The Best Raspberry Cheesecake

Decadent and creamy yet light and refreshing, this dreamy raspberry cheesecake is rich with bold, intense and all-natural raspberry flavour and served with an incredibly delicious raspberry sauce.

When it comes to holiday baking, this rich and creamy raspberry cheesecake is sure to top your list of holiday and festive desserts.

I might be tooting my horn a bit when I say this raspberry cheesecake looks and tastes even better than any you can buy, but I honestly couldn’t be prouder.

I’ve had this cheesecake rigorously taste-tested and the verdict is unanimous: this is a baked raspberry cheesecake that’s incredibly delicious in every way imaginable.

From the crispy, buttery biscuit crust through to the lusciously smooth raspberry cheesecake filling, this raspberry cheesecake ticks off all the boxes – rich and creamy yet refreshingly light and tangy with bold, intense and 100% natural raspberry flavour. And it’s so easy to pull off too!

this recipe

Baked raspberry cheesecake: why this recipe works

• Easy, tried and tested recipe. My readers know me for my tried and tested, easy-to-follow approach to every recipe and this raspberry cheesecake is no different. Follow my tips and you’ll have a perfect cheesecake without any of the drama. I’m all for stress-free baking!

• Flat top and no cracks. I know the words ‘water bath’ can scare some folks, bring on a migraine, or worse, make you reach for the back button on your browser. But wait! I’ll show you just how easy it is to set up a water bath and get a smooth flat top on your cheesecake. No sunken top, no cracks!
  
  Note: Annndd… if you’re still not ready to tread those waters and want to avoid a water bath altogether, you can! I’ve got you covered with a few options and instructions below on how to do so.

• Intense natural raspberry flavour. This is NOT a plain cheesecake dotted or swirled with raspberry fruit or compote. I went all out with the raspberries and infused this cheesecake filling with blended raspberries for an intense, 100% natural raspberry flavour and not to mention, for the pretty pink colour.

• Incredible raspberry sauce. To bring an already scrumptious raspberry cheesecake over the top, we’re finishing it off with an amazing raspberry sauce. Tastefully flavoured with a dash of lemon juice, a warm splash of vanilla, butter, and raspberry liquer (if desired), this raspberry sauce is too good to skip!

• Ultra smooth and creamy. Every mouthful is a bite of cheesecake heaven – so rich and creamy with that melt in the mouth texture that will have you coming back for more. Just one taste of this raspberry cheesecake and any cheesecake lover will be hooked!

• Beautiful centrepiece dessert. This raspberry cheesecake looks absolutely stunning with a gorgeous pink hue and a jewel red raspberry sauce – it’s sure to get the attention of any crowd. And there’s no need to dress it up. All you need to do is spoon on the raspberry sauce and serve.

Ingredients to make baked raspberry cheesecake

• biscuit crumbs. I use Digestive biscuits because that’s readily available here but you can use crushed Graham cracker crumbs, gingersnaps, chocolate biscuits, Biscoff cookies or other plain cookies that aren’t too sweet. Just make sure you add enough melted butter to hold the crumbs together.
• raspberries. As the hero flavour of the cheesecake, I use A LOT of fresh raspberries, as much as 4 cups worth. Frozen raspberries can be used in place of fresh except for the fruit topping (more on this below).
• block cream cheese. I use Philadelphia’s full-fat cream cheese because it’s the richest and creamiest in my opinion. Avoid low-fat or reduced-fat cream cheese, as well as cream cheese packed in tubs or cream cheese labeled as ‘spreadable’ – these won’t give the right texture or flavour.
• unsalted butter. Melted butter helps to bind the biscuit crumbs together. If you’re switching out digestives with other biscuits, you may need to adjust the amount of melted butter you need.
• caster sugar. I use caster sugar, sometimes labeled as ‘superfine’ or extra fine sugar. Use regular granulated sugar if that’s what you have on hand.
• whole eggs and an egg yolk. This recipe uses 3 large eggs, each weighing 60 – 63 grams (2 – 2.25 ounces), and an additional yolk for extra richness.
• sour cream. Adds a creamy tang that cuts through the richness of the cream cheese. For the best flavour and that extra creamy mouth feel, use full-fat sour cream. A good substitute would be heavy cream, full-fat plain yogurt or Greek yogurt.
• vanilla extract. A splash adds a lovely warmth. Try to use pure unsweetened vanilla extract over the artificial essence.
• lemon juice. A dash of lemon juice with vanilla extract, butter, and raspberry liquer (optional) makes an incredibly flavourful raspberry sauce.
• corn starch. Stabilises the cream cheese mixture and helps prevent cracks in the cheesecake. Adding just the right amount also makes it easier to cut the cheesecake into neat, clean slices.
• salt. A bit of salt accentuates the flavours of the other ingredients and improves the taste of the raspberry cheesecake.

