Raspberry Cheesecake
Serves 12
40 mins prep
70 mins cook
480 mins Resting Time
590 mins total
Raspberry cheesecake with an oreo crust topped with raspberry whipped cream and dusted with freeze-dried raspberries to look like a brain for halloween.
Raspberry cheesecake batter
Oreo crust
Whipped cream
Garnish (optional)
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Warning
This is a multi-day baking project. Day 1: Bake the cheesecake and chill overnight. Day 2: Garnish and enjoy.
Do ahead
Prepare a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray and a circle of parchment on the bottom and a ring of parchment for the sides (optional).
Make the crust
Twist apart each oreo and remove the cream center. Discard or save to use for something else. Pulse the cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs form.
Melt the butter in a microwave-safe medium bowl. Add the oreo crumbs and kosher salt and toss together until combined.
Pour this mixture into the prepared springform pan and either pat down completely into the bottom or pat up the sides too, if desired. Set aside.
Make the cheesecake batter
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Cook the raspberries: In a medium saucepan, cook the raspberries over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes or just until the raspberries release their juices. Pour the mixture into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve, pushing to release as much juice as possible. Discard the pulp. Return the juice to the saucepan and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the juice has thickened and reduced by half. Then set aside to cool.
Mix the cream cheese in a medium bowl with beaters on low or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low for 1-2 minutes, just until smooth and no lumps remain. Do not over whip or you will introduce too much air.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between each. Add the sour cream and mix until incorporated.
Add the sugar, vanilla, salt and cooled raspberry puree. Mix just until fully incorporated.
Bake
Create a bain-marie: Cut large pieces of foil. Stack them on top of each other in opposite directions. Place the cheesecake on top of the foil stack and bring the foil up around the edges. You basically want to make it so that no water can get to the cheesecake pan. This is important otherwise your cheesecake could get waterlogged and ruined.
Place the foiled cheesecake pan inside of a larger baking dish. Pour boiling (or very hot) water into the larger baking dish so that it reaches at least halfway up the sides of the foiled cheesecake pan (but not so much that you risk getting water into the cheesecake pan). See notes for alternative options.
Bake for 40-50 minutes. You’ll know it is ready when it looks firm, but there is still a slight jiggle.
Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside while the oven cools down. The key here is letting the cheesecake cool very gradually to prevent cracks. After about 30 minutes, crack the oven door with a wooden spoon or just open it slightly. Let cool in there another 30 minutes before removing to the counter to cool down to room temperature.
Finally, place the cheesecake in the refrigerator to chill completely overnight.
Make the whipped cream
In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or with hand beaters in a large bowl, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar and raspberry powder (if using) together until stiff peaks. Transfer to a piping bag, if desired. To pipe a ruffle like I did, cut the tip of a plastic piping bag off, then make a ½ inch cut on one of the seams of the bag on the side. Pipe ruffles of whipped cream on top of the cheesecake.
Garnish
If desired, dust the top with a 1:1 mixture of raspberry powder and powdered sugar (optional). As it sits, this mixture will become wet and give a bloody look, perfect for if you are serving this for halloween, but if not, then I do not recommend this garnish.
