1tbspStrega liqueur (Cointreau or Triple sec as a substitute)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Then, line your 9-inch springform cake pan with non-stick baking paper and cooking spray.You can also use some melted butter and brush it on the sides. All of these methods will help effectively prevent the cheesecake batter from sticking.
First, beat the ricotta cheese well using an electric hand or stand mixer. Make sure that there are no lumps in the soft cheese, as this will make lumps in the batter.Once smooth, add the caster sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and liqueur of your choice. Beat the mixture at a medium speed for roughly 4 minutes or until it becomes completely smooth and uniform. Set it aside.In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until they reach soft peaks. Then, gently fold them into your cheesecake batter.
Carefully pour your cheesecake batter into the lined baking pan. Then, lower the ovens' temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake your cheesecake for 50 minutes.After this time, check the progress of your cheesecake and if needed, continue baking it until it is done. Your cheesecake is ready when the middle 1 to 2-inches is still jiggly. Remember, the residual heat will continue baking this part while the cheesecake is cooling. You don't want to overbake the cheesecake.
Once the cheesecake has finished baking, switch the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven to cool for 1 hour. Then, remove it from the cooled oven and allow it to continue cooling at room temperature for another hour.Finally, wrap the entire pan with plastic or saran wrap and allow it to be set in the fridge for at least 4 hours. We prefer setting this cheesecake in the fridge overnight.