How to make a baked raspberry cheesecake from scratch

Note: The recipe card including the ingredient amounts and instructions can be found at the bottom of this post – if you want to skip to the recipe card, scroll down to the bottom or click the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of this post.

However, I do recommend taking the time to read through this section to familiarise yourself with the process and be aware of important do’s and don’ts to make sure your cheesecake comes out perfect.

So, let’s get into the nuts and bolts of this amazing raspberry cheesecake, shall we? This recipe has 4 parts:

1. Biscuit crust (15 mins)
2. Raspberry puree (20 mins)
3. Raspberry cheesecake filling (30 mins)
4. Raspberry sauce (15 mins)

Make the biscuit crust

• Prep the springform pan: Wrap the outside of a round springform pan with 2-3 layers of heavy duty aluminium foil. Gently shape and press in the foil around the pan to cover the base and fully up the sides. Grease the insides of the pan.

• Crush the biscuits: Place the biscuits in a ziplock bag. With a rolling pin, roll over the biscuits or gently bash/ crush until you get fine, even-sized crumbs. Make sure to seal the bag tightly to prevent the crumbs breaking out of the bag and flying everywhere (what can I say, kitchen mishaps are the story of my life).
  
  Alternatively, you can use a food processor or blender. Break the biscuits to fit your blender and pulse until you get fine, even-sized crumbs.

• Add the melted butter: Stir in the melted butter gradually, adding only as much butter as needed to get a wet sandy mixture.
  
  Note: You may not need to use all the butter or may need more than the recipe calls for, depending on the type of biscuit crumbs you use. Use only as much as needed to bind the crumbs.

• Press the crumbs into the pan: Press the mixture into the base and up the sides of the prepared pan into an even layer. Use the back of a metal spoon or a glass cup with straight sides to compress and smooth the crust.
  
  Note: Don’t worry if you can’t get the edges perfectly level or if the top of the crust ends above or below the midway height of the pan. It won’t affect the cheesecake in any way!

• Bake or freeze the crust: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and set aside to cool. Then freeze until ready to use.
  
  Note: If you prefer a soft biscuit crust, do not bake. Instead, after pressing the crust into the pan, freeze it until ready to use.

Prepare the raspberry puree

• In a saucepan, heat up the raspberries and 1 tbsp sugar over medium heat until the raspberries soften and release their juices, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor and pulse the raspberry mixture 2 – 3 times (be careful as the cooked mixture will be hot). 
• Pass the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve set over a bowl, stirring and mashing the mixture against the mesh. Scrape underneath the wire mesh to get every bit of puree into the bowl. Discard the skins and seeds.
• Return the raspberry puree to the saucepan and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring regularly. Boil off the water content so the puree is reduced to ½ cup (between 120 – 130 grams), another 6 -8 minutes. The puree should be thick enough to thickly coat a spoon (see picture below) and almost paste-like but not jammy. Set aside to cool.
  
  Note: The reduction time may be shorter or longer, depending on the heat you’re cooking over as well as how thick the puree is after blending and straining. Take your time as the more concentrated the puree is after reducing, the bolder its flavour will be in the cheesecake.

Make the raspberry cheesecake filling

1. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat room-temperature cream cheese at low-medium speed until smooth and free of lumps, about 4 minutes. In a separate bowl, stir together the sugar, salt and corn starch. 
2. With the mixer running, add the sugar-starch mixture. Continue beating at low-medium speed until the cream cheese mixture lightens, about 4 minutes, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl to get all of the cream cheese evenly incorporated.
3. Add the vanilla extract and beat for 10 seconds. 
4. Add the eggs and additional yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Reduce mixer speed to the lowest speed. Stir in the sour cream until well mixed.
6. Optional (but highly recommended): For a fine and extra smooth texture, strain the cream cheese mixture through a fine-meshed sieve placed over a bowl, scraping underneath the wire mesh to get every bit of batter into the bowl.
7. Lastly, add the slightly cooled raspberry puree and stir until well combined.
8. When done mixing, the raspberry cheesecake batter should be smooth, thick, and of a uniform pink colour without any streaks.

