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Greek Cheesecake (Myzithropita)

Myzithropita is a traditional Greek recipe for a classic cheesecake flavoured with lemon zest and mastic-flavoured liqueur. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Greek version of: Myzithropita.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

60 minutes

Total Time:

80 minutes

Additional Time:

(+cooling)

Serves:

8

Rating:

Tags : Cheese RecipesBaking RecipesCake RecipesGreece Recipes

Myzithropita is a Greek cheesecake made from myzithra a Cretan sheep and/or goat milk and whey cheese, that is similar to Italian ricotta. Glykia myzithra ("sweet myzithra") the milder and less salty form is often used to make sweet dishes. The Mastika or mastiha is mastic, a resin with a slightly pine or cedar-like flavour gathered from the mastic tree, a small evergreen tree native to the Mediterranean region. You can use my home-made ricotta cheese recipe to prepare your own, if you like.

Ingredients:

1.5kg fresh myzithra cheese (or ricotta cheese)
260g light brown sugar
5 large eggs
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon powdered mastiha
finely-grated zest of one lemon
70g fine semolina
1 tsp baking powder
Butter for greasing the pan
One round cake tin around 27cm diameter

Honey and cinnamon to serve

Method:

Preheat your oven at 170 C. Put the cheese in a large bowl and mash it with a big fork. Mix in the sugar and stir using the same fork.

Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add them into the cheese mix along with the lemon zest, mastiha and baking powder. Mix well to incorporate and finally start gradually adding the semolina, while stirring constantly. Grease the pan with butter and pour in the mix.

Bake on the lowest rack for about 45-60 minutes until all golden-brown on top. Take it out of the oven and allow it to cool. Once it has cooled down, remove it carefully from the cake tin and serve drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon.