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Dessert

Cherry Ricotta Cheesecake

A cheesecake made with ricotta, sour cream, Neufchâtel, eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla, lemon zest, topped with a cherry glaze.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 15 ingredients
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Why it works: Cheese and cream cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 473 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓

Cherry Ricotta Cheesecake

Oven325°F
Time50–55 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

  2. Spray a 9‑inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Make the cheesecake

  1. Place the ricotta in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy.

  2. Add the sour cream, Neufchâtel cheese, eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt, then process until well blended.

  3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

  4. Bake until the center is just set, about 50–55 minutes.

  5. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, then cover and chill for 3 or more hours.

Make the cherry topping

  1. Put the cherries, honey, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.

  2. Remove the pan from the heat.

  3. In a small bowl, stir the gelatin into the water until dissolved.

  4. Stir the dissolved gelatin into the cherry mix.

  5. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours, stirring occasionally until the mixture is thickened but not sticking to the pan.

Assemble and serve

  1. After 3 hours of chilling, top the cheesecake with the cherry mixture.

  2. Serve immediately or keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1266Calories
64 gProtein
37 gFat
166 gCarbs

Counts 13 of 14 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 13 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Ricotta Cheese1/2 cup (124g) part-skim174
Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Yogurt170g plain Greek100
Cream Cheese1 oz (28g)99
Cherry1 cup (138g)87
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Honey1 tbsp (21g)64
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Gelatin1 envelope (7g)23
Vanilla1 tsp extract (4ml)12
Lemonjuice of 1 lemon (48ml)12
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Waternot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Cheese + cream cheesetop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together473 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

  2. Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together35,032 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

  3. Cream + sugartop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together43,450 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).

  4. Flour + vanillatop 12% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together19,241 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

  5. Cream cheese + vanillatop 13% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,929 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).

Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Ricotta cheese
Gives the cheesecake a light, creamy body with a slightly grainy, moist texture.
Eggs
Set the batter as it bakes, giving the cheesecake its structure.
Neufchâtel cheese
Adds richness and a smooth, dense texture to the filling.
Sugar
Sweetens the batter and helps give the baked surface a light golden tone.
Sweet cherries
Provide the fruity flavor and, once cooked, the sauce-like topping.
Unflavored gelatin
Thickens the cherry mixture so it holds its shape on top of the cheesecake.

The step that matters

Baking until the center is just set. Eggs set as they heat, so pulling the cheesecake when the center is just set keeps it tender and prevents cracking and a dry, grainy texture from overbaking.

Swap the vanilla

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (ricotta cheese, cream, cheese, cream cheese, egg, sugar, flour):

  1. Vanillathe original
  2. Strawberryfits about as well
  3. Figfits less well
  4. Raspberryfits less well

Fit is the average pairing score against ricotta cheese, cream, cheese, cream cheese, egg, sugar, flour. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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