Are you ready to indulge a bit!?! Look no further… you can stop right here and delight in the sweet creaminess of this dessert – with a hint of cinnamon- and raspberry sauce to top it off!
Honestly, I did not know much of anything about cheesecake until I was at the ripe age of twelve – and I had my first trip to The Cheesecake Factory. Life just stayed still right in that moment. The grandiose columns surrounding me, fresco paintings on the ceiling, and a never-ending back page menu of cheesecake after cheesecake mentioned…
Black Tie Cheesecake
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake
Red Velvet Cheesecake
Snickers Cheesecake
You catch my drift…my world of cheesecake had just been introduced, right there in that very moment. So many options, so little time… I am still working my way through to get them all sampled 🙂 What’s your favorite?
Often times, my old-reliable is the classic creamy cheesecake with raspberry sauce – the sweet fruitiness of the raspberry compliment’s the cheese just right. Not only is it delectable, but also makes a beautiful presentation for a special occasion or upcoming holidays.
Surprisingly, cheesecake is not overly difficult to make. But here are a few simple tips:
- Make sure to use a spring formpan – no exceptions!
- Beat cream cheese and sugars until very smooth,
- Use a pan with water while baking – directly in the rack below
- Lastly, make sure you allow for plenty of time after for the cooling and refrigerating process. And voila! Dessert is served right at your candle-lit table. Grab a few sprigs of pine for a festive garnish.
- For the crust:
- 1½ c. graham cracker crust
- ⅓ c. sugar
- 1 t. cinnamon
- 6 T. butter, melted
- For the cheesecake filling:
- 1 c. sugar
- 3 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
- 1 c. sour cream
- 3 eggs
- ¼ t. salt
- 1 t. vanilla
- 1 t. lemon zest
- For Raspberry Sauce:
- 2 t. cornstarch
- 3 T. sugar
- ⅓ c. water
- 12 oz. frozen raspberries, thawed
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon. Pour melted butter over the dry mixture and stir until coated.
- Press evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
- In a separate large bowl, cream sugar and cream cheese until very smooth.
- Mix in sour cream and eggs.
- Fold in salt, vanilla, and lemon zest.
- Pour over crust.
- Place a pan of water on the oven rack below the one where the cheesecake will bake.
- Bake cheesecake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until edges of crust are golden brown.
- Turn off oven and let the cheesecake sit inside the oven for 1 hour.
- Allow cheesecake to cool on the counter, covered, for 1 hour.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until ready to serve. Remove springform pan and transfer onto a serving plate.
- For Raspberry Sauce
- In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch, water, and sugar.
- Add raspberries and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Sauce can be served warm or chilled.
- Slice the cheesecake, add raspberries, sauce, and pine sprigs for garnish.
