Today I offer my Ricotta and Strawberry Cheesecake Tart, a dessert that pleases both the eye and the palate and truly tastes like spring.
The first strawberries have arrived and I couldn’t resist: I had to use them to make something special 🍓 — a fresh and indulgent dessert that tastes of spring.
For this Ricotta and Strawberry Cheesecake Tart I used my buttery shortcrust pastry base, filled with a layer of strawberry jam and a soft, delicate cream based on ricotta instead of the classic spreadable cheese. The result is a light but super creamy filling, just the way I like it.
For baking I used my inseparable air fryer (“friggy”), but as I always say you can easily bake it in a conventional oven with equally perfect results; you’ll find instructions for both appliances so you can choose your preferred cooking method.
Once completely cooled, I decorated my Ricotta and Strawberry Cheesecake Tart with fresh strawberries: I love the touch they give, both for color and that slightly tart contrast that balances the sweetness of the cream. If you like, you can also dust with powdered sugar to make it even more refined and add a few mint leaves.
It’s one of those simple yet showy desserts, perfect as a dinner dessert or for a special snack. Store it in the refrigerator — it’s even better the next day… if there’s any left 😍
But now let’s prepare this delight together
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 45 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Air fryer, Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
Ingredients for an 8 2/3–9 1/2 in pan
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (00)
- 5 1/4 tbsp butter (at room temperature)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 lemon (untreated zest)
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 lemon (untreated zest)
- 1/2 cup strawberry jam
- 7 oz strawberries
- to taste powdered sugar
Tools
Recommended tools
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Immersion blender
- 2 Bowls
- 2 Baking paper (sheets)
- 1 Pan non-stick pan 8 2/3–9 1/2 in, high-sided
- 1 Rolling pin
- 1 Spatula
Steps
Cheesecake Preparation
In a bowl, combine the flour, eggs, sugar and a good pinch of salt
Work the ingredients with a fork until you obtain a sandy mixture. Add the grated zest of half a lemon and the softened butter cut into pieces. Quickly knead with your hands until you obtain a smooth, compact dough
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Whip the eggs, sugar and the grated lemon zest with a whisk for 5 minutes
Until you obtain a light and frothy mixture
In another bowl, add the ricotta and Greek yogurt
Work with a fork until you obtain a cream
Pour the egg mixture into the bowl with the cheese and yogurt and gently fold with a spatula, mixing slowly
Until you obtain a homogeneous mixture
After resting, roll out the shortcrust pastry with a rolling pin between two sheets of lightly floured baking paper
Cut a disk the right size for the base of the pan
Flip the disk using the baking paper and line the bottom of the pan, previously buttered and floured, then remove the excess pastry
Use the pastry scraps to line the edges of the pan.
Prick the base with the tines of a fork to prevent it from puffing up during baking.
Spread the jam over the bottom of the pastry and level it well.
Then pour the egg and cheese mixture over the jam. Gently tap the pan on the work surface to remove any air bubbles.
Baking:
– air fryer: preheat the air fryer on the bake program to 160°C (320°F) for 2-3 minutes, place the pan on the fryer drawer grill or on the tray if you have the oven-style model and bake for 45 minutes or until the edges and the filling of the tart are golden. If your air fryer does not have a bake program, set time and temperature manually — they remain the same.
– oven: preheat the oven and bake at 180°C (356°F) for 50 minutes or until the edges and the filling of the tart are golden.
Times may vary a few minutes more or less depending on your oven and your air fryer.
Once baked, remove from the oven: the filling will be slightly wobbly, similar to a pudding, and this is completely normal — it should remain so to have the right texture. Let it cool completely at room temperature before serving.
Transfer the cheesecake tart to a serving plate and decorate with strawberries cut into quarters, previously washed, dried and hulled.
Finish with a light dusting of powdered sugar and serve immediately 🍓Did you like this recipe? You can rate it by giving stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 after the tips section!
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Storage, Tips and Variations
The cheesecake tart can be kept for 1 day at room temperature or well covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Leave the butter at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. It should be soft.
Use non-stick aluminum pans with removable bottoms or springform pans: they make it easier to transfer the tart to a serving plate. Do not invert it: the filling is soft and would be ruined.
You can prepare the pastry the day before and keep it refrigerated. I recommend leaving it 15 minutes at room temperature before rolling it out.
You can replace the ricotta with the same amount of cream cheese.
Tips for cooking in an air fryer with a single heating element
If you have an air fryer with a heating element, you can start by blind-baking the pastry, without filling, to facilitate base cooking. You can find the instructions 👉here at steps 8 and 9. Once that baking is finished, remove the beans and the baking paper, then come back here and continue from step 14.
