Hello everyone! Today I would like to share a recipe for a sweet raspberry swirl lemon cheesecake, made with a homemade Nilla wafer cookie crust!
I am also going to share a couple of simple tips to keep the cheesecake from cracking, without having to put it into a water bath. Here are the 3 tips:
Place a pan of water in the bottom of your oven
A super simple substitute for the usual water bath, simply place a 9×9 or 9×13 dish in the bottom of your preheated oven and fill it halfway or so with boiling water. This will replace the steam created from a water bath, keeping the top from cracking as easily.
Make an insulated cake strip
This one takes the most time to setup, but is definitely worth it. Get a sheet of aluminum foil that is equal to the diameter of your pan (in inches), multiplied by 3.14, then add 6″. Then Take enough wet paper towels to cover almost the full surface of the foil, and fold them in half. Then fold them into thirds, and fold the foil over them. Make sure there is foil over all edges of the towels. Wrap it around the pan, seam side in, and twist the ends together. Push the excess up against the pan and you are good to go! Check out the video to see a better visualization of how to do this.
Don’t open the oven until it is just about done
A very easy change, simply turn on your ovens light and shake the oven gently to see if it is too wobbly. It is ok to open it if you aren’t sure, but there is less chance of it cracking if you leave it closed until it is mostly done. You will want the center to jiggle like Jello, but not slosh like it’s full of liquid in the middle.
Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake
Course: CookiesDifficulty: Medium12-16
servingsCreamy lemon cheesecake topped with a raspberry swirl, all on a homemade vanilla wafer crust!
Ingredients
12oz (340g) Nilla wafers, golden Oreos or homemade crunchy cookies
1/4 cup (57g/0.5 stick) salted butter, melted
Raspberry swirl:
6oz (170g) fresh or frozen raspberries
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1-2 tbsp water*
Cheesecake:
16oz (2 blocks/454g) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
3 tbsp heavy cream
1/3 cup (76g) full-fat greek yogurt or sour cream
1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
1/4-1/3 cup (56-75g) fresh lemon juice, depending on desired strength
3 eggs, room temperature
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease an 8″ or 9″ springform pan. Add cookies to a large zip top bag and crush into a fine dust. Add to a small bowl and combine with the melted butter until homogenous. Evenly disperse the crumbs into the prepared pan and use a heavy glass or bowl to press it into the bottom and up the sides. Cover and chill until ready.
- Add raspberries and sugar to a blender and blend until smooth. If using frozen, you may need to add the water. Pass through a fine mesh sieve, then set aside.
- Zest and juice lemons, then in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a regular bowl, if mixing by hand) add the cream cheese. Beat on medium speed until completely smooth, stopping at least once to scrape down the sides. Add the sugar and beat again.
- Mix in the cream, yogurt/sour cream, lemon juice and zest. Once smooth, add the eggs one at a time, beating in between. Pour this mixture into the crust, then drizzle the raspberry mixture over it. Use a knife to swirl it in. If using the homemade cake strip mentioned above, put it on now.
- Add a pan of boiling water to the oven (if using), then the cheesecake and bake for 60-75 minutes until the center is jiggly like Jello but not like a water balloon. If the top is browning too quickly, tent the top with a piece of foil. Let cool to room temperature completely, then cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Slice and enjoy!
Recipe Video
Notes
- *You may need to add up to 2 tbsp of water if your blender isn’t very powerful, or you are using frozen berries.
- To make the homemade cake strip: Get a sheet of aluminum foil that is equal to the diameter of your pan (in inches), multiplied by 3.14, then add 6″. Then Take enough wet paper towels to cover almost the full surface of the foil, and fold them in half. Then fold them into thirds, and fold the foil over them. Make sure there is foil over all edges of the towels. Wrap it around the pan, seam side in, and twist the ends together. Push the excess up against the pan and you are good to go! Check out the video to see a better visualization of how to do this.
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Thank you for viewing my recipe! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below!
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