Blackberry Cheesecake with Almond Biscotti Crust
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This ultra creamy and velvety blackberry cheesecake is a pure summer dream! The deep pink color comes only from all the goodness of the blackberries. I strained the blackberry purée added to the cheesecake and the simple blackberry curd topping for a super smooth and pleasing texture. It’s a true gem that may not be worn but sure will adorn any special table!
If you ask me I would say I’m just getting started with cheesecakes, even if this is my number 472794830 on the blog, haha! That number or may not be inflated, but the reality is that, even though I have made aaaaa lot of cheesecakes, there are still so many flavors I have yet to put on that glossy cream cheese filling. And pure flavor of blackberries was one of those! I’m so happy with how this blackberry cheesecake turned out!
Thanks to the sweet herbaceous notes of blackberries, this cheesecake is something else. Is truly a pure delight! It tastes fresh and feels light but still has that dense and velvety texture that we all love in a good cheesecake. The bitter almond notes in the almond biscotti tasted so well with the floral notes of the blackberries. I was so excited to use biscotti instead of the traditional Graham cracker for the crust (which I always love!) For this cheesecake and the swap was so on point!
As I always tell you, cheesecakes are really easy to make. You just need to organize yourself because you do need to prepare a few things before starting the actual recipe. And keep in mind the 3 most important things when baking a cheesecake: never incorporate too much air by over mixing, ingredients must be at room temperature or a bit warmer and never over bake. Also remember that it needs to be chilled overnight.
Keep reading for many of my long list of tips and notes for making this beauty!
How to prepare a springform pan for making cheesecakes
Start by lining the bottom of the pan with a round piece of parchment paper.
Next, wrap with aluminum foil the sides of the pan, pressing it well all the way around. If using a narrower foil, use 2 to 3 pieces to make sure all the edges are well covered.
Place pan inside a baking bag (they're sold mostly for turkeys), making sure there are no creases at the bottom. Using small binder clips, secure the bag through 4 to 6 spots on the border to make sure the are no large gaps between the bag and the pan. The bag should shallowly touch all of its edges.
How to remove cheesecakes from springform pan
Removing cheesecakes from its pan is as easy as removing cakes. You should remove cheesecakes from the pan after they have been chilled and before pouring any sauce or covering with any cream, fruits or decorations.
Start by placing a large cling plastic paper on top of the cheesecake, all the surface should be covered. As you would do with a cake, place upside down a large plate on top. Turn the cheesecake and repeat with another plate (ideally your serving plate or tray). Turn the cheesecake again. Lift the plate and carefully remove the cling paper. Voilà!
Making a blackberry cheesecake
Start by taking out the cream cheese from the fridge. When they are a bit soft, use a table knife to flatten them out, about half as high, so they get softer faster.
Gather the rest of the ingredients so they are at room temperature a well.
Make the crust and bake according to recipe below. Remember to increase oven temperature to 425° when you take the crust out and fill the baking sheet with water a bit more than half.
Next make the cheesecake batter, remembering to not over mix through any of the steps. Also keep scraping the wall and bottom of the bowl to incorporate any large lumps of cheese. Do this several times through the mixing process, it makes all the difference.
Remember that frozen egg whites work like a charm in meringues or to make my Blackberry Angel Food Cake. Freeze in a small plastic freezer bag and thaw in a bowl with hot tap water.
Pour batter over crust. Bake for exactly 7 minutes and then decrease oven temperature to 275°. The cheesecake is done when the border looks set and glossy and the center is still a bit wobbly.
To prevent shrinking, let the cheesecake start the cooling down process inside the oven by letting it in with the door open. After 20 minutes take it out to let it cool down completely
If making this for a special occasion, I highly recommend doing it 2 to 3 days in advance. The texture of this cheesecake gets creamier with time. You can make both the cheesecake and the curd the same day or you can make the cheesecake and make the curd one or two days after.
If making the curd the same day, place cheesecake in the fridge while you make it to chill its surface. This will help setting the curd faster.
Always cover after fully cooled down and use a seal plastic wrap, never cover touching the cheesecake.
Shop the Post
This 9” springform pan makes removal a breeze!
Oven bags to prevent water entering the cheesecake.
You know I can’t live without my pre-cut parchment paper.
This candy thermometer is a great tool to make sure your curd is properly cooked.
3 recipes I think you’ll love if you’re loving this one:
Blueberry Cream Cheese Sweet Rolls
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I hope you love this cheesecake as much as we all did here at home! Please share with me your creations at Instagram (@devamadeo), TikTok (@DevAmadeo) or Facebook (@DevAmadeo). I want to see them all!
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Blackberry Cheesecake with Almond Biscotti Crust
Ingredients
Almond Biscotti Crust:
◯ Unsalted butter – 8 TBSP (1 stick), 114g
◯ Almond biscotti – 5 regular size or 10 small, 365g, broken in pieces
◯ Natural granulated sugar - 3 TBSP, 39g
◯ Almond extract or emulsion (optional) - 1 to 2 drops
Blackberry Cheesecake filling:
◯ Blackberries - 2 cups, 453g
◯ Lemon juice, - 3 TBSP, 38g, divided
◯ Natural granulated sugar - ¼ cup, 50g for the blackberries + 1 ¾, cup, 350g for the cheesecake
◯ Cream cheese, at room temperature (see notes) - 5 (8 oz) bricks, 1130g total
◯ Vanilla extract (optional) - ¼ Tsp
◯ Almond extract (optional) - ¼ Tsp
◯ Pure full fat coconut milk (canned) - ¼ cup, 65g
◯ Unbleached all-purpose flour - 2 TBSP, 15g
◯ Eggs, at room temperature - 5, large
◯ Egg yolks, at room temperature – 2, from large eggs
Blackberry Curd:
◯ Blackberries, fresh or frozen - 1 ¾ cup, 217g
◯ Freshly squeezed lemon juice – 1 TBSP/15g + ¼ cup, 57g
◯ Whole organic eggs – 2
◯ Egg yolks – 2
◯ Natural granulated sugar – ¾ cup, 155g
◯ Fine sea salt - small pinch
◯ Butter, cubed – 8 TBSP, 1 stick, 114g
Details
Yield:
a 9” cheesecake, about 16 slim pieces
Total time:
3 hours + overnight chill
Active times:
10 minutes to prepare the pan, 5 minutes for the crust, 20 minutes for the cheesecake batter, 20 minutes for the curd.
