This simple rustic French dessert cake is made with a very thick vanilla batter. Rhubarb chunks are combined with apple and almond pieces, which are then placed directly on top. Although rhubarb is quite tart by itself, it pairs perfectly with this fluffy and delectable cake. This kind of cake is known as a “Gateau Vite Fait” in French, which translates to “quick cake” in English.
| Prep Time: | 25 mins |
| Cook Time: | 50 mins |
| Additional Time: | 3 hrs |
| Total Time: | 4 hrs 15 mins |
| Servings: | 48 |
| Yield: | 6 9-inch cheesecakes |
Ingredients
- 8 eggs
- 4 cups white sugar
- 2 tablespoons imitation vanilla flavoring
- 1 teaspoon anise extract
- 1 teaspoon grated lime zest (Optional)
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (Optional)
- 4 pounds ricotta cheese
- 1 (12 ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 6 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crusts
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl, then mix in the sugar, vanilla flavoring, anise extract, lime zest, lemon zest, and ricotta cheese until smooth. Toss the chocolate chips with the flour in a plastic bag to coat. Fold in to the ricotta batter until evenly blended. Place the graham cracker crusts onto baking sheets. Evenly divide the batter among the crusts.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then rotate the cheesecakes 90 degrees, and continue baking until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 2 hours until cold before serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 311 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 43 g |
| Cholesterol | 43 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 7 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Sodium | 230 mg |
| Sugars | 32 g |
| Fat | 13 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
This was a huge hit at Thanksgiving! My brother-in-law is Italian, and his parents’ eyes lit up when they realized I had brought a ricotta cheesecake – no, it’s not like what most of us expect a “cheesecake” to be like, but as far as a ricotta pie-type dessert, this was the best one ever. Scaled down to one pie, and I had no lemon to zest so added a drop of lemon extract and a bit of orange zest along with the lime zest. Less rich, less sweet than the typical cheesecake, but delicious! This will be a definite repeat in our house!
Scaled this back to make one cake. We liked this one. It was different than a typical cheesecake. I wasn’t sure my kids would like the anise but they didn’t say a thing. Used regular vanilla extract and used the same amount called for. It was good!
I also love this dessert! In the hubster’s fam, though they call it “Ricotta Pie” but the classic flavors are the same. It isn’t a classic “cheesecake”, but it is an Italian classic! I haven’t tried freezing it yet, but we have several things coming up and I just might try that!
This Cheesecake is so very delicious. I did cut the recipe down to 2 pies since we are just 5 and I didn’t want any to go to waste. I love the citrus with the anise flavor and then the chocolate! Whats not to love?
I don’t usually like to rate/review my own recipes, but this would get five stars from me even if it was someone else’s recipe. If you use real vanilla extract, you’ll want to use a little less. Also, this cheesecake freezes very well, so you can make a full recipe and just freeze the extra pies for eating at a later date. One BIG tip – if you’re wanting a cheesecake with a flavor and texture like those made with cream cheese, please keep looking, because this recipe isn’t for you. If you’re open to a new twist on cheesecake, then I encourage you to enjoy this delicious recipe!