How to Make White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Surprise your loved one with a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake this Valentine’s Day! Or on any other special occasion!

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Who doesn’t love a New York Style cheesecake?

Rich, creamy and decidedly indulgent, New York cheesecakes occupy a place in my Top 5 favorite desserts.

Every time I indulge in a slice (or two, don’t judge!) I’m always transported back to New York.

Eons ago, in my other life as an auditor, my boss sent me to the New York office of our firm for 3 months to help them with their clients.  This was my first time in the USA.

Unfortunately for me, the busy season happened to be in the middle of winter!

To celebrate Valentine’s Day in New York, I, together with a couple of other friends, prepared a home-cooked meal of steak and roasted vegetables. For dessert, we had take-out cheesecake slices from Roxy’s, a deli in Times Square which serves these huge, delicious slices of cheesecake.

The snow made our Valentine’s Day even more remarkable. Flurries of white snowflakes had fallen down hard that day.

So we did the sensible thing and stayed indoors where we would be warm and safe from the slushy streets and blustery wind.

We went through a couple of bottles of wine while enjoying our meal and the company of one another while the snow blanketed the city that never sleeps.

So, what are you doing this year?

We usually stay at home and Tobi cooks dinner (for a change). Valentine’s Day is not a big deal in Germany (although in the past years it has gained popularity) so I’m already thankful for the fact that Tobi celebrates it with me.

Of course, I’m always in charge of dessert!

So, if you’re staying home this year, try making this white chocolate raspberry cheesecake for Valentine’s Day (or truthfully, any other day! The tiny raspberry hearts only gives it a nice Valentine’s Day vibe.)

SKIP TO RECIPE

 

Some notes before we get to the recipe:

Crust

We don’t have graham crackers available here in Switzerland, so more often than not, I use whatever butter cookies (Butterkeks or Petit-beurre), are available in the supermarket. I also use speculoos cookies from time to time.

You may, of course, use Oreos as well, but please, give this one a try first! The nuts and cocoa add a delightful taste and are a welcome addition to the usual cookie crust.

Use of Greek yogurt

I often use Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream.  We eat a lot of Greek yogurt so we are often well-stocked. It is also healthier than sour cream, so yay!

Chilling time needed

Remember to plan ahead as the cheesecake needs at least an overnight chill in the refrigerator. On the positive side, you can prepare this ahead of time!

Size

This is a small-ish cheesecake, good for 4 decent servings only. If you want to make a bigger cheesecake, say in a 9-inch pan, double the recipe, but it will be a tad shorter.

Let’s prepare the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake!

We will need to prepare the crust first as this needs to firm up in the fridge.

In a medium bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs, sugar, cocoa and ground nuts. Add the melted butter and mix well.

Press into the bottom of an 18 cm (7-inch) springform pan. A measuring cup or glass with a thick bottom helps get an even, pressed-in crust.

Refrigerate until needed.

We then make the coulis.

Place the raspberries in a blender or food processor and purée. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove most of the seeds.

In a small saucepan, dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Add the sugar and raspberries.

Cook over medium-low heat for 7 minutes until slightly thickened.

You will know when it is ready when you run a rubber spatula through the sauce; it slowly fills in the gap.

Set aside to cool.

While the crust and coulis are cooling, we then go ahead with the cheesecake filling:

Preheat oven to 175°C/350°F.

Bring 3-4 cups of water to a boil.

Prepare a baking pan with sides in which your springform pan will fit in. This is for the water bath.

In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.

Add the flour and mix well.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

At medium speed, add the Greek yogurt or sour cream and white chocolate. Mix well.

Finally, add the milk and vanilla and mix well on low.

You do not want too many bubbles in the mixture.

Take the springform pan out of the oven.  Tightly wrap the outside of the pan in a double layer of foil. This is to prevent water from seeping in. Place the pan in the baking pan.

Pour in the cheesecake mixture.

Delicately drop dots where you want your hearts to be and quickly run a skewer through the dots to form hearts.

Carefully transfer the cheesecake into the preheated oven. Pour in boiling water up to half the height of the pan.

Bake for 40 minutes. The center will slightly jiggle when you move the pan. It will continue to cook due to the residual heat.

Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in for at least an hour before removing. This will prevent the cheesecake from collapsing due to the sudden change in temperature. Let it cool completely on the counter before transferring to the refrigerator. It is best eaten after being chilled overnight.

Serve with extra raspberry coulis and listen to the contented sigh of your loved one.

Some other celebration cakes:

Matcha Japanese Cheesecake

Chocolate & Brown Butter Layer Cake

Ube Cake

Coconut Cake

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