This is my version of the Olive Garden Sicilian Cheesecake! This cheesecake is made from ricotta cheese, which makes it much lighter then a cheesecake made from cream cheese. It also has a shortbread crust and a topping of strawberry sauce.
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🍓 A lighter cheesecake
I love, love, love cheesecake! See red velvet cheesecake cake, Nanaimo bar cheesecake, blood orange cheesecake, or Toffifee cheesecake for proof! When I heard of the Olive Garden Sicilian cheesecake, I knew I had to try it.
A Sicilian cheesecake uses ricotta cheese instead of cream cheese, which makes it much lighter and more cake like. I chose to add a strawberry topping to it, and the sweetness is a perfect balance.
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Ricotta cheese - make sure you use whole milk ricotta cheese. I used an extra creamy ricotta cheese because I wanted the cheesecake to be more smooth.
- Strawberries - You can use fresh or frozen for the strawberry sauce. I recommend fresh strawberries for the decorations.
🔪Instructions
First, make the crust. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C) and line a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper. Make sure you leave some parchment paper hanging from the sides. It makes it easier to lift the cheesecake out of the pan. Grease the sides of the pan.
Combine the crust ingredients in a small bowl and press into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes and then remove to cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.
Reduce oven temperature to 300°F (148°C). In a large bowl, mix ricotta cheese, sugar and flour until combined. Stir in cinnamon and vanilla extract. Mix in eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, to make sure everything is incorporated.
Water bath
A water bath is very important. It helps the cheesecake bake evenly, and helps prevent cracks. I urge you to not skip this step, no matter how much you want to chance it!
Pour the batter into the prepared crust. Line the outside of the springform pan with aluminum foil. Then cover the outside of the springform pan with a crock pot liner. A chicken bag liner works well too.
Place the springform pan into a larger pan, and fill the outside pan with enough water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 50 minutes, or until the sides are set and the center is a bit jiggly when moved.
Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the oven door closed for 30 minutes. Crack open oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 30 minutes. This slow cooling process helps prevent cracks.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and remove the springform pan from the water bath. Remove the crock pot liner and aluminum foil. Leave the cheesecake in the springform pan. Cover and store the cheesecake in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.
Strawberry sauce
Puree half the amount of strawberries in a food processor or blender. Slice the remaining strawberries and set them aside for later use.
Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Stir in pureed strawberries and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it comes to a boil. Allow it to boil for 1 minute and then remove from heat. Cool completely.
To assemble, remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and set it on a cake stand. Pour strawberry sauce over top of the cheesecake, and decorate with strawberries.
For more step by step photos, view the web story for the Olive Garden Sicilian Cheesecake.
✔️Expert tips
- Line your parchment paper so that it hangs outside of your springform pan. It is way easier to lift out the cheesecake this way.
- Bake the cheesecake in a water bath to prevent cracks. it's an extra step, but so worth it!
- Give yourself time! This cheesecake bakes for 1 hour and 50 minutes. Then it needs to slowly cool in the oven with the oven turned off for another hour.
💭FAQs
In Italy, cheesecake is made with ricotta cheese. American cheesecake is made with cream cheese.
You can make the cheesecake the day before and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
You can also make the strawberry topping the day before. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.
You can freeze the cheesecake without the topping for up to 1 month. Wrap in plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
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Olive Garden Sicilian Cheesecake {with strawberry topping}
Equipment
- 1 9 inch Springform pan
- 1 larger pan or dish that the springform pan can fit in.
Ingredients
Crust
- 2¼ cups shortbread cookie crumbs I used a 10.6oz (350g) pack of Peak Freans shortcake biscuits.
- ½ cup salted butter melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 36 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs room temperature
Strawberry Topping
- 24 ounces strawberries washed and hulled, divided
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease the sides of a 9 inch springform pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Leave a bit of parchment paper hanging out the sides, so the cheesecake can be removed easily.
- In a small bowl, combine shortbread cookie crumbs and melted butter. Stir to combine, and then press the crust ingredients into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes and then set the pan on a wired rack so the crust can cool while you make the filling.
Cheesecake filling
- Reduce oven temperature to 300°F (148°C).
- In a large bowl, mix ricotta cheese, sugar and flour until combined. Stir in cinnamon and vanilla extract.
- Mix in eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, to make sure everything is incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared crust. Line the outside of the springform pan with aluminum foil. Then cover the outside of the springform pan with a crock pot liner. A chicken bag liner works well too.
- Place the springform pan into a larger pan, and fill the outside pan with enough water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
- Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 50 minutes, or until the sides are set and the center is a bit jiggly when moved.
- Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the oven door closed for 30 minutes.
- Crack open oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 30 minutes. This slow cooling process helps prevent cracks.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and remove the springform pan from the water bath. Remove the crock pot liner and aluminum foil. Leave the cheesecake in the springform pan. Cover and store the cheesecake in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.
Strawberry Sauce
- Puree half the amount of strawberries in a food processor or blender.
- Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Stir in pureed strawberries and water.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it comes to a boil. Allow it to boil for 1 minute and then remove from heat. Cool completely.
Assembly
- Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and set it on a cake stand.
- Slice the remaining strawberries. Pour strawberry sauce over top of the cheesecake, and decorate with strawberries.
- Store the cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Line your parchment paper so that it hangs outside of your springform pan. It is way easier to lift out the cheesecake this way.
- Bake the cheesecake in a water bath to prevent cracks. it's an extra step, but so worth it!
- Give yourself time! This cheesecake bakes for 1 hour and 50 minutes. Then it needs to slowly cool in the oven with the oven turned off for another hour.
- You can use frozen strawberries for the sauce, but use fresh strawberries for decoration. Make sure to thaw frozen strawberries before use.
Stratton
Do you have to drain the ricotta before?
Nina
I used a dry ricotta. If yours has liquid in it, drain it first and pat it dry.
Kat
I followed the recipe exactly, except that I made regular shortbread crust instead of crumbling cookies. My main complaint is that this recipe called for WAY too much cinnamon. I shared this cheesecake with friends, and they all liked it, just said it had the texture of pumpkin pie and had strong pumpkin spice vibes (probably the cinnamon speaking). The recipe tasted good, but it is extremely far from an approximation of the Olive Garden Sicilian cheesecake.
Nina
Hi Kat! A Sicilian cheesecake has a very different texture than a cream cheese cheesecake, and that was probably what they were referring to. Thanks for pointing out the cinnamon amount. You can decrease the amount of cinnamon to 1/2 teaspoon for less of a cinnamon taste next time. I'm glad your friend's like it 🙂