It's time to celebrate! This fluffy birthday cake cheesecake is the perfect decadent dessert for your baking bestie! The recipe is inspired by traditional German cheesecake, which is made with ricotta and whipped egg whites, and without cream cheese. So light those candles and get the confetti ready - we're here to partayyy!
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I live by the motto “never settle” and that’s especially true on birthdays. Honestly, why would anyone want to settle for a mediocre birthday cake? It’s your freaking birthday, babe!
So go all-out and dive headfirst into a luxurious, decadent birthday cake cheesecake!
This fun bday dessert was inspired by other cheesecake recipes including chocolate Black Forest cheesecake with cherries, authentic German cheesecake called Käsekuchen, creamy dairy free cheesecake, an impressive baklava cheesecake with phyllo, and a no-bake vegan pumpkin cheesecake.
Growing up in Germany, birthdays were a pretty big deal. In fact, one of my German teachers said they used to hoist kids up on a chair above everyone else’s heads, singing “Zum Geburtstag viel Glück”.
However, they had to stop that boisterous bday tradition when one kid fell out of his chair. I swear, it’s always one kid who has to ruin it for the rest of us…
Why You'll Love Birthday Cake Cheesecake
- Its flavor is less intense than American cheesecake. The hint of lemon and tangy ricotta pair perfectly with the sweet & buttery crust.
- Cheesecakes are perfect for making ahead of time. You can bake it the day prior, then pull it out of the fridge during your birthday party, just in time for presents!
- Made without cream cheese, this recipe is my unique spin on a beloved classic dessert. My aunt doesn't like traditional cheesecake, but she loved this version!
- If you do like cheesecake with softened cream cheese, I think you'll love this version too. My grandpa (who is a die-hard cheesecake fan) gave this a double-thumbs-up approval.
Is Cheesecake Difficult to Make?
Cheesecakes are notorious for being tricky to make. Will it sink? Is the crust going to be soggy? Will it crack?? Is it going to be lumpy? But have no fear!
We’ll use the simple technique of baking the cheesecake in a pan full of hot water (called a water bath) to ensure the cheesecake bakes and cools slowly and evenly.
Best of all, you don’t have to worry about layering, frosting, and decorating a traditional birthday layer cake with buttercream, royal icing, or fondant!
Notes on Specific Ingredients
- Ricotta - Traditionally German cheesecake is made with a soft cheese called quark. But quark is really hard to find in the U.S. so I usually use ricotta. It creates a much lighter cheesecake than cream cheese, but it’s still tangy and delicious!
- Eggs - The eggs are separated for this cheesecake. Make sure your egg yolks are at room temperature. This will help the egg yolks incorporate more easily into the batter, and it'll help the egg whites whip up faster.
- Graham Cracker Crumbs - If you don't have a food processor, place your graham crackers in a large, sealed bag. Use something heavy like a rolling pin to smash them into fine crumbs for the crust.
- Almond Extract - You can substitute vanilla extract. But I think almond extract adds more of a nostalgic birthday cake flavor.
How to Make this Recipe
Below is the process to make this recipe. For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. In a large mixing bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt.
2. Spread the crust mixture into your springform pan, and press it down in an even layer.
3. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until it is golden brown. Let it cool while the filling is prepared.
5. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing after each addition.
7. Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
9. Gently fold the rainbow sprinkles into the cheesecake mixture. Set aside.
11. Pour the cheesecake batter onto the cooled crumb crust in your springform pan.
13. Slowly cool the cheesecake, then refrigerate it for at least 8 hours to fully set.
4. Mix the ricotta, cornstarch, granulated sugar, almond extract, and lemon zest until it’s creamy.
6. Mix in the Greek yogurt on low speed until it’s well combined.
8. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites.
10. Wrap your springform pan with layers of extra-large aluminum foil.
12. Place the cheesecake in a water bath. Bake for 60 to 80 min, until it's set around the edges.
14. Top with whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, and candles. Slice and enjoy!
Carissa's Kitchen Tip
Whipped egg whites in cheesecake create a light, fluffy, airy texture that's out-of-this-world.
But make sure you don't get any egg yolks in those egg whites, otherwise they won't whip up properly.
Separate your eggs in a separate bowl, then transfer each egg white to your clean mixing bowl.
Recipe Tips
- Have all your ingredients (especially the ricotta cheese, Greek yogurt, and eggs) at room temperature. This will ensure everything combines evenly and become silky smooth.
- Cool your cheesecake slowly! Rapid temperature changes will cause it to crack, like going from a hot oven to a cool countertop.
- If your cheesecake does crack, just cover it with whipped cream, fresh or canned fruit, or ice cream. No one will ever know. 😉
- Pre-bake the crust before adding the cheesecake filling, to prevent it from being soggy.