9. Pour the raspberry cheesecake batter into the cooled crust, filling it almost to the brim. Smooth the surface with an offset spatula. Bang the pan on the counter 2-3 times to eliminate air bubbles.
10. Place the foil-wrapped pan on a roasting pan that is large enough to hold the pan with some space around it. Place the entire set up on the middle oven rack. Pour enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the foil-wrapped pan, anywhere between 1½ -2 inches of water.
    
    Bake for 1 hour 10 mins or until the edges of the cheesecake have puffed up slightly and are quite firm, but the centre 2-3 inches are still jiggly or wobbly like barely set Jell-o. Turn off the oven and prop the oven door ajar with a wooden spoon. Let the cheesecake bask in the water bath for an hour in the turned-off oven.
    
    Note: For illustration purposes only, the picture below shows the roasting pan filled with water before being placed in the oven. I find it a whole lot safer to fill the roasting pan with water when it’s on the oven rack, so I don’t have to carry the whole set-up and risk hot water sloshing around and getting into the cheesecake pan. Do this whichever way you’re comfortable with or are accustomed to.

How to bake a cheesecake the right way

• Use the pan size specified.
  Using different sized pans will affect baking times. The same amount of batter will fill to a taller height with a smaller surface area in smaller pans (longer baking time), and to a lower height with larger surface area in larger pans (shorter baking time).
• Bake at a low temperature.
  Typically, most cheesecakes are baked at 150° – 160°C (300° – 325°F) but low baking temperatures between 120° – 140°C (284°F) will work too. That’s because cheesecakes are basically custards which favour slow gentle cooking. High temperatures will cook custards too quickly and cause the eggs to curdle, resulting in a dry and lumpy ricotta-like texture.
• Use a water bath. I know I said that you could bake without a water bath, but a water bath really does a cheesecake wonders. It uses steam to slowly and evenly cook the cheesecake batter which prevents cracking and burning, and also results in a smoother and creamier texture.
• Don’t open the oven door during baking.
  I know this one is tough! But do resist opening the oven door for the first 60 minutes when it’s fairly safe to start checking the cheesecake for doneness.
• Test for doneness with the jiggle test.
  Use the jiggle test or an instant-read thermometer to determine when the cheesecake is done baking (I cover this in detail below). Please note that the baking times are guidelines and can vary considerably among different brands or types of ovens.
• Do not over-bake. Unlike other cakes, cheesecakes should not bake until they set. If you wait until the cheesecake bakes firm, you will have over-baked it and the cheesecake will end up with unsightly cracks and a dry, crumbly texture. I find that with most cheesecakes, it’s usually safe to start checking for doneness (do the jiggle test) at the 1 hour mark. If it’s not quite done yet, check every 10 minutes after.
• Cool the cheesecake in a turned-off oven for an hour.
  Taking the cheesecake immediately out of the oven can cause the cheesecake to crack. To ensure this doesn’t happen, let it cool in its water bath for an hour in a turned off oven with the door slightly ajar. Remove from the oven and water bath, and let the cheesecake cool completely at room temperature.
• Chill overnight.
  Chill the cheesecake in its pan for at least 4 – 6 hours. For best results, an overnight chill gives the cheesecake sufficient time to settle and firm up. The flavours also improve with a longer chilling time.

Make the raspberry sauce (topping)

This is basically the same process as making the raspberry puree, except you don’t need to reduce as much. Instead, we’ll use a slurry to thicken the sauce to a glaze-like consistency.

Here, you can use fresh or frozen raspberries to make the sauce, but only use fresh raspberries to coat with the sauce.

This time, we’re also jazzing up the raspberry puree with a dash of lemon juice, a splash of vanilla extract, butter, and a raspberry liquer like Chambord or crème de framboise (if desired). Each adds flavourful nuances that transforms this simple raspberry puree into an extraordinary raspberry sauce.

Gently stir in the reserved fresh raspberries into the cooled raspberry sauce, adding a splash of water to loosen the sauce if needed to evenly coat the fruit.

You can make the raspberry sauce a day ahead but only mix in the fresh raspberries when you’re ready to serve the cheesecake.

Spoon the sauce-coated raspberries over the cheesecake, or on top of individually cut slices.

This raspberry sauce is also marvellous over ice cream, sundaes, yogurt and is delicious when added to cakes, pies and pastries.

Frequently asked questions

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