Why This Cheesecake Works & What to Aim For
White chocolate and raspberry is a classic pairing: the sweet, creamy richness of white chocolate + cream cheese, contrasted by the bright, tart fruitiness of raspberries. In a cheesecake, you want:
A sturdy, yet tender crust
A creamy, well-set filling that isn’t dry or cracked
A well-balanced sweetness so the white chocolate doesn’t overpower
A beautiful swirl or ribbon of raspberry for visual appeal and flavor contrast
A smooth texture that slices cleanly
Many recipes use a water bath to moderate baking temperature and reduce cracking. For example, AheadOfThyme’s version bakes in a water bath.
Ahead of Thyme
BakerByNature’s version uses an Oreo crust and swirling of raspberry.
Baker by Nature
We’ll build a full version: crust + raspberry sauce + cheesecake filling + swirl + finishing touches.
Ingredients & Equipment
Ingredients (for a 9″ / 23 cm springform cheesecake)
You can scale up or down, but this gives you a generous, full cheesecake.
Crust
24 Oreo cookies (or chocolate sandwich cookies)
Baker by Nature
~¼ cup (≈ 60 g) unsalted butter, melted
Allrecipes
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Optional: 2 tbsp sugar (if your cookies are mild)
Alternatively, you may use graham cracker or digestives + butter as the base.
janespatisserie.com
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Raspberry Sauce / Swirl
3 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)
Ahead of Thyme
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~¼ to ⅓ cup (50–70 g) sugar
Ahead of Thyme
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Baker by Nature
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2 tsp cornstarch (mixed with a little water) to thicken
Ahead of Thyme
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A bit of water (if needed) to help dissolve sugar
Optional: lemon juice (½ to 1 tsp) to brighten the flavor
Cheesecake Filling
3 blocks cream cheese (≈ 24 ounces / ~680 g), softened to room temperature
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Ahead of Thyme
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1 cup (≈ 240 ml) full-fat sour cream
Baker by Nature
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½ cup (≈ 120 ml) heavy cream or half‑and-half
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~1¼ to 1½ cups (≈ 250–300 g) granulated sugar (adjust to sweetness)
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3 large eggs + 2 egg yolks
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Ahead of Thyme
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~8 oz (≈ 225 g) white chocolate, chopped (for melting)
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Ahead of Thyme
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1½ tsp vanilla extract
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Ahead of Thyme
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~1½ tsp lemon juice
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Ahead of Thyme
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Pinch of salt (to balance)
Topping / Decoration (Optional)
Fresh raspberries
White chocolate shavings
Whipped cream (stabilized if needed)
Remaining raspberry sauce
Equipment
9-inch (23 cm) springform pan
Parchment paper (for bottom)
Double boiler or microwave for melting white chocolate
Mixing bowls
Electric mixer (stand or hand)
Rubber spatula
Saucepan for raspberry sauce
Skewer or knife for swirling
Roasting pan or deep baking tray (for water bath)
Aluminum foil (to wrap outside of springform if using water bath)
Cooling rack
Detailed Method & Tips
Below is the full process, with rationale and timing, to help you succeed.
Step 1: Prepare the Crust
Preheat oven to 325 °F (≈ 163 °C) — this is moderate temperature for cheesecake.
Line bottom of springform with parchment, and grease sides.
Make cookie crumbs: crush Oreos (filling and all) in a food processor or by hand.
Mix crumbs with melted butter (and optional sugar). Press firmly into bottom of pan and slightly up the sides (¼–½ inch).
Chill crust while you prepare filling (this helps stabilize it). You can also bake crust for 8–10 min for extra firmness (some recipes do).
Step 2: Make Raspberry Sauce / Swirl
In a saucepan, combine raspberries + sugar + a little water. Heat until raspberries break down.
Whisk cornstarch + small amount water into sauce to thicken. Simmer a minute until thickened.
Optionally strain to remove seeds (for smoother swirl)
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Ahead of Thyme
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Let sauce cool to room temperature (it will thicken further).
Step 3: Melt the White Chocolate & Chill It
Use a double boiler or microwave (in short bursts) to melt white chocolate gently. Do not overheat (white chocolate burns easily).
Let white chocolate cool slightly so it doesn’t scramble eggs when mixed.
Step 4: Make the Cheesecake Batter
In a large bowl (or mixer bowl), beat cream cheese until smooth & creamy (no lumps).
Add sugar and continue beating until light and creamy.
Add eggs one by one, mixing on low and scraping bowl between additions.
Mix in sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt.
Slowly add the melted and cooled white chocolate, mixing until fully combined.
The batter should be silky and smooth.
Step 5: Assemble & Swirl
Pour about half the batter over the crust.
Spoon ⅓ to ½ of the raspberry sauce over it.
Add the remaining cheesecake batter carefully over the top.
Spoon the rest of the raspberry sauce in dollops.
Use a skewer or butter knife to swirl through the batter to create a marbled effect
Ahead of Thyme
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Baker by Nature
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Do not over-swirl — that can muddy the effect.
Step 6: Bake in Water Bath (Recommended)
A water bath helps stabilize temperature and prevent cracks.
Wrap the outside of the springform pan with aluminum foil (to prevent water seepage).
Place the filled cheesecake pan into a larger roasting pan.
Pour hot water into roasting pan until it reaches about halfway up the cheesecake pan.
Bake at 325 °F for ~1h 10–90 minutes (depending on your oven) until edges are set and center is slightly jiggly
notquitenigella.com
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Ahead of Thyme
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When done, turn oven off, crack the door open, and let cheesecake cool gradually in the oven ~60 minutes (this helps prevent cracking).
Ahead of Thyme
Step 7: Chill & Finish
Remove cheesecake from water bath and pan.
Let cool to room temperature fully.
Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, before serving (this helps it set fully).
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Ahead of Thyme
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Before serving, top with fresh raspberries, white chocolate shavings, additional raspberry sauce, or whipped cream.
Tips, Troubleshooting & Secrets for Success
Problem Cause Fix / Prevention
Cracks on surface Overbaking; sudden temperature change Use water bath; cool slowly in oven; avoid overmixing batter
Cheesecake too soft or runny Undercooked; too much liquid; not chilled enough Bake until edges set; check doneness mid‑center; chill long enough
Raspberry seeds in swirl Didn’t strain sauce Strain sauce before swirling
Swirl blending too much Over-swirl motion Use gentle, minimal swirling
White chocolate seizing or grainy Overheat; mixing too fast Melt slowly; cool first; fold gently into batter
Cheesecake top dark Baking too hot or too long Bake at moderate temperature; cover top with foil if browning too fast
Crust soggy or slipping Filling too moist; crust not baked / set Pre-bake crust optionally; press firmly; use water‑bath carefully so water doesn’t seep into pan
Extra pointers:
Use full-fat cream cheese and full-fat dairy — low-fat substitutes often cause texture issues.
Room-temperature ingredients help them blend smoothly and reduce lumps.
Scrape the bowl sides frequently to ensure even mixing.
Keep the water bath from touching foil opening to avoid leakage.
After baking, allow gradual cooling — sudden cool shifts cause cracks.
Use a hot knife (dip in hot water and wipe dry) between slices for clean cuts (a trick many home bakers use).
Variation Ideas & Alternatives
No-bake version: Jane’s Patisserie offers a no-bake white chocolate raspberry cheesecake with cream + folding techniques.
janespatisserie.com
Bar version: Celebrating Sweets makes these as cheesecake bars.
Celebrating Sweets
Crust variations: Use Biscoff or digestive cookie crust (as in NotQuiteNigella’s version)
notquitenigella.com
Mix fruit: Combine raspberries + strawberries or mixed berries swirl.
Layered “double-decker” version: One layer white chocolate cheesecake, second layer raspberry cheesecake. (More advanced)
Mini cheesecakes: Use muffin pans or smaller molds for individual servings.
Lighter/low sugar version: Use less sugar, light cream or Greek yogurt substitute (but affects texture).
Chocolate version: Instead of white chocolate, use milk or dark chocolate (but losing the “white” component).
Full Printable Recipe (Consolidated Version)
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Yields: ~12–16 slices
Total Time: ~5–7 hours (including chill)
Ingredients
Crust
24 Oreo cookies (crushed)
¼ cup (60 g) melted butter
Raspberry Sauce
3 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)
½ cup sugar
2 tsp cornstarch (with a little water)
(Optional) 1 tsp lemon juice
Cheesecake Filling
680 g (24 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
½ cup heavy cream
1¼ to 1½ cups sugar
3 eggs + 2 egg yolks
225 g (8 oz) white chocolate, chopped & melted + cooled
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1½ tsp lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Topping / Decoration
Fresh raspberries
White chocolate shavings
Additional raspberry sauce
Whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 °F (163 °C). Line and grease a 9″ springform pan with parchment on bottom.
Make crust: Combine cookie crumbs + melted butter. Press into bottom (and slightly up sides if desired). Chill or pre-bake ~8 min.
Make raspberry sauce: Simmer raspberries + sugar + water until broken down. Add cornstarch slurry, thicken, strain if desired. Cool.
Melt white chocolate carefully and let cool.
Batter: Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, then eggs one by one. Add sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla, lemon, salt. Fold in white chocolate.
Assemble & swirl: Pour half batter over crust; spoon in some raspberry sauce. Pour remaining batter, then spoon more sauce. Swirl gently.
Wrap pan in foil (for water bath). Place in roasting pan, pour hot water to halfway up pan.
Bake about 1h10–1h30 until edges set and center slightly jiggly.
Turn off oven, crack door open, let cheesecake cool in oven ~60 min.
Remove from water bath, let cool fully, then refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
Before serving, top with fresh raspberries, white chocolate shavings, extra swirl sauce, or whipped cream.
Serving Tips & Presentation
Use a hot, clean knife (dip in hot water and wipe) between slices for clean cuts.
Garnish each slice with fresh raspberries and a drizzle of leftover raspberry sauce.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
Add white chocolate shavings or curls on top.
You can serve chilled with berry coulis or a dusting of powdered sugar.
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