- Use the sprinkles shaped like rods called "Jimmies". They don't allow their colors to bleed as easily as the tiny sprinkle balls (called nonpareils).
Variations
- Dairy Free - Use dairy free ricotta with dairy free Greek yogurt or dairy free cream cheese to make dairy free cheesecake without cashews.
- Birthday Cookie Crust - Listen, birthdays are the one day of the year when you can be as extra as you want. So go ahead and replace the graham cracker crust with a birthday cake cookie crust!
Storage
Fridge: Store your birthday cake cheesecake in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Freezer: Store the whole cheesecake or individual slices in an airtight container for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Related Recipes
Looking for more delicious cake recipes like this birthday cheesecake? Try these:
Birthday Cake Cheesecake (With Ricotta - No Cream Cheese!)
Ingredients
Crust
- 1½ cups graham crackers crumbs (from about 9 graham crackers or 1 whole sleeve)
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (half a stick)
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Rainbow Sprinkle Cheesecake
- 26 ounces ricotta (both whole milk ricotta and part skim milk ricotta work) (at room temperature)
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon almond extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest (add lemon juice too, if you prefer a stronger lemon flavor)
- 4 large eggs, separated (at room temperature)
- 12 ounces plain Greek yogurt (1½ cups) (at room temperature)
- ⅓ cup Jimmies rainbow sprinkles (shaped like rods)
Instructions
Make the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Make sure an oven rack is in the middle of the oven. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt. It should look like coarse wet sand, and it should mostly clump together when you press some in the palm of your hand. If it's too dry and just falls apart, add another 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
- Spread the crust mixture into your springform pan, and press it down with your hand or the bottom of a drinking glass in an even layer.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until it is golden brown. Let it cool while the cheesecake filling is prepared. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
Make the Cheesecake
- In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the ricotta, cornstarch, granulated sugar, almond extract, and lemon zest until it’s creamy, after 2 to 3 minutes on low speed.
- Add just the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Place the egg whites in a separate clean mixing bowl & set aside.
- Add the Greek yogurt to the ricotta mixture. On low speed, mix again until it’s well combined. Give the sides and bottom of your mixing bowl a few scrapes with a silicone spatula to ensure everything is well mixed. Set aside.
- Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks (after about 5 to 8 minutes).
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the ricotta mixture.Then gently fold the rainbow sprinkles into the mixture. Set aside.
Prepare the Water Bath
- Bring a full kettle of water to a boil.
- Tightly wrap the outside of your springform pan with at least two layers of extra large aluminum foil, so water doesn't get into the pan when it's submerged halfway in the water bath. Make sure the foil fully covers the bottom and all the way up the sides of the pan.
- Pour the cheesecake batter onto the cooled crumb crust in your springform pan.
- Place the springform pan in the middle of a large Dutch oven or roasting pan with sides that are at least as tall as the springform pan.
- Pour the boiling water into your Dutch oven or roasting pan so the water level comes about halfway up the sides of the aluminum foil-lined springform pan. (Now you have a water bath!)
Bake & Cool the Cheesecake
- Carefully transfer the water bath into the oven. Bake the cheesecake for 60 minutes, then begin checking the cheesecake to see if it's done.Give the pan a gentle jiggle. The cheesecake is done baking once the center is jiggly, and the outer edge is set and doesn't move. If it's still jiggly around the outer edges, bake for another 10 minutes and check again.
- Once the cheesecake is done baking, turn off the oven and crack the oven door open so the cheesecake can start cooling slowly inside the oven as it cools. After 30 minutes, close the oven door and leave the cheesecake to continue cooling slowly inside for another 1 hour. If you take the cheesecake out too soon, it’ll crack since it will cool too quickly.
- After 1.5 hours, remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it continue to cool to room temperature on the counter still in the water bath for at least another hour.
- Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, loosely cover the top of the pan with aluminum foil, and chill in the fridge to fully set it for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
- Run a knife around the edge of the springform pan to loosen it. Release the sides of the pan. Optional: Top with whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, and birthday candles. Slice and enjoy!! <3
Notes
- Have all your ingredients (especially the ricotta cheese, Greek yogurt, and eggs) at room temperature. This will ensure everything combines evenly and become silky smooth.
- Egg whites whip up better when they're at room temperature. So after separating your eggs, place the egg whites in a clean mixing bowl and just set them aside on the counter until you're ready to whip them.
- Cool your cheesecake slowly! Rapid temperature changes will cause it to crack, like going from a hot oven to a cool countertop.
- If your cheesecake does crack, just cover it with whipped cream, fresh or canned fruit, or ice cream. No one will ever know. 😉
- Use the sprinkles shaped like rods called "Jimmies". They don't allow their colors to bleed as easily as the tiny sprinkle balls (called nonpareils).
- Store your birthday cake cheesecake in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 5 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Lina
Nice take on a birthday cake <3
Shanon
Unique! cant wait to try it!