Raspberry Swirled Cheesecake
Friends, I don’t know where to begin. Okay, here goes. Boyfriend loves baked cheesecake. He loves it so much that he decided to bring me to Florence – apparently home to the best cheesecake in the world. Not unreasonable, right? So, off we go to Florence, to try this so-called best cheesecake ever. I’ll admit: it was the best cheesecake I have ever tasted. It was so good that I’m not even ashamed to tell you that we went back to the cheesecake restaurant three times over the course of our three day visit. This blogpost is an homage to the world’s greatest cheesecake. Raspberry Swirled Cheesecake.
On one of our visits, after having a delicious lunch of antipasto platters & a large carafe of wine, our hopes were dashed when we were told there was no cheesecake left. They ran out the night before & the fresh cheesecake needed to rest for 10 hours. Of course, we reacted by asking exactly what time it would be ready at & could we please come back for two takeaway slices? No embarrassment here – our cheesecake adoration runs deep.
Since returning home, we’ve been scouring the streets of Dublin in search of anything vaguely similar, all to no avail. Eventually, I started riffling through every single cookbook I own, & then, to the internet. After researching every detail that goes into making a perfect baked cheesecake, I was eventually ready to attempt The One. I made this raspberry swirled cheesecake for the very first time for an important family gathering. After all the requests for second helpings, there was not a crumb left.
This cheesecake ticked all the boxes. Deliciously light, airy, and no cracks. I used a water-bath, and it’s worth the effort. The biscuit base doesn’t interfere with the cheesecake because it’s so thin. The simple cream-cheese filling is heavenly. Whipped until silky smooth, it has the consistency of whipped cream. Any leftover puree from the filling gets diluted on the hob & used as an impromptu drizzle. I am totally in love. 10/10 from around the table.
Perhaps this cheesecake would have tasted even better if we all lived in Florence? Sigh.
Raspberry Swirled Cheesecake
INGREDIENTS
for the crust
- 250 g finely crushed digestive biscuits
- 85 g salted butter, melted
- 40 g granulated sugar
for the raspberry swirl
- 150 g fresh raspberries
- 25 g caster sugar
for the filling
- 900 g cream cheese, at room temp
- 300 g granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- boiling water, for the water bath
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Wrap the exterior of a 9-inch spring-form tin tightly in three layers of tin foil, ensuring there are no rips or crevices for water to sneak through; set aside.
- First, the crust. In a large bowl, mix together all of the crust ingredients. Using your fingers (or the base of a measuring cup), press the mixture firmly into bottom & up the sides of your prepared tin. Bake the crust until set, about 10-minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack & reduce the oven temp to 160°C.
- Next, make the berry swirl. In a food processor, whiz together the raspberries & the sugar until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pour the puree through a fine sieve into a small bowl; set aside. Discard the solids.
- Now, the cheesecake. In a large bowl, use an electric whisk to beat the cream cheese until fluffy, about 3-minutes. With mixer on low, add the sugar in a steady stream, scraping down the edges of the bowl as you go. Add the vanilla extract & mix thoroughly. Add eggs one at a time, mixing each until just combined & scraping down the bowl.
- Pour the filling over the par-baked crust. Use a piping bag (or something similar) to dot the raspberry sauce over the top of the filling & use a skewer to swirl the sauce decoratively through the filling. (If you have any spare sauce, keep it to garnish the finished cheesecake with!)
- Place the uncooked cheesecake inside a large roasting tin. Carefully pour boiling water into roasting tin until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cheesecake tin. Very carefully transfer the whole thing to the preheated oven. Bake until the cheesecake is still slightly wobbly in the center, but is mostly set, 65-70 minutes. (A toothpick inserted near the center should not have wet, thin batter on it when removed.)
- Once cooked, transfer the cheesecake to a wire rack, remove the tin foil, & leave it to cool entirely to room temperature. When cooled completely, refrigerate the cheesecake – uncovered – for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- Before cutting the cheesecake, run a knife around the edges of the tin & gently unmold it. Serve the cheesecake in generous wedges, topped with the leftover raspberry puree.
NOTES
- I mixed the leftover raspberry puree on the hob with small amounts of raspberries, blueberries, sugar & lemon juice, and then served this over the cheesecake.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to know! Please leave a comment & a rating below, or tag me on Instagram @imvcki. Thank you so much for supporting Passionate Baker!