I made an Italian cheesecake also, part cream cheese and part ricotta. It wasn’t very cheesy flavored but it was light textured, like you said.
I can’t imagine mixing up a cheesecake by hand! No way could I do that, especially not now. I’m having a hard time keeping up with the moving. Today I unpacked a freezer loaded everything in coolers and boxes then carted it all over to the other house and eventually put it back into the freezer. I didn’t have to move any of the coolers or the freezer. And my arms are still killing me. I love my ice bag. Good old 50 year old technology. Actually probably older than that.
I don’t have an electric mixer, I rarely make anything that requires one. I used to make bread or rolls, then got to where I’d borrow my daughters electric kneader. It’s in Wisconsin now, but I don’t think kneading dough is half as hard as mixing that cheesecake.