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Raspberry Lemonade Cheesecake
Tart, tangy, creamy and perfectly sweet, this Raspberry Lemonade Cheesecake tastes like Summer sunshine in every bite. It starts with a buttery graham cracker crust and a creamy lemon cheesecake base. You make a quick raspberry puree from just pure raspberries and sugar then add this to some of the lemon cheesecake batter to make a stunning vibrