Directions for the lemon ricotta cake
 

• Thirty minutes before baking this cake, preheat the oven to 165.C/325.F
   
• Make sure your eggs, yolk, ricotta, and yogurt are at room temp, about 20.C/68.F
   
• Grease the sides and bottom of a 9- inch springform and line with parchment paper. Make sure your springform pan has a tight seal so that the batter won't leak out when you bake the cake. I always set my springform on a baking sheet just in case anything escapes the seam.
   
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl two times and set aside.
   
• Place the sugar, eggs, egg yolk, vanilla in a large bowl.
   
• Using a Microplane or the finest-toothed side of a box grater, zest the lemons. Do your best to grate only as far down as the yellow part of the skin; the white pith has a less lemon flavor and can be bitter.
   
• Next, squeeze three tablespoons of juice from the lemons.
   
• Add both the lemon zest and lemon juice in the bowl, then add the yogurt, ricotta cheese, and the cooled melted butter, whisk it together until just combined, but not more than 20 seconds.
   
• In three additions, sift the flour mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients using a balloon whisk instead of a silicon spatula, and very gently fold the flour into the batter until fully combined. Do not overmix!
   
• Be very delicately with just a few folds as possible with each addition of flour; periodically shake out the batter that collects inside your whisk. Use a large silicone spatula at the end of folding to reach the bottom of the bowl and scrape the batter into your prepared springform.
   
• Bake in the center of the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it.
   
• Cool the cake on a wire rack while you make the lemon sugar syrup. The lemon sugar syrup will keep the cake moist while the cake is in the fridge. 
  
   

Lemon sugar syrup
 
 

• Heat the 75 gram freshly pressed lemon juice and 75-gram white sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved about 3 minutes.
   
• Use a small cake tester or a fork and poke lots of deep holes over the top, then drizzle the warm lemon syrup over the slightly warm cake. Make sure to drizzle on the edge of the cake as well. 
   
• Let the lemon cake cool until the syrup has set and the cake is cool for about 1 hour.
   
• Put the cake back in the springform or use an adjustable cake ring placed on a baking sheet/baking mat. For a cleaner look for the finished cheesecake, you can use an Acetate sheet – it is a thick, shiny strip of plastic- place it on the inside of the springform, set aside for now!

Direction for the reduced strawberry puree

• This step takes some time, but it is 100% worth it when you taste the strawberry cheesecake. It is best to use fresh strawberries the reddest strawberries you can find when they are in their prime, in the winter months I use important strawberries from Spain. If you can't find fresh strawberries that are in season, just use frozen strawberries, as they are often frozen at the peak of the season on the farm.
   
• You’ll need a food processor or blender for this step.
   
• Place 650 fresh strawberries, rinsed & hulled, in a food processor and process until smooth, about 30 seconds.
   
• Strain the strawberry puree through a fine-mesh sieve to get rid of the seeds, pressing on solids to remove as much liquid as possible.
   
• Place the puree in a medium-small saucepan to reduce the strawberry puree on a stove.
   
• Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the strawberry puree to a slow boil for about 2 minutes.
   
• Then turn the heat down to a simmer on medium-low heat to avoid scorching and reduce the puree (stirring occasionally) for about 30 to 35 minutes or longer if needed, depending on how juicy your strawberries were.
   
• To know if it is ready, after 30 minutes, take a teaspoon and have a taste. If it tastes great like fresh strawberries, it is done if it tastes still a bit watery. Reduce it for 10 minutes more. You should have about 350 grams of reduced strawberry puree, the strawberry should not taste watery.
   
• When you have reduced the strawberry puree for about 20 minutes. Soak seven gelatin sheets in a medium bowl of cold water. This takes about 15 to 20 minutes; You need to bloom gelatin to incorporate it seamlessly into the reduced strawberry mixture. The gelatin sheets must be softened. Make sure to do this just before you make the reduced strawberry mixture is done, if you over bloom the gelatin and it is falling apart, it is over-bloomed, and you, unfortunately, need to do start over.
   
• Make sure your strawberry puree is still warm, if not reheat until warm. Gently squeeze the bloomed gelatin to remove any excess water before using it. Add the bloomed gelatin to the warm strawberry puree, whisk to dissolve, and fully mix in.
   
• Pour the mixture into a small bowl and aside to cool completely. About 30 to 40 minutes.

Strawberry Cheese Cake

 

• Before making the strawberry cheesecake, make sure your cream cheese is softened to room temperature. If the cream cheese is not softened, It is then best to whip it fluffy for a few minutes to make sure there are no large lumps of cream cheese left before proceeding with the direction below.
   
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl and using an electric beater, Add 200 gram powdered sugar, 400-gram full-fat cream cheese softened, 65 gram cold Greek Yogurt (10%), One teaspoon vanilla bean paste, zest from 3 lemons and 500-gram cold heavy cream. Whip on low speed for a minute to combine everything, then whip on medium speed until fluffy and thick. About 2-3 minutes.
   
• Scrape down the side and the bottom of the bowl with a spatula. Add the cooled 350 gram reduced strawberry gelatin puree mixture, and whip on low speed for about 1 minute more to combine everything.
   
• If you have used those bright red strawberries the natural color should be pale pink, if you like to have a more intense pink color and still keep it natural add one tablespoon pink pitaya powder. I personally don't recommend using pink food color as a substitute.
   
• Pour the strawberry cheesecake filling on top of the cooled lemon ricotta cake.
   
• Refrigerate until set, about 6 hours, preferably overnight.
   
• Twenty minutes before serving, remove the cheesecake from the fridge. , use a sharp knife to cut the cold strawberry cheesecake into slices. For neat slices, wipe the knife clean between each slice.
   
• Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator covered for up to 3 days.

For step by step pictures of how to make 
 → Strawberry Cheesecake
Click  → here