Vancouver Cheesecake
If you've got cream cheese, softened, ricotta cheese and whipping cream, you're most of the way to this vegetarian: about 70 minutes of cooking across 7 steps. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and pan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (5)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegetarian — no meat or fish, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Gluten Dairy Egg
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F) and wrap the outside of a 20 cm (8-inch) springform pan in foil to guard against leaks.
- Stir the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and 1 tablespoon of the sugar, press firmly into the base of the pan, and bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
- Beat the cream cheese and ricotta with the remaining sugar until completely smooth, scraping the bowl often, then beat in the flour.
- Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the batter, then add the eggs one at a time on low speed, mixing just until each is incorporated to avoid whipping in air.
- Blend in the whipping cream and lemon juice until silky, then pour the batter over the cooled crust and smooth the top.
- Set the pan in a roasting tray and pour hot water halfway up the sides, then bake for 55 to 65 minutes until the edges are set but the center still has a slight wobble.
- Turn off the oven, crack the door, and let the cake cool inside for 1 hour, then chill it for at least 4 hours or overnight before topping with the fresh berries and serving.
You'll use: Oven · Pan · Blender
Ingredient substitutions
- Ricotta
- cottage cheese (blended) · mashed silken tofu
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
- Lemon
- lime · 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
Tips & common questions
How long does Vancouver Cheesecake take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 11 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of ricotta?
Try cottage cheese (blended). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Vancouver Cheesecake vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat, fish or shellfish, so it is suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheese for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Vancouver Cheesecake is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Japanese Marble Cheesecake with ice cream.jpg by Geoff Peters, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.