Light and Easy Italian Ricotta Cheesecake

This light and easy Italian ricotta cheesecake passed down by generations of Sicilians is perfect for any time of year or holiday. Even if you have trouble baking, you will still be able to make a perfect looking dessert. It takes no more than twenty minutes to prepare and an hour to bake. The cake has a creamy filling with a subtle citrus flavor and a flaky crust.

The recipe calls for two 9-inch cakes. There is no point doing just one. They go fast and can be refrigerated for at least a week. You can even freeze one for a later date. And, if you’re using frozen cake pans, they usually come in packs of two anyway. Or remove yourself and make your own crust.

Ingredients for two patties (use organic ingredients whenever possible)

Stuffed:

2 pounds whole milk ricotta (you can use part skim)

5 large eggs

1 ½ cups of sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon orange extract

1 tablespoon lemon extract

Cortex:

2 to 9 inches pie crust

These can be homemade (any recipe for fruitcake batter will do), store-bought batter, or frozen shells. Skip anything pre-made that contains high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils.

Addition:

Powdered sugar

fresh blackberries

Preheat oven: 350 degrees

Combine all the ingredients for the filling and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into both frozen or no-bake cake pans. Bake for an hour. Chill and then refrigerate overnight.

Sprinkle individual slices with powdered sugar and top with fresh berries.

So easy a child could do it!