Raspberry Cheesecake (NO WATER BATH)

This silky smooth Raspberry Cheesecake recipe will become your new go-to, special occasion, dessert recipe! It’s rich, creamy and decadent, and practically foolproof thanks to my secret ingredient…a little bit of flour in the batter! 

It has a crunchy base thanks to its graham cracker crust and a silky, sour cream and cream cheese filling, which makes it extra smooth. It then gets topped with sweet raspberry jam and fresh raspberries on top. It’s the perfect special occasion dessert for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter or Mother’s Day. For another fantastic cheesecake recipe try my Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Recipe. 

Troubleshooting Cheesecake

• Cheesecake is one of those desserts that can go really right, or really wrong!
• We’ve all seen the cracks, the sunken middles, or wobbly centers.
• Trouble usually arises from temperature fluctuations. Either the cake bakes too long and starts to crack, or it deflates as it cools, cracking further.
• But not with this recipe! It’s pretty much foolproof. Thanks to the flour, additional egg yolks, and sour cream, you’ll end up with the silkiest, smoothest, decadent raspberry cheesecake you’ve ever tasted!
• Oh, and did I mention that you can skip the “bain marie” too? The extra eggs and flour give this cheesecake its perfect structure, so no water bath is needed and less fuss, too!

The Ingredients:

• Graham crackers: You can grind them in a food processor or place them in a resealable plastic bag and whack them with a rolling pin to crush them into crumbs. Alternatively, you can also use store-bought graham cracker crumbs. 
• Sugar: This will add a little additional sweetness to the crust. Otherwise, they can be a bit bland. Have extra graham crackers? Use them up in my S’more Pugging Pot Recipe.
• Salt: Balances out the sweet flavors in the crust.
• Butter: Melted butter helps bind all the crust ingredients together.
• Whipped Cream cheese: Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. It will incorporate better with the eggs and the sour cream. You can use the brick cream cheese, too, but I find the texture is better with the whipped. 
• Crème fraîche or sour cream: The same goes for crème fraîche or sour cream. Make sure they are at room temperature before mixing for the best results. If you have extra sour cream, you can use it up in my Lemon Pound Cake recipe or Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes recipe
• White Sugar: For sweetness
• Salt: This will balance the sweet flavors in the filling and enhance the vanilla flavor. 
• Eggs: Will bind the cheesecake together and give it structure. Eggs should also be at room temperature.
• Egg yolks: Will give the cheesecake a richer, custard-like texture and allow it to firm up without a water bath. 
• Vanilla beans, scraped and seeded: Select high-quality vanilla beans to enhance the filling’s flavor. Personally, I’ve found Amazon to be the best source of affordable, non-dried-out vanilla beans. 
• Flour: Adding flour prevents the cheesecake filling from cracking without the use of a water bath or “bain marie”.
• Raspberry jam: Use good-quality jam to top the cheesecake. Personally, I like the Bonne Maman brand.
• Raspberries: Select fresh ripe raspberries for this recipe.
• Heavy cream: Make sure it’s cold before whipping. This will help stiff peaks form.
• Powdered sugar: Always use it in homemade whipped cream, as it contains cornstarch, which helps it retain its structure.
• Vanilla extract: For adding flavor and sweetness to the whipped cream.

Tips for Making a Graham Cracker Crust:

• Make sure to grind the graham crackers into a fine, even crumb. If using a food processor, grind the crumbs first, then add the melted butter and pulse again. 
• Don’t skimp on the melted butter. The butter will bind the crumbs together and help them remain in place.
• Use a measuring cup to help tamp down the crumbs to an even layer. This will help them bake evenly.

What Does Sour Cream Do To Cheesecakes?

• The biggest difference between a New York-style cheesecake and a regular cheesecake is the addition of sour cream.
• The sour cream softens the cream cheese, making the cheesecake silkier and lighter.
• Whereas a New York-style cheesecake has a much richer, thicker texture and is often taller, since it’s less custardy and less fragile. 

Baked vs. No-Bake Cheesecakes. Which is Better?

• Baked cheesecakes are definitely more time-consuming, but I do think you’ll be happier with the richer texture.
• But if you are looking for the flavor of a cheesecake without the heaviness of a cheesecake, then No-Baked Cheesecakes are the way to go! Try my Easy  No-Bake Berry Cheesecake or my  Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse to see the difference. 

