No bake strawberry ricotta cheesecake

Nothing screams spring more than a strawberry dessert and there's nothing more satisfying than biting into a creamy,airy cheesecake bursting with strawberry flavor. OK,maybe it is but don't you agree that this striped strawberry ricotta cheesecake is a showstopper.


If you don't know yet cheesecake is, by far,my favorite dessert and i like a creamy,dense baked cheesecake as much as i love an airy,melt in your mouth texture no bake cheesecake.While on cold days i prefer baked version,during spring and summer time i always crave a light,refreshing one.
The strawberry season has started with a little delay here,due to the weather and farmers market offer is limited but i managed to get my hands on a neat stash of strawberries the other day.
I wish i could make a strawberry rhubarb tart but i couldn't find any rhubarb at the grocery store😔so i tried to figure out a way to use the remaining strawberries since they get moldy quick.I know the possibilities are endless but i have this striped cheesecake in my mind for a long time and i couldn't help myself to try it!
You know me,i don't like boring desserts and i assure you this cheesecake is as delicious as it looks!!

The strawberry flavor is delicate,fruity and refreshing.The texture is deliciously light,airy and creamy that just melts in the mouth.It's an elegant dessert that  conquers from the first bite,a delicious treat for any occasion!

The recipe has some steps but nothing difficult,just follow the directions below.Enjoy!

Prep Time: 45 Minutes 
Cooking Time:4-8 hours
Yield:6-8 portions

INGREDIENTS

Crust:

• 140g graham crackers
• 60g unsalted butter,melted

Filling:

• 2 M/L eggs
• 600g fresh strawberries,rinsed and hulled
• 500g whole milk ricotta cheese,drained
• 300ml heavy cream, 30% fat content
• 125g sweetened condensed milk
• 75g caster sugar
• vanilla paste or extract
• 15g powdered gelatin
• 3 tbsp boilling water
• few drops red/pink food coloring

Topping:

• whipped cream
• fresh strawberries

DIRECTIONS


Steps:
-Make strawberry sauce
-Make the crust
-Whisk ricotta cheese with sweetened condensed milk
-Whisk heavy cream
-Whisk eggs with sugar on a bain marie
-Soak the gelatin
-Assemble the cheesecake



Strawberry sauce:

• Place strawberries in a food processor or blender and process until they are pureed.
• Add puree to a saucepan and cook over low heat for 30 minutes,stirring constantly,until thickened.Let cool slightly then pass strawberry puree through a fine sieve.You should end up with approx .280 grams puree.Set aside for later use.

Crust:

• Butter and line with parchment paper bottom and sides of a 21cm springform cake.
• Place salted crackers in a food processor and blend until finely ground.
• Add melted butter and pulse for a few seconds until dough comes together.
• Make sure to get all the crumbs well coated then spread the crumb evenly over the bottom of the pan and press firmly to smooth.Chill until needed.

Filling:

• In a large bowl,beat ricotta cheese and sweetened condensed milk with a mixer on high speed until smooth and free of lumps,for about 2 minutes.Set aside for later use.

• In another bowl beat heavy cream until medium peaks form.Place in the refrigerator until needed.

• Add eggs to a medium bowl over a saucepan with simmering water but do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water.Whisk with an electric mixer on high speed,adding the sugar gradually.Whisk until the mixture becomes thick, fluffy, and triples in volume,for about 4-5 minutes.
• After that, remove the bowl from the saucepan and set aside to cool slightly.

• Meanwhile,in a small shallow bowl,add 60 ml of water and sprinkle the gelatin over.Stir to combine and set aside to bloom,about 5 minutes.

Assemble the cheesecake:

• Gently fold whipped cream and beaten eggs into ricotta cheese mixture.Set aside.
• Pour 3 tablespoons of boilling water over soaked gelatin and place the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until gelatin dissolves.
• Add 1tbsp of gelatin to strawberry puree and mix well to combine.Add the food coloring,if using.
• Add the remaining gelatin to cheese mixture and mix until fully incorporated
• Divide the filling between 2 bowls.
• Add strawberry sauce to one bowl and stir until blended.
• Add vanilla paste to the other bowl and mix well to combine.

• Pour 1/3 of vanilla filling onto the center of the crust(if you want more layers then add less filling),followed by the strawberry filling.Continue alternating the batter,pouring each layer into the center of the previous layer until all the filling is used up.

• Gently rap the pan on counter to settle filling .Cover with foil and chill for at least 4 hours.
• After that time,run a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cheesecake.
• Serve with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.
• Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

That's all, folks!

Enjoy!

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If you make this recipe,please let me know how it turned out!
Post your version on  instagram,tag @lady.j.bakes or leave me a comment below!