Fruited Cheesecake

This fruited cheesecake uses ricotta instead of the usual cream cheese, which gives it a lighter, slightly grainy-in-the-best-way texture that plays beautifully against fresh fruit. Half-and-half thins the batter so it bakes up custardy rather than dense, and a quarter cup of flour adds enough structure to slice cleanly.

The crust is vanilla wafer crumbs rather than graham cracker, for a sweeter, more cookie-like base that complements the mild ricotta filling. No sugar added to the crust; the wafers bring their own.

Topping this is all about arrangement. Strawberries, kiwi, blueberries, or any combination of fresh fruit, sliced and arranged in concentric circles on the cooled cake. A glaze of melted currant jelly with a touch of brandy makes every piece of fruit gleam like a jeweled centerpiece.

Pro Tips

• Use full-fat whole-milk ricotta, drained well in a sieve for 30 minutes before mixing. Wet ricotta weeps during the bake and leaves the cheesecake watery.
• Cool slowly in the turned-off oven with the door ajar for the full 30 minutes. Rapid cooling cracks the top down the middle.
• Chill 4 hours minimum before adding fruit. The ricotta needs time to firm up completely, and warm cake melts the glaze.
• Slice firm fruit like strawberries and kiwi uniformly thin. Thick slices look clumsy and don’t glaze evenly.
• Brush glaze gently with a pastry brush, not a spoon. Spooned glaze pools between fruit instead of coating each piece.

Variations

• Swap currant jelly for apricot preserves or apple jelly depending on what fruit you’re using.
• Add a teaspoon of lemon zest to the ricotta filling for a brighter flavor.
• Use all one type of fruit (all strawberries, or all blueberries) for a classic single-berry tart look.