Makes 16 servings
Aside from the many qualities that make cheesecake beloved — among them, its velvety texture, the way it tag-teams sweet and tangy and the nonchalance with which it announces itself as something special — it has convenience on its side. It takes less than thirty minutes to prepare the batter and then the cake spends a long time in the oven, during which you’re not on duty. After that, it goes into the refrigerator (or the freezer), where it’s happy to rest until you decide to have a party and bring it out on a big platter. It’s a splendid cake for a celebration or an everyday dinner when you’ve got lots of people around the table. The base of this cake is made with crushed cookies or bread crumbs, but it’s more a dusting to keep the cake from sticking to the pan than it is a crust. The heart of it is a blend of ricotta and cream cheese that’s beaten for about 10 minutes to ensure that it will bake to a beautiful smoothness. I use the finely grated zest of two or three tangerines to flavor the batter just enough so that you get the citrus, but not so much that you miss the flavors of the cheese. If you want more orange flavor, you can add some orange extract or orange oil to the batter. And if you’d prefer lemons or oranges to the tangerines, make the swap. I like to finish the cake with slices of tangerine and brush over honey for shine.
a word on the ricotta
If your ricotta has liquid around it or if it seems loose in any way, it’s best to spoon it into a cheesecloth-lined strainer set over a bowl, fold the cloth over the cheese, place a weight, like a can of beans, on top and put the setup in the fridge to drain for about 3 hours. If you use a brand like Polly-O, this is unnecessary.
Working Ahead
The cake must be refrigerated for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 325 degrees F. Butter a 10-inch springform pan, dust it with the cookie or bread crumbs and knock out the excess. Set the pan on a baking sheet.
Put the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a very large bowl if you’re using a hand mixer. Grate the tangerine zest (to taste) over the sugar and, using your fingers, rub the two together until the sugar is moist and very fragrant — it might even turn orange. If you are going to serve the tangerines or oranges with the cake, wrap them in plastic and refrigerate until needed. If you’re using a stand mixer, attach the bowl and fit it with the paddle attachment.
Add the cream cheese and salt to the bowl and beat on medium speed, scraping the bowl often, for 4 minutes. Spoon in the ricotta and beat and scrape for another 4 minutes — all this beating is what will give you the creamy texture you’ll love. Turn off the mixer, add the cornstarch and then mix on low speed to incorporate it. One by one, add the eggs, mixing on medium speed for 1 minute after each egg goes in. Beat in the vanilla extract and orange extract, if you’re using it. Scrape the batter into the pan and swivel the pan to level it.
Bake the cake for 90 minutes without opening the oven door. The cake may crack, but that’s normal. The top may have risen above the rim of the pan and it will have browned. Turn the oven off and open the door a little — prop it open with a wooden spoon, if necessary — and let the cake rest in the oven for 1 hour.
Transfer the cake to a rack and let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or, better, overnight.
When you’re ready to serve the cake, run a table knife between the cake and the sides of the pan and remove the springform ring. If it looks as if the cake has stuck (unusual, but possible), warm the sides of the pan with a few puffs of hot air from a hairdryer or moisten a dish towel in hot water, wring it out and wrap it around the pan, then remove the ring.
To glaze the cake — optional but nice — warm about 3 tablespoons honey in a saucepan or microwave just until it’s liquid. Brush it over the top of the cake. You can pass more honey at the table, if you’d like.
If you are serving with tangerines or oranges, working with one at a time, stand the fruit up on a cutting board and, using a sharp knife, slice away the rind and white pith, cutting so that you remove a thin layer of the fruit as well; it’s important to expose the fruit. Now, working over a bowl, cut between the fruit and the membranes to release the segments; remove any seeds. Squeeze the membranes to release whatever juice remains and stir it into the fruit. If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate until needed (they’ll be fine for up to 6 hours).
Use a long knife to cut the cake, running the blade under (or dipping it into) hot water and wiping it dry between cuts. If you’re using the tangerines, either spoon some fruit and juice over each slice or pass the fruit at the table.
Storing: Wrapped well, the cake will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, although the glaze might not fare as well as the cake. Unglazed, the cake can be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 2 months; defrost overnight in the refrigerator.