Baking time:
1 hour and 10 minutes
Equipment: springform pan, aluminum foil, large glass bowl and skillet for the curd; oven bags and candy thermometer optional
Steps
Making the almond biscotti crust:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Melt the 8 tablespoons/114g of butter in a small saucepan. Do not let it become oily or runny.
Snap the biscotti pieces over the bowl of a food processor already attached to its base. Add the 3 tablespoons/35g of sugar and pulse until they look sandy.
With the processor running pour melted butter through the lid opening until the crumbs look fine and well hydrated, about 10 to 15 seconds. Stop the processor and pull down any crumbs crawling up the walls of the bowl if necessary and pulse a few seconds more.
Transfer crumbs to a 9” springform pan or a 9” pie dish. Press crumbs tightly until the surface is flat. You may use a small flat bottom measuring cup or utensil to help you press tightly. Bake for 6 minutes. Take it out of the oven and cool down.
Increase oven temperature to 425° and place a baking sheet in the middle. Fill it with water a bit more than half.
Making the cheesecake:
In a small saucepan combine the 2 cups/453g of blackberries with 1 ½ tablespoon/19g of the lemon juice and the ¼ cup/50g of sugar. Heat over medium heat and cook for about 20 minutes, until juice has thicken a bit and looks sirupy. Pass it through a small blender and then through a large sieve to remove the seeds. You should have about ¾ cup/174g of puree. Set aside.
Place the softened 5 cream cheeses in the bowl of a stand mixer with the wire (whisk) attachment (if using a hand mixer use the beaters). Beat on medium-low speed (#2 in the stand mixer) until cream cheese is smooth and creamy with no large lumps, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula to make sure there are no big lumps of unbeaten cream cheese. Beat an additional minute. Scrape one more time if necessary.
(Scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl several times throughout the process to ensure there are no lumps of cheese is key to making the mixture smooth and bubble-free.)
Slow down to minimum speed and gradually add the 1 ¾ cup/350g of sugar and the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons/19g of lemon juice. Mix 1 minute. Add the ¼ teaspoon of vanilla and almond if using. Add the ¼ cup/65g of coconut milk and mix.
Stop mixer and scrape the walls and bottom of the bowl once more and mix to reincorporate everything. Add the 2 tablespoons/15g of flour just until incorporated. One at a time, add the eggs and egg yolks, waiting until one yolk breaks to add another. Stop beating as soon as the last yolk is incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl once more. Pour the blackberry puree and beat gently until well mixed. The mixture should look homogeneous in color. Pour over the crust.
Make sure oven is at 425°.
Carefully place the pan in the baking sheet filled with water. Bake for exactly 7 minutes. Decrease temperature to 275° and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, until the border looks set but the center is jiggly when you shake it.
Turn oven off and let the cheesecake inside with the door half way open. After 5 minutes you may open the door completely and let the cheesecake there for 15 to 20 minutes. Take it out and let it cool down. Place it in the fridge to chill.
Remove cheesecake from springform pan. Top it with the blackberry curd (recipe follows). As soon as the lemon curd has cooled down and not releasing steam, cover it tightly with plastic seal paper or aluminum foil (not touching the cheesecake). Chill in the fridge overnight.
Remember that this cheesecake can be made a few days in advance and I highly recommend it. The texture and flavor are at their best after 3 days after baked. If doing way in advance, you may pour the curd after the first or second day.
Making the blackberry curd:
In a small sauce pan combine the 1 ¾ cup/217g of blackberries with the tablespoon/15g of lemon juice. Cook in medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until the fruit has released the juices and the liquid is a bit sirupy.
Let it cool down a bit. Pass it through a small blender and strain. Reserve ¼ cup/59g of the purée.
Fill by half a large skillet with water and bring it to a soft boil over medium low heat.
In a medium glass bowl whisk well the 2 eggs and the 2 egg yolks. Add the ¾ cup/150g of sugar, the remaining ¼ cup/57g of lemon juice, the blackberry purée and the small pinch of salt until the sugar has dissolved and mixture is a bit foamy.
Place the bowl on the skillet and using a wooden spoon or silicon spatula stir slowly but almost constantly until the mixture thickens, this could take from 10 to 20 minutes. When the mixture heats it will produce some foamy white streaks. When those streaks disappear the curd should thicken up in the next 5 to 7 minutes. Keep moving until mixture thickens and has reached 180°, or when you pass your finger through the back of the spatula it leaves a clear pass (160° is fine if the mixture looks very thick).
Retire from heat. Stir for 30 seconds to prevent curdling. Start adding the 8 tablespoons/114g of butter. Mix constantly until all the butter has melted. Keep mixing for an extra minute. Pour over cheesecake.
Place in the fridge to set from 4 to 6 hours, ideally overnight.
To serve:
Decorate with fresh blackberries and blueberries for a nice contrast. Serve with whipped cream if desired.
To store, place a piece of parchment paper on the exposed sides of the cheesecake. It should be good for 3 to 5 days.
