Dorie Greenspan's Light and Creamy Easter Cheesecake

For the cheesecake

2 pounds whole-milk ricotta

Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan

3 to 4 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs or plain dried bread crumbs

1 cup sugar

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 lemon

1 orange (may substitute 2 clementines or other small oranges)

24 ounces (three 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, cut into chunks

¼ cup cornstarch, sifted

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

For the optional topping

2 to 3 tablespoons honey

12 ounces blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or a combination

For the cheesecake: Line a strainer with a double thickness of dampened cheesecloth. (Use a big piece; you want a lot of overhang.) Place the lined strainer over a pot or bowl, spoon in the ricotta and draw up the sides of cheesecloth to cover it. Put a plate on top of the ricotta, then place a large can or bottle on top of the plate to put pressure on the cheese. Let it sit on the counter overnight (or refrigerate). When you're ready to bake, remove the weights, unwrap the cheese and pat it dry.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease the springform pan with some butter and dust it with the crumbs. Wrap the exterior of the pan with a double layer of aluminum foil, bringing the foil as high up the sides of the pan as you can. Set out a roasting pan that's large enough to hold the springform pan.

Combine the sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if you're using a hand mixer) and finely grate the rind of the lemon and orange over it. (Save the fruit for another use.) Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is moist, fragrant and colored. If you're using a stand mixer, attach the bowl and the paddle. Toss in the cream cheese and beat on medium speed, scraping the bowl occasionally (do this throughout the process), for 4 minutes. Add the drained ricotta and beat for 4 minutes more. All this beating gives the cheesecake its light texture. Stop the mixer to add the cornstarch, then beat on low speed to incorporate it. Add the eggs one a time, beating on medium speed for a minute after each one goes in, then add the vanilla extract and beat just to incorporate. Pour and scrape the batter into the springform pan, using a spatula to level the top.

Seat the springform pan in the roasting pan, then transfer to the middle oven rack. Pour hot water into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake for 90 minutes (for a 10-inch pan; 15 minutes longer if using a 9-inch pan) without opening the oven door, then turn off the oven, prop the door open with a wooden spoon and allow the cake to rest in its water bath for 1 hour. The cake probably will have risen above the rim of the pan; it will settle down as it cools. The surface also may have cracked; that is not a problem.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Carefully lift the springform pan out of the roaster - there might be hot water in the foil, so pay attention! Remove and discard the foil, place the springform pan on a wire rack and let the cheesecake come to room temperature. The center of the cake may still be jiggly, and that's fine. Once the cake has cooled completely, refrigerate it for at least 6 hours or, better yet, overnight.

Remove the sides of the springform pan. If the cake has stuck to the sides - it probably won't, because this is a well-behaved cake - warm the pan with a hair dryer or a dish towel soaked in hot water and then wrung dry. Place the cake, still on the pan's base, on a platter.

For the optional topping: Warm the honey (to taste) very briefly in a microwave or over low heat, just to liquefy it - it shouldn't be really hot - and then brush a very thin layer over the top of the cake. Arrange the berries decoratively atop the cake, or mix them together and pile them on top of the cake. Drizzle a small amount of honey over the berries to give them a shine.

To serve, use a long knife to cut the cake, dipping the knife in hot water and wiping it dry between cuts.

Makes 16 servings

Nutrition | Per serving: 320 calories, 10 g protein, 18 g carbohydrates, 23 g fat, 14 g saturated fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 270 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 14 g sugar

cheesecake

From cookbook author Dorie Greenspan