Indulge in the ultimate dessert delight: a creamy cheesecake swirled with tangy raspberry sauce, sure to steal the show at any gathering. Say goodbye to the usual box of chocolates and hello to this raspberry cheesecake, perfect for Valentine’s Day or any day you want to impress your taste buds. Its smooth, tangy filling complements our unique crust and delightful raspberry swirls. Ready to create this masterpiece? Dive into our top tips below:
Let’s start with the crust:
Our buttery crust skips the traditional graham crackers for shortbread cookies, creating a heavenly base. While we love this crust with our creamy filling, feel free to opt for the classic graham cracker version if you prefer.
Crafting the perfect cheesecake:
Don’t let cheesecakes intimidate you; this recipe is simple and straightforward. Using a water bath is recommended but not complicated. Simply place your springform pan in a roasting pan, pour in boiling water carefully, and bake. This method prevents water from splashing onto your cheesecake and helps prevent cracking. Cooling the cheesecake in the oven afterward also helps prevent cracks.
Topping your cheesecake:
Our raspberry sauce is versatile—it’s not just for swirling! We love to drizzle it over slices and add fresh raspberries for extra flair. Prefer a jammy raspberry topping? You can try that too, just like we did with our raspberry cheesecake bars.
Raspberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
Raspberry Sauce:
- 12 oz. fresh or frozen raspberries
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Crust:
- 1 10-oz. box shortbread cookies
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake:
- 4 8-oz. blocks cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt preferably whole-fat
- Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Raspberries for serving (optional)
Instructions
RASPBERRY SAUCE
- In a medium pot over medium heat, combine raspberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stirring often, and cook until raspberries are completely broken down, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Strain sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl; discard solids. Let cool completely.
- Make Ahead: Sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
CRUST
- Preheat oven to 325°. Wrap outside of an 8″ or 9″ springform pan in foil. In a food processor or resealable bag, crush cookies into fine crumbs. Transfer crumbs to a medium bowl. Add granulated sugar and salt and stir to combine. Add butter and stir until mixture holds together when pressed with your fingertips and resembles wet sand.
- Press cookie mixture into bottom and up sides of prepared pan.
- Bake crust until lightly golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool.
CHEESECAKE
- In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add yogurt, lemon zest and juice, vanilla, and salt and beat until combined.
- Pour about half of batter over cooled crust. Spread a thin layer of raspberry sauce over top. Gently pour remaining batter over sauce. Dot sauce all over top. Using a toothpick or knife, swirl sauce into batter. Reserve remaining raspberry sauce for serving.
- Place springform pan in a large roasting pan. Place roasting pan in oven. Carefully pour in enough boiling water to come about 2″ up the sides of springform pan.
- Bake cheesecake until center only slightly jiggles, 60 to 75 minutes.
- Turn off oven, prop door open, and let cheesecake cool in oven 1 hour.
- Remove foil from outside of pan. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
- Top cheesecake with raspberries. Serve remaining raspberry sauce alongside.