Fiadone is a crustless, lightly sweet cheese cake from Corsica — just five ingredients, no water bath, no crust to blind-bake. It comes together in under an hour and slices cleanly, which makes it genuinely useful when you need to feed a crowd without spending a weekend in the kitchen.
The short version of why this works
Two things carry this recipe. First, beating the cheese with the sugar before adding eggs smooths out any graininess in the ricotta and dissolves the sugar fully — skip that step and the texture turns gritty. Second, pulling the cake when the center is still slightly wobbly is not optional. The residual heat finishes the job as it cools; overbaking drives off moisture and turns the texture chalky. Everything else — the lemon, the vanilla — is straightforward, but those two points are where most batches go wrong.
About the ingredients
- Brocciu vs. ricotta: Brocciu is made from whey and has a tangier, slightly earthier flavor than ricotta. If you use whole-milk ricotta as a substitute, drain it in a fine-mesh strainer for 30–60 minutes first. Ricotta holds more water than Brocciu, and skipping the drain can leave you with a wet, sunken center.
- Lemons: You need both the zest and the juice. The zest carries the aromatic oils; the juice adds brightness and a little acidity that keeps the cake from tasting flat. Two medium lemons should give you roughly 2 teaspoons of zest and 3–4 tablespoons of juice.
- Eggs: Room-temperature eggs incorporate more evenly. Pull them from the fridge 20–30 minutes before you start.
Storage and make-ahead
Fiadone keeps well in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days — the flavor actually improves on day two once the lemon has had time to settle into the cheese. For parties or bake sales, bake it the day before, cool it completely at room temperature, then refrigerate overnight still in the springform pan. Remove the ring just before serving. It freezes reasonably well too: wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 6 weeks. Thaw overnight in the fridge rather than at room temperature to keep the texture from going rubbery.
Troubleshooting
- Cake cracks across the top: This usually means the oven ran hot or the cake baked too long. Use an oven thermometer — home ovens can run 25°F over the dial setting. A cracked fiadone still tastes fine, but if you are making it for a table presentation, tent it loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes of baking.
- Wet, sunken center after cooling: Almost always caused by undrained ricotta. See the ingredient note above. Also check that your eggs were fully incorporated — undermixed batter can pool in the center.
- Rubbery or dense texture: Overbeating after the eggs go in develops too much structure. Once the eggs are in, mix only until just combined — stop the mixer as soon as you no longer see streaks.
- Cake sticks to the pan: Grease the pan thoroughly, including the sides. If you are doubling the recipe for a larger crowd and using a deeper pan, line the bottom with parchment as well. Skip the garnish of powdered sugar if you plan to transport slices — not worth the extra dish and it dissolves within an hour anyway.
- Pale top with no color: If the top is set but not golden after 30 minutes, move the pan to the upper third of the oven for the final 3–5 minutes. Do not raise the temperature; that risks overcooking the center before the top colors.
Fiadone (Corsican Lemon Cheesecake)
Equipment
- 9-inch Springform Pan
- Electric Mixer
- Zester
- Mixing Bowls
- Spatula
- wire rack
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds Brocciu or Ricotta Cheese Ensure fresh and high-quality
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 4 large Eggs Preferably organic
- 2 medium Lemons Zested and juiced
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract Pure
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan thoroughly.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the Brocciu cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition to incorporate fully.
- Gently fold in the lemon zest and juice until just combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the top is golden and the center is set but slightly wobbly.
- Allow the cheesecake to cool in the pan on a wire rack before removing the springform outer ring. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- For an extra twist, try incorporating orange zest for a unique citrus blend.
- If Brocciu is unavailable, ricotta cheese is an excellent substitute.
- Add a splash of Limoncello for an adult twist.
Nutrition
FAQ
Can I double this recipe to make two cakes at once?
Yes — doubling works well and is the most practical way to scale up. Mix each batch separately rather than combining everything in one bowl, since overloading the mixer makes it harder to get a smooth, even batter. Bake the two pans on the same rack if they fit with at least two inches of clearance between them, or rotate them halfway through if you need to use two racks.
Do I need a springform pan, or can I use something else?
A springform pan is strongly recommended because fiadone is fragile when warm and does not unmold cleanly from a standard cake pan. If you do not have one, a deep 9-inch pie dish works — just serve it directly from the dish rather than trying to unmold it. Individual ramekins are another option for bake sales; reduce the bake time to roughly 18–20 minutes and check for the same slight wobble in the center.
How do I know when it is actually done if I am not sure what ‘slightly wobbly’ means?
Give the pan a gentle shake — the outer two inches should be fully set and the center should move as one piece, like set gelatin, rather than sloshing like liquid. An instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reading 150–155°F is a reliable backup check if you are unsure by sight alone.
What to bake next
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