Creamy White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
It’s a thing of love
You won’t believe how silky and luscious this creamy white chocolate raspberry cheesecake is. The white chocolate enhances the sweet and tangy notes of the cream cheese and the raspberries, doing wonders for the texture and flavor of this cheesecake, trust me! The key is adding the white chocolate at the very last moment. Top it with a mountain of Italian Meringue and you will have a cheesecake that’s impossible to resist!
I have this thing of loving to see everyone around me happy. I bet you do too! That is the real thing Valentine’s should be all about. And cheesecakes always make everyone happy! In my family, with my friends and with all of you here at The Yellow Butterfly, everyone has a very special reaction to my cheesecakes and never can resist to them. I know you guys love many sweet and pretty confections I share here. But with cheesecakes it’s a thing of love. That’s why I thought I needed to make a special cheesecake for Valentine’s this year. Inevitably, white chocolate and raspberries popped into my mind.
I wanted to create a petite cheesecake for this occasion, perfect for any small gathering that might be on your calendar and I’m hoping to be invited to. I used my cheesecake tart recipe as the base for this, which is half of my classic cheesecake. But since I wanted to top it up with a tall cloud of meringue, I wanted the more classic look of a deep cheesecake instead of a flat tart. I used a 6” springform pan for this recipe. If you don’t have one at hand, you can make a cheesecake tart or a regular size cheesecake, just follow the instructions here for assembly and decoration of the raspberry and meringue layers.
Contrary to popular belief, cheesecakes are not difficult to make. They are actually perfect for this or any holiday because they should be made in advance. They get even better with time. A full day in advance or two is the sweet spot. You can leave it completely done if serving the next day. If serving past 24 hours, you may spread the raspberry compote the day before or a few hours before serving. The meringue can be also spread several hours is advance. If you want it super soft, then make it closer to when you are ready to serve and place in the fridge for at least 20 to 30 minutes to set. Read below some notes on the process of making this cheesecake so you can prep ahead:
How to make a creamy raspberry white chocolate cheesecake
Soft cream cheese is key: start by taking out the cream cheese boxes out of the fridge. Very soft cream cheese is key for a very creamy texture. If you are in a hurry, soften the cheese in the microwave for 15 seconds in medium power. Repeat only if necessary. You don’t want warm or greasy cream cheese
Make the super easy graham cracker crust: You can add the butter through the food processor or do it yourself as I did in the video.
Make the raspberry compote: while the crust is baking you can make the raspberry compote. Place it in the fridge as soon as it looses the heat so it isn’t too runny when you add it to the cheesecake. You can also make it a few days in advance and store in the fridge.
Now it’s time to make your cheesecake mixture: Remember that cheesecakes are custards, so it’s important to not incorporate too much air to the mixture. The combination of using the whisk tool in a slow speed and for not too long is the secret in achieving a light yet super creamy cheesecake texture.
Treat it nicely: white Chocolate is very delicate so to prevent them from scorching, you need to melt the chips gently. Ten seconds in the microwave should be enough, you just need to gently stir with a small spoon for one or two minutes to give the heat a break to travel through all the chips. If you see they are not melting anymore, heat again for 5 to 7 seconds and stir again for one to two minutes.
Pour cheesecake mixture over baked crust. Then put a few tablespoons of the raspberry compote on top and gently swirl them through the surface. Place pan in a baking sheet filled with water half way thru. Bake at 425° for 7 minutes, then drop the temperature to 275° and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cheesecake should be looking dry and set around and a bit jiggly and glossy in the center. Let it loose the heat and then chill in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes.
Make it ahead: you can make the raspberry compote a few days ahead if that’s convenient for you. When assembling, spread some over the cheesecake. Chill again and spread the meringue on top.
Chill the whole cheesecake for about 6 hours, ideally overnight. If you made the cheesecake in advance and it was already chilled overnight, then just place it in the fridge 10 to 15 minutes so the meringue sets up. Don’t forget fresh raspberries to make it pretty!
Nice and chill: always keep cheesecake in the fridge when not serving.
Save this recipe for any time you want to make a small cheesecake and play around with the flavors and toppings. You can add lemon zest and lemon extract and top it up with lemon curd, melted chocolate chips and top it with a smooth chocolate ganache, drizzle some dulce de leche or salted caramel sauce, or simply serve with fresh fruits and whipped cream! It’s going to be and instant classic in your kitchen!
