Let’s admit it: for us Italians the Sunday lunch is not just a meal, it’s a ritual. It’s that magical moment when the table stops being just a piece of furniture and becomes the stage for laughter, confidences and memories woven between a glass of wine and a dish from the tradition.
During the week we all rush, often eating on the go in front of a screen or scrolling through news on our phones, but Sunday… Sunday, at least for me, is sacred. It’s our “we” time ❤️
That’s how I spend them, barring surprises! Around the table in my little shabby-style house, together with my beloved family.
For me, who lives cooking as an act of love, there’s no Sunday lunch that doesn’t end with a dessert capable of keeping everyone at the table a little longer.
This cheesecake was born exactly for that! With the desire to pamper my family, combining two ingredients I love (apple and cinnamon) with a more modern and indulgent structure, typical of a cheesecake.
When I saw the plates clean and heard the silence of those enjoying something good, I knew the experiment had succeeded!! 🧡
So today I’m here to dust off this old, very old recipe that absolutely needed refreshing!
I’ll let you in on a secret: the contrast between the crispy chocolate sheet and the spiced apple cream makes this cake truly special!
So no more chatter, let’s immediately see how to make it!
But first, here are some of the most loved recipes from my loyal readers ❤️
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Cooking time: 1 Hour
- Portions: serves about 10-12 people
- Cooking methods: Conventional oven, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 11 oz Digestive biscuits (about 11 oz (about 3 cups) or biscuits of your choice. Use gluten-free if intolerant)
- 9 tbsp butter (lactose-free butter, or clarified butter or good-quality margarine for lactose-intolerant people)
- 1 1/4 cups ricotta (well drained)
- 1 cup heavy cream (for whipping) (or a plant-based whipping cream for lactose-intolerant people; always check the packaging for lactose-free guarantees)
- 1/4 cup sugar (I used brown sugar but white is fine too)
- 2 eggs (medium, whole)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp fresh ginger (or ground ginger, if preferred)
- 1 vial vanilla extract (small vial of vanilla extract)
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 oz dark chocolate 50%
- 2 Renette apples
- 1 tsp sugar (white or brown)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp Amaretto (liqueur) (not essential, only if you have it at home)
- 3 apples (not large; in this recipe I used Royal Gala, sweeter to contrast the tangy Renette)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp sugar (if the apples are very sweet you can skip this)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 Digestive biscuit (crumbled)
- 1 tbsp hazelnut crumbs (optional)
- 3/4 oz dark chocolate 50% (melted)
Tools
- Bowls
- Parchment paper
- Springform pan
- Small saucepan
- Spatula
- Frying pan
- Chopper
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Sieve
- Hand mixer
- Immersion blender
Steps
Crush the biscuits in the chopper (you can choose whichever you prefer or already have in the pantry).
Add the butter, previously melted, and mix for a few seconds with a spatula.
Line only the base of a springform pan with parchment paper and pour all the crumb mixture inside.
Springform pan size: 8.7–9.4 in (22–24 cm).
With an 8.7 in (22 cm) pan you will get a tall, showy cheesecake. With a 9.4 in (24 cm) pan it will be slightly lower, but will bake more evenly and be easier to slice.
Tip: always line the bottom with parchment paper and, if you want, butter the sides well so it releases without drama.Press down with your fingers, pushing a bit of the crumbs up the sides to create a kind of shell.
Put the pan in the fridge to rest for about ten minutes, not in the freezer.
Now put the ricotta (previously well drained) into a stand mixer, add the sugar and the heavy cream (you can also use plant-based cream).
If you don’t have a stand mixer it’s no problem, you can use a hand mixer and work in a large bowl.
Add the vial of vanilla extract, the grated ginger, a pinch of salt, the ground cinnamon and turn on the mixer until you get a nice fluffy cream.
The hallmark of this cheesecake is precisely that spiced taste which makes it fragrant and very pleasant. However, if you don’t like spices you can use just lemon zest instead.
Break the eggs into the mixture and mix until they are incorporated. And the filling is ready! Easier and quicker than that!
Pour all the cream over the biscuit base and bake in a conventional oven at 338°F (170°C) for about 50 minutes, until the surface becomes golden.
It should still wobble slightly in the center when you take it out and please, NO TOOTHPICK TEST. Read all the details about baking at the end ❤️👩🍳🥣
Once out of the oven it must cool for at least 4 hours to allow the filling to set.
If you made the cheesecake the day before serving, you can remove it from the oven after a few hours and place it in the fridge. The next day you can decorate it 😉
Take a sheet of parchment paper and cut it into a circle with a diameter equal to the base of your pan.
Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie (or for a few seconds in the microwave) and then pour it onto the parchment circle.
Use a spatula to spread it evenly (it should cover the whole sheet) and then place it in the freezer.
We’re almost there! It’s true there are several steps to make this spiced cheesecake, but they are all extremely easy and quick.
Dice the Renette apples, put them in a saucepan with a little water, one teaspoon of brown sugar, one tablespoon of Amaretto (only if you have it) and the ground cinnamon.
Cook for about 10 minutes until soft, then blend everything (preferably with an immersion blender directly in the saucepan) until you have a silky cream.
Finally, prepare the diced apples. Peel and cut them into cubes or, if you prefer, you can keep the skin on. Take a small frying pan, add the butter, brown sugar and let it melt.
Add the cinnamon and the apples and cook for 5–10 minutes, the apples should remain firm. Let them drain in a sieve.
Done! We are ready for the final decoration!
Finally we can move on to my favorite part, the decoration and then the tasting!!
Place the now-set cheesecake on a serving plate. Retrieve the crispy chocolate sheet and carefully detach it from the paper with the help of a knife.
Try not to touch it with your hands, it’s so thin it could melt from the warmth.
Lift it with a spatula and set it on the surface of the cheesecake.
On this chocolate sheet crumble a biscuit which will help absorb some of the moisture from the apple cream that you will place on top.
Finish with the diced crunchy apples, a handful of hazelnut crumbs and the melted chocolate.
Isn’t it beautiful and above all, isn’t it tempting?! I get hungry just looking at it!
Your fragrant and delicious baked apple and cinnamon cheesecake is ready! Get a plate and a fork and enjoy a nice slice!
I hope this super creamy cake can become the star of one of your next family Sunday lunches. There is no greater joy than bringing loved ones together around a table ❤️👩🍳
✔️Let me know in the comments if there is a dessert that can never be missing at your family Sunday lunch. Maybe I’ll try it next time too ❤️
Please come back soon to discover the next recipes coming soon!
Article copyrighted © – Gabriella Geroni © All rights reserved
To make this cheesecake I was inspired by a recipe seen a long, long time ago on the site http://www.taccuinodicucina.it/ – all rights acknowledged.
🌱 VARIATIONS AND INTOLERANCES
In my family we know well what it means to deal with gastritis or reflux, or to cook for someone who is lactose intolerant.
✔️Lactose-free: You can safely use a lactose-free ricotta and cream and replace the base butter with clarified butter or a good-quality margarine. The flavor will remain identical!
✔️Less acidity: If you suffer from reflux, reduce (or avoid entirely if you cannot tolerate it) the ginger and make sure the apples are well cooked and sweet.
❓❓Would you like to try some variations of this cheesecake? Try these:
✔️If you want to push the flavor further, add raisins to the diced apples (previously soaked in rum or Amaretto) and some toasted pine nuts. A really indulgent pairing!
✔️Instead of the dark chocolate sheet you can cover the surface with salted caramel.
✔️And if you want to avoid the cream to make it lighter you can replace it with Greek yogurt or cream cheese, not regular yogurt which has a different consistency.
FAQ (Questions & Answers)
Why does a baked cheesecake crack on the surface?
A characteristic of a baked cheesecake is that it resembles a pudding just removed from the oven. If you insert a toothpick while it is still hot you run the risk that it will deflate or crack, so the toothpick rule that applies to other cakes doesn’t apply here.
Want to be sure it’s cooked? Give the pan a gentle shake: the edges should be set and golden, while the center should have a “wobbly” movement, like a pudding. You can take it out of the oven and wait! It will fully set as it cools.Do I have to use two different types of apples?
Not necessarily! I chose two different types of apples to create a contrast of flavors.
Renette have a soft flesh perfect for cooking and pureeing to obtain a silky cream. They also have a
Obviously if you have Golden or Fuji at home that will work just as well.
A tip: taste them first, if they are very sweet you can skip the sugar for cooking, while if they are rather tart you can increase the amount by a few teaspoons to suit your taste.Will the chocolate sheet break when I cut it?
Often melted chocolate on top of cakes becomes hard and difficult to cut. Don’t worry! Making the sheet on parchment paper and freezing it produces a very thin disc that pleasantly “breaks” under the fork, without ruining the cake slice.
And if you want a very precise cut use this trick: a smooth-bladed knife slightly warmed under hot water. It will glide through the chocolate without shattering the disc and will slice the cake cleanly.Can I prepare it the day before?
Of course you can, in fact I’d say even better! The cheesecake needs rest to absorb all the spices we used and release aromas and flavors when tasted.
So yes, you can prepare it the day before and the next day focus on decorating it.
