Most people would scoff at the idea of spending even $20 on dessert. But, the rules don’t apply to the rich, and New York City has always been a city that caters to the ultra-wealthy. In 2017, Chef Raffaele Ronca, who then owned a restaurant called Rafele Ristorante, knew exactly what the rich wanted: a $5,000 cheesecake. Yes, really. Today, that would be the equivalent of over $6,000. The median rent in NYC is $3,300, which means that this extravagant treat cost the same as almost two months of rent in the city.
What made this cheesecake so expensive? The secret is in the ingredients. Ronca used Formaggio cheese shipped from Italy and made with water buffalo milk (as the best Mozzarella always is). He also used Italian truffles from Alba, which reportedly cost $3,500 a pound ($4,479 today), and Madagascar vanilla at $80 per pound ($102 today). To make the experience even more luxurious, Ronca used Hennessy Paradis cognac, a bottle of which cost $2,500 at the time (today, that would be $3,199).
According to Ronca, each cheesecake had about $200 worth of the cognac. The crust was made with biscotti and a chocolate and hazelnut spread that’s made in-house. Since he probably wanted to make sure his customers really felt like the price was worth it, Ronca covered the dessert with thin gold leaves and put sparklers in it, which were to be lit as the dessert was served.
A world record-breaking cheesecake
The cheesecake wasn’t on the restaurant’s regular menu. Anyone interested in trying it had to order it at least five days in advance to give Chef Raffaele Ronca time to source the ingredients. It also took a day to make. Rafele Ristorante is no longer open and the cheesecake is no longer available. Chef Ronca currently has two restaurants: Rafele Rye in NYC and Bianca in Greenwich, Connecticut. The former has earned a Bib Gourmand mention in the Michelin Guide.
In 2017, the Guinness Book of World Records officially named Ronca’s creation as the “most expensive cheesecake ever sold.” As of January 2025, no other cheesecake has taken its spot. This is probably because it really seems ludicrous to spend that much money on dessert, no matter how many fancy ingredients it boasts. (Plus, if we’re honest, the gold leaves and sparklers looked kind of tacky.) But, maybe we’re just seeing it from the perspective of a regular Joe. After all, what’s $6,000 to a millionaire or billionaire? Probably not much, since it’s also possible to get a $6,000 burger or to enjoy a $2,000 Michelin-starred tasting menu. As for us, we’ll probably stick to making cheesecake at home. It won’t have Hennessy, but it’ll still be delicious.
