Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

This raspberry swirl cheesecake is a fantastic dessert recipe for Valentine’s Day. It’s rich and creamy and completely decadent with its chocolate cookie crust, and raspberry sauce. It’s also a cheesecake recipe that doesn’t require a water bath thanks to my secret ingredient.

For a raspberry cheesecake recipe made with graham crackers, topped with raspberry jam and fresh raspberries, try my original Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe. Or for a fantastic No-Bake Cheesecake filling, try my Triple Berry No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe

a baked cheesecake with a swirl of raspberry in it on a cakestand
Raspberry puree made from fresh raspberries gets swirled into the cheesecake batter

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • The raspberry swirl is so easy to make and fun to create. It’s the perfect special occasion cake for Valentine’s Day, Easter or Mother’s Day.
  • The chocolate cookie crust is a fantastic combination against the tart raspberries. For another twist on this combination try my Key Lime Pie Cheesecake with Chocolate Cookie Crust
  • It’s an easy cheesecake to make since you don’t need a water bath to make it! 
a slice of cheesecake on a plate with raspberry sauce poured over the top
Serve The Cheesecake with fresh raspberry sauce spooned over the top

The Ingredients:

  • Chocolate Wafer Cookies You’ll love the combination of the chocolate with the tart raspberries. They balance each other out, while also making a pretty presentation. I like to use the Famous Chocolate Wafers, but you could also use Oreos and scrap out the filling. 
  • Sugar The chocolate wafers are not that sweet so I add a little bit of sugar to sweetened up the crust. But if you are using Oreos, you can skip the sugar they are sweet enough. 
  • Butter Melted butter will hold the cookie crust together.
  • Whipped Cream Cheese If you can find the whipped cream cheese, I like the texture better for cheesecakes. But you can also use the brick cream cheese if that’s all you have. 
  • Sugar To sweeten the cheesecake. You’ll use white sugar.
  • Whole Eggs This recipe does call for a lot of eggs. But I use them in different ways for different reasons. I use 2 whole eggs for binding and lift.
  • Egg Yolks And 3 egg yolks for richness, and creaminess. The egg yolks also contribute to the structure of the cheesecake which alleviates the need for a water bath, or “bain marie” for this cheesecake recipe. 
  • Sour Cream Will loosen the cream cheese texture and give your finished cheesecake a creamy, light texture. Have extra sour cream? Use it up in my Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake Recipe
  • Vanilla Extract I use a full Tablespoon of vanilla extract, because vanilla beans have become so expensive! But if you have the vanilla beans and want to use them up, you could use 2 vanilla beans scraped of their seeds as well. 
  • Salt Is used to heighten all the flavors. So don’t skip it, or your cheesecake will taste a bit flat. 
  • All-purpose Flour The other M.V.P in this “no water bath cheesecake recipe”. Like the egg yolks, it contributes to the structure and stability of the cheesecake.
a chocolate cookie crust being fitted into a cheesecake pan with a measuring cup
A chocolate cookie crust pairs beautifully with the flavors of the tart raspberries

Tips for Making The Chocolate Cookie Crust

  • I use a 9″ cheesecake pan. Be sure to spray the pan well with baking spray before adding the crumbs, this will make it easier to slice and to remove the cheesecake from the pan once it’s fully baked.
  • This cookie crust is an easier crust than most cheesecake crusts, because it’s just one layer and doesn’t go up the sides. 
  • But once the crumbs are poured into the pan, it helps to give the pan a shake to level them out. 
  • Press the crumbs into the pan with your hand, and then tamp it down further with a metal measuring cup. This will keep the crumbs intact and help them to set as they bake. 

Step#1: How-To Create The Raspberry Swirl

  • The raspberry swirl is created with fresh raspberries.
  • You’ll whirl them up in a food processor and then pass them through a fine mesh sieve to remove their seeds. Don’t skip this part, since raspberries are very seedy!
  • Then dollop about a teaspoon of raspberry puree all around the cheesecake leaving enough white areas for contrast.
  • Save the remaining raspberry sauce for serving. It gets spooned over the top of each slice. Keep the sauce covered and refrigerated. 
A cheesecake with raspberry puree dots in the center for swirling
To create the raspberry swirl, first dollop the raspberry puree on the batter

Step#2: Making The Swirl

  • Use a wooden skewer (the pointy side) and run the skewer through the dots to create a beautiful raspberry swirl.
  • There are no hard and fast rules about how much swirling to give your cheesecake, you can stop when it looks good to you.
  • For a twist on this recipe, try my Pumpkin Cheesecake with Chocolate Swirl. A great recipe for Thanksgiving or Halloween! 
  • As soon as you are happy with the swirl, place your cheesecake in the oven. No water bath needed. 

What a Water Bath Does to Cheesecakes

A water bath or “bain marie” is typically used to provide even, gentle heat to the cheesecake while it bakes, preventing it from rising up high, then collapsing as it cools, and then cracking. But I find with a low oven temperature of 325F and the additional egg yolks, and flour in the batter, a water bath isn’t necessary. This recipe also cools in the oven, helping it to stay stable as the temperature is reduced. And it’s way easier! 

a cheesecake being taken out of a cheesecake pan with a cakelifter
A cake lifter will help transfer the cheesecake out of the cheesecake pan and onto a cake stand.