Adding the Raspberry Flavors to the Cheesecake

• I like to use two types of raspberry flavoring in this cheesecake to provide both flavor and texture.
• The first layer is a thin layer of raspberry jam. Place it in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for :30 until spreadable. Make sure it’s cooled off a bit; you’ll notice it’s easier to spread on the cheesecake this way.
• Then add another layer of fresh raspberries. After giving them a light rinse, separate them into a bowl and inspect each one for any imperfections. Set the damaged ones aside and save them for a breakfast smoothie! 

Variations 

• Once the cheesecake has been decorated, you could drizzle a bit of melted white chocolate or chocolate ganache over the berries. I’ll show you how in my Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookie recipe. 
• Alternatively, you can make an Oreo cookie crust instead of a graham cracker crust for a lovely chocolatey flavor. Simply scrape out the filling and just use the wafers.
• I use chocolate crusts in both my Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake and Key Lime Pie Cheesecake recipes. 

Storing and Serving Tips

• Once the cheesecake is done, allow it to cool on your cooktop for at least 45 minutes to an hour.
• Then place it in the refrigerator (uncovered) overnight. This will prevent any condensation from forming.
• Then remove the cake from the cheesecake tin and decorate the cake up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate it uncovered to avoid disturbing the decoration. 
• Remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving to come to room temperature. It will have a better texture this way.

Why Did My Cheesecake Crack?

• Cheesecakes crack for several reasons.
• It could be because the oven door was opened during the first 30 minutes of baking time.
• The batter was over-mixed. Over-mixing can introduce too much air into the batter, forcing the cake to rise too high and then deflate and crack once cooled.

Continue to Content

Raspberry Cheesecake (NO WATER BATH)

Yield: serves 8

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

A silky smooth Raspberry Cheesecake recipe that will become your new go-to favorite! It's creamy and decadent and practically foolproof thanks to my secret ingredient...a little bit of flour in the batter!  This also alleviates the need for a water bath!

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Ingredients

For Crust:

• 18 full size graham crackers
• 1 tbsp (25 g) sugar
• pinch of salt
• 6 tablespoons (90 g) butter

For Filling

• 2 (12 oz containers) (680 g) whipped Cream cheese
• ¾ cup (180 ml) of crème fraiche or sour cream
• ¾ cup (150 g) of sugar
• ¼ tsp (2.5 ml) salt
• 2 whole eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 vanilla beans, scrapped and seeded
• ¼ cup (30 g) of flour

For Topping

• ½ cup (120 ml) of raspberry jam
• 1 pint of fresh raspberries

For Homemade Whipped Cream

• 1 cup (240 ml) of heavy cream
• 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla
• 1 tbsp (13 g) powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325F/162 C.
2. Process graham crackers in a food processor until fine or better yet place in a zip lock plastic bag, seal and crush with a rolling pin until finely ground (then you won't have to clean the food processor!). Combine with the sugar, salt and melted butter, until a lose meal develops.
3. Grease a 9" spring form pan. Place the crumbs into the center of the pan, working your way up the sides at least 2 inches. Use the side of a measuring cup to help adhere crust to the sides.
4. Bake at 325 F/ 162 C for 10-12 mins and then set aside and allow to cool.
5. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the whipped cream, crème fraiche, sugar and salt. Then add the eggs one at a time, incorporating each well between additions. Then add the seeds of the vanilla beans, beat well, and then add the flour.
6. Pour the filling out into a cooled crust, and bake at 325 F/ 162 C for at least 1 hour. At this point insert a tooth pink and it should come up looking like cheesecake filling, if it's still runny, bake for 5-10 mins more.
7. Allow to cool for 30 mins. And then place in the fridge, uncovered, for at least 4 hours, or overnight is even better.
8. To decorate, release the spring ring, keeping the cake on its base.
9. Heat the jam in the microwave for :30 (or in a sauce pan on a stove top until liquefied).
10. Allow to cool slightly and then spoon the jam over the top, leaving at least ½ inch of cheesecake between the crust and the jam. This is where the whipped cream rosettes will go.
11. Then place raspberries on top of jam, in a circular pattern, covering all the jam. Set aside.
12. To make them whipped cream; combine heavy cream, vanilla and sugar and whip with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
13. Transfer the homemade whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and create star rosettes all along the perimeter of the cake, filling in the gap between the crust and the jam.
14. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Notes

Best if made the day before and refrigerated. Or at least 4 hours ahead to allow for the cheesecake to chill before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 264Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 128mgSodium: 210mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 4gSugar: 12gProtein: 6g