), Gas Mark 3, for 1-1 1/4 hours until firm. Turn off the heat and leave the cheesecake in the oven until cold.

6. Put in the refrigerator and chill. To serve, dust with a sifted icing sugar and sprinkle with lemon rind.