Catalyzes specifically the phosphorylation of ceramide to form ceramide 1-phosphate (PubMed:16269826). Acts efficiently on natural and analog ceramides (C6, C8, C16 ceramides, and C8-dihydroceramide), to a lesser extent on C2-ceramide and C6-dihydroceramide, but not on other lipids, such as various sphingosines (PubMed:16269826). Shows a greater preference for D-erythro isomer of ceramides (By similarity). Binds phosphoinositides (By similarity). an N-acylsphing-4-enine + ATP = ADP + an N-acylsphing-4-enine 1-phosphate + H(+) ATP + N-(hexanoyl)sphing-4-enine = ADP + H(+) + N-hexanoylsphing-4-enine 1-phosphate ATP + N-(acetyl)-sphing-4-enine = ADP + H(+) + N-(acetyl)-sphing-4-enine-1-phosphate ATP + N-hexadecanoylsphing-4-enine = ADP + H(+) + N-(hexadecanoyl)-sphing-4-enine-1-phosphate ATP + N-hexanoyl-(4R)-hydroxysphinganine = ADP + H(+) + N-hexanoyl-(4R)-hydroxysphinganine-1-phosphate High level expression in heart, brain, testis and pancreas; low expression in spleen, liver and lung; not detected in skeletal muscle. Highly expressed at 7 dpc and decreases rapidly thereafter.