White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

This week I'm on spring break winter break part II. I love being able to take a week off from homework, problem sets, midterms, and meetings to just relax at home with my family - and, for me, baking is an integral part of that relaxation.

so raspberry. so swirly.

I decided to try my first true cheesecake this week (I've done mini cheesecakes before, but never the real deal), and I wanted a recipe that everyone would enjoy.

Everyone likes raspberry, and white chocolate is innocuous enough, so I settled on a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake from my epic Recipes bookmarks folder.

Shockingly, this recipe is not from Brown-Eyed Baker (I know, I know), but--oh wait--it's a recipe that she created for Driscoll's. The cycle continues.

The original recipe called for a raspberry swirl made from fresh raspberries, but the problem with winter is that fresh raspberries are quite difficult to come by. So, I used a jar of raspberry preserves (I recommend Bonne Maman) in place of the homemade raspberry swirl. It's hard to know how that changed the final results, but I think the cake is delicious the way it is.

fresh raspberry substitute

The only change I'd consider making next time (besides giving it a try with fresh raspberries) would be reducing the number of Oreos in the crust. As you can see, the crust is waaay thick - which is awesome and delicious, but makes it (1) difficult to cut slices and (2) difficult to eat towards the edges of the cake. Reducing the amount of Oreos by 1/3 might improve the cake, I think.

mmmm oreos

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake (adapted from Driscoll's)

Crust

1 package (14.3 oz) Oreo cookie crumbs (filling removed)

2/3 cups sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick butter, melted

Raspberry swirl

1 cup raspberry preserves (the standard size Bonne Maman jar holds 1 cup)

Cheesecake

4 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

12 oz white chocolate, melted and cooled 

4 eggs

1. For the crust: Crumble Oreo cookies - I recommend using a food processor. Whisk together Oreo crumbs, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl.
2. Drizzle melted butter over crumb mixture and stir with a fork until moistened.
3. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and place in the freezer for 1 hour.
4. For the raspberry swirl: Measure out 1 cup of raspberry preserves and microwave for ~30 seconds (just enough to make them more runny). Press through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds.
5. For the cheesecake: Preheat oven to 325 F. 
6. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). 
7. Add melted white chocolate and mix on medium speed to combine (about 1 minute). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
8. Pour half of batter over chilled crust. Dollop half of raspberry swirl over top of batter in pan. 
9. Pour remaining batter into pan and dollop remaining raspberry swirl over top. Use a butter knife to swirl raspberry into cheesecake.
10. Bake 55 to 80 minutes, until center barely jiggles when pan is moved. (If the top is browning too much, place a piece of foil loosely over the cake.)
11. When done, remove from oven and place on wire rack. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and let it cool to room temperature.
12. Remove side of springform pan and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

post-swirl, pre-bake

fresh out of the oven

about to go in the fridge

heaven on a plate