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Creamy White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
◯ Unsalted butter – 5 TBSP
◯ Traditional graham crackers – 4 oz (6 whole rectangular cookies), broken in pieces
◯ Raw or granulated sugar - 1 ½ TBSP
White Chocolate Cheesecake Layer
◯ Cream cheese, at room temperature – 2 - 8 oz packages
◯ Raw sugar – ¾ cup
◯ Organic free cage eggs – 2, large
◯ Egg yolks – 1, from large eggs
◯ Unbleached organic all purpose flour – 2 TBSP
◯ Lemon juice – 1 TBSP, about the juice of half a medium lemon
◯ Pure vanilla extract – ½ Tsp
◯ White chocolate chips - ½ cup
Raspberry Compote
◯ Raspberries, fresh or frozen – 1 ½ cups
◯ Raw sugar – ¼ cup + 2 TBSP
◯ Freshly squeezed lemon juice – splash of half lemon
◯ Unbleached flour – 1 TBSP
Italian Meringue
◯ Egg whites, at room temperature – 2
◯ Freshly squeezed lemon juice (you may substitute with cream of tartar) – ¼ Tsp
◯ Water – ¼ cup
◯ Raw sugar – ½ cup
◯ Half of a lemon to rub the bowl and attachment
Details
Yield:
a petite 6” cheesecake
Total time:
2 hours + 6 to 8 hours or overnight chilling
Active time:
5 minutes to make the crust, 10 minutes to make the cheesecake filling, 10 minutes for the raspberry compote, 10 minutes for the Italian meringue.
Equipment:
stand mixer or electric hand mixer, 6” springform pan, parchment paper, candy thermometer.
Steps
To make the crust:
Preheat oven to 350°. Line your 6” springform pan (or the pan you are using) with parchment paper (not necessary if you want to serve the cheesecake in the base of the pan).
In a small saucepan place the 5 tablespoons of butter and heat in medium to low heat. Retire from heat right after the butter has melted.
Break the crackers in pieces while you throw them in the bowl. Add the 1 ½ tablespoons of sugar and run the processor until the cookies are mostly grounded. With the processor running pour butter through the food processor lid opening, until the crumbs look 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 tart pan. Press onto the bottom, until the crumbs are evenly distributed. You may use a small flat bottom measuring cup or utensil to help yourself press down and distribute the crumbs. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes. Take it out of the oven to let it cool down.
Increase oven temperature to 425°.
To make the white cheesecake filling:
While the crust is baking, make the cheesecake mixture. Either in the bowl of a stand up mixer and using the whisk attachment or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer with the beaters attached, beat in medium speed the cream cheese for 2 minutes. Add the ¾ cup of sugar and mix for 1 minute, making sure there is no sugar on the bottom of the bowl. Decrease speed to low and add the 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk, one at a time. Add the 2 tablespoons of flour, the tablespoon of lemon juice and the ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, waiting a few seconds before each addition to allow each ingredient to incorporate. Scrap the wall and bottom of the bowl between additions. Mix about 30 seconds to one minute, until mixture looks homogeneous and there are no big lumps of cream cheese.
Heat white chocolate chips in the microwave for 10 seconds. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes until chips are melted. Heat for just 5 extra seconds only if it is completely necessary (see notes). Pour over cheesecake mixture and stir for 20 seconds in the lowest speed.
Pour mixture over crust. Gently place 6 to 7 tablespoons of the raspberry compote (recipe follows) on top and with a chopstick or large toothpick swirl them across the top of the cheesecake. When the oven is already in 425°, place cheesecake and bake for 5 minutes and then drop oven temperature to 275°. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the cheesecake looks set and dry around the edges but still a bit jiggly and shiny in the center. Retire from oven and let it cool down before placing in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes, until the top feels chilled and set. You can chill it overnight as well if making ahead.
Open the springform pan and detach the circle around the cheesecake. Place a plastic paper on top and place a plate over. Turn it and remove bottom plate. Place your serving plate on top of the crust and turn cheesecake again.
Pour over a layer of raspberry compote. Chill to set 10 to 15 minutes. Scrape meringue on top (recipe below) with a spoon a make swirls to decorate.
To make the raspberry compote:
In a small saucepan combine all the ingredients except for the flour and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes. After that sprinkle the flour and move frequently. Keep cooking until you achieve a thick consistency, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and keep moving for 30 seconds more. Let it cool down before pouring over cheesecake. It can be made a few days in advance and stored in the fridge.
To make the Italian meringue:
Make sure your bowl and whisk attachment is well cleaned and not greasy. Any grease will prevent egg whites from rising.
Rub the bottom and walls of your bowl and whisk attachment with half a lemon. Put the 2 egg whites and the ¼ teaspoon of lemon juice in the bowl. Whisk in low speed for 30 seconds to distribute it and then increase the speed to medium (#4 in the Kitchen Aid), until soft peaks form.
In the meantime, combine ¼ cup of water and the ½ of sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over high heat and cook until a candy thermometer reaches 240°, about three to four minutes.
With the mixer running, pour over the syrup in a thin stream without pausing. Whisk until the meringue reaches room temperature, 3 to 5 minutes. As soon as the bowl feels cool on the outside the meringue is ready to go.