Tips for Cooling the Cheesecake

  • This cheesecake recipe has two cooling periods. One in the oven for 30 minutes, with the oven turned off. DO NOT open the door! 
  • The residual heat will continue to set the cheesecake and bake it through, but very gently.
  • Then take the cheesecake out of the oven and allow it to cool on your countertop for 15-20 minutes
  • Then place it in the refrigerator (uncovered) for a minimum of 4 hours, but overnight is even better.
  • If you cover the cheesecake with foil, condensation can form and drip down into the cheesecake.
  • I have also found that covering the cheesecake fades the raspberry swirl for some reason! Might be the condensation at work!

Serving and Storing Tips

  • The base of a cheesecake pan can be a little unsightly on a cake stand especially for a special occasion.
  • But you can transfer it off the base and on to a cake stand with a handy cake lifter (I love this thing!) you can do it! But only once the cheesecake has been refrigerated overnight.
  • I would not attempt this with just 4 hours of refrigeration since it may still be too fragile
  • Top with 3 raspberries in the center and a sprig of fresh mint. Serve with the raspberry sauce in a decorative bottle or a gravy boat. 

Slices of cheesecake served with raspberry sauce

 

a baked cheesecake with a swirl of raspberry in it on a cakestand

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

Yield: 8 slices
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Additional Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

This raspberry swirl cheesecake recipe is a fantastic dessert recipe for Valentine's Day. It's rich and creamy and completely decadent with its chocolate cookie crust, and raspberry sauce. It's also a cheesecake recipe that doesn't require a water bath thanks to my secret ingredient.

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 1 cup (100g) chocolate cookie crumbs (20 Famous Chocolate Wafers)
  • 2 tsp (8.4g) sugar (omit if using Oreos they are sweet enough)
  • 3 Tbsp (45ml) melted butter
  • Pinch of salt

Filling:

  • 2-12 oz (680g) whipped cream cheese
  • ¾ cup (180 ml) of sour cream
  • 1 cup (216g) of sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup (30 g) of flour

Raspberry Swirl:

  • 12 ounces raspberries (save 3 raspberries for the garnish!)
  • 1 Tbsp (12.6g) sugar

Garnish:

  • Fresh mint sprigs

Instructions

  1. Bring sour cream and cream cheese to room temperature.
  2. Separate egg yolks and bring them to room temperature.
  3. Preheat oven to 350F.
  4. Spray a 9" cheesecake pan with baking spray and set aside.
  5. In a food processor, process the chocolate wafers into a fine crumb. Then add the sugar and butter and process until combined. Place crumbs in the cheesecake pan, and shake pan to level out. Then tamp down the crumbs with a 1-cup measuring cup or glass.
  6. Bake the crust for 7-9 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and set aside to cool.
  7. Reduce oven to 325F to come down in temperature in preparation for baking the cheesecake.
  8. Set aside 3 raspberries of the same height and size, for the garnish.
  9. Place the raspberries in a clean food processor, add the sugar. Pulse until pureed.
  10. Place a fine mesh sieve over a medium-sized bowl. Pour the raspberry puree into the sieve and work it through with a spatula to extract the juice and separate the seeds. Discard seeds and set the juice aside.
  11. To prepare the filling, beat the cream cheese with the sugar. Then add the whole eggs, one at a time beating in between each addition.
  12. Then add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating in between each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed.
  13. Add the sour cream, beat to combine.
  14. Then add the vanilla and the salt, beat to combine.
  15. Then add the flour, gently beat to combine, scrape down the bowl, and beat a final time.
  16. Pour the cheesecake batter into the pan. Shake the pan gently to level out the batter.
  17. Dollop approximately 1 teaspoon of raspberry puree all over the cheesecake, leaving some white areas in between for contrast. Do not use all the puree, the rest is for serving on top of the cheesecake.
  18. Take a wooden skewer, and with the pointy side, run it through the dots of puree creating decorative swirls. Stop when you are happy with it.
  19. Bake at 325F for 45 mins. Do Not Open the door!
  20. Then turn the oven OFF. Do not open the door! And allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 30 minutes. It will continue to bake through and set.
  21. Remove the cheesecake from the oven to cool at room temperature for 15-20 minutes
  22. Refrigerate uncovered, for a minimum of 4 hours, but overnight is even better!
  23. Garnish the cake with 3 raspberries and a sprig of mint in the center.
  24. Serve with the raspberry puree spooned over the top of each slice, garnish each plate with the fresh mint.

Notes

  • The base of a cheesecake pan can be a little unsightly on a cake stand especially for a special occasion.
  • But you can transfer it off the base and on to a cake stand with a handy cake lifter (I love these things!) you can do it! But only once the cheesecake has been refrigerated overnight.
  • I would not attempt this with just 4 hours of refrigeration since it may still be too fragile

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 289Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 172mgSodium: 221mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 6g
Brownie cake scooped into a mug with ice cream

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