Ingredients:
Crust
- 1 cup Graham Cracker crumbs (100g, or from ~7 crackers)
- 3 Tbsp butter, melted
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp cayenne
- ¼ tsp ginger
Cake
- 32 oz ricotta, drained — then will be more like 27 oz
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp lime juice (juice from 1 lime)
- Zest of 1 lime
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract (optional)
- ¼ tsp salt
Toppings
- Tomato Mole Jam, recipe above
- Slivered Almonds for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit / 180 degrees Celsius. Using butter, grease an 8-inch springform pan.
- Place the ricotta cheese in a strainer over a bowl, either in a cheesecloth on top of a mesh strainer or in a fine mesh strainer. Allow it to drain for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours, depending on how watery the cheese is.
- If you’re not using packaged graham cracker crumbs, pulse the crackers in a food processor until they’re finely ground. You may also shatter the crackers by placing them in a ziploc bag. In a food processor, combine the melted butter and spices and pulse a few times to combine. Fill the pan halfway with crumbs and push them down into an equal layer. It’s easier to use the bottom of a glass!
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the crust for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Wrap the base of the springform pan in 1-3 pieces of tinfoil once it has cooled fully. This prevents the cake from being soaked by the water from the water bath.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F / 160°C.
- Beat the cream cheese on medium-low speed with an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or by hand if you don’t have one) until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Beat in the ricotta and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time until well integrated. Mix in the flour, cornstarch, extracts, salt, lime juice, and zest until thoroughly blended and smooth. Spread the batter evenly over the crust.
- Place the pan on a roasting pan and put in the oven. Bring some water to a boil. Once the pan is in the oven, pour boiling water into it until it covers approximately 1/2 of the pan’s side, about 1-1.5 inches high. It’s a lot simpler and safer to pour the water in after it’s been in the oven than it is to gently place it on the rack with hot water spilling all over the place.
- Bake for 1.25-1.5 hours. It’s done when the sides of the cake are firm but the middle is somewhat wiggly, approximately an inch in diameter, and you can shake the pan. That’s all right. Turn the oven off and leave it in for 3 hours with the door closed. Remove it from the oven and set it aside on the counter for another 1-2 hours. Refrigerate until ready to use (tightly wrapped in plastic wrap), ideally overnight.
Assembly
- Spread the Tomato Mole Jam on top of the cake when ready to serve. To achieve lovely crisp edges around the sides, I like to do this while it’s still in the springform pan. If desired, garnish with slivered almonds. Release the cake from the pan by running a butter knife over the edges. The cake can keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Source: The Feedfeed
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