BelGioioso Ricotta Crescenza Mascarpone Cheesecake
With 5 cheeses, this is the ultimate in cheesecake. This cheesecake is very delicate but freezes very well, thanks to the small amount of flour in the batter. Once frozen, it is very easy to slice neatly. To remove it from the cake pan, run a paring knife around the outside then place the bottom in hot water and flip the cake out to slice. Serve with some fresh berries and a little whipped cream.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Nilla Wafers
- 22½ ounces granulated sugar
- 7 ounces unsalted butter melted
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1½ tablespoons vanilla extract
- 5 ounces Belgioioso crescenza cheese
- 8 ounces Belgioioso mascarpone cheese
- 8 ounces Belgioioso ricotta cheese
- 3 ounces sour cream
- 3 pounds cream cheese at room temperature
- 2 ounces all-purpose flour
- 11 large eggs 3 whole and 8 separated
- 12 ounces heavy cream
Instructions
- Grind the Nilla Wafters into crumbs, then mix them in a bowl with 4½ ounces of the sugar and melted butter. Press the mixture into the bottoms of two well-greased 10-inch round cake pans (do not use springform pans) and bake at 350° until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the shells and reduce the oven temperature to 325°.
- Mix together the lemon juice, 13 ounces of sugar, Belgioioso crescenza, mascarpone, and ricotta cheeses, the sour cream, cream cheese, and all-purpose flour (a stand mixer with a paddle attachment works best). Add the eggs and egg yolks and heavy cream and continue to blend with the paddle until smooth. Transfer to a larger mixing bowl.
- Clean the the stand mixer's bowl and whisk attachment of all grease. Place the egg whites into the mixer and whip on high. Slowly add the remaining 5 ounces of sugar while the mixer is going. Continue to whip until the egg whites and sugar have formed stiff peaks.
- Fold the beaten egg whites gently into the filling mixture. Pour the batter into the two cake pans and smooth the tops with a spatula.
- Place a large, rimmed roasting pan on the middle oven rack. Place the filled cake pans into the roasting pan and carefully add water to the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pans. Bake until the tops of the cakes are golden brown, puffed, and set, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 2 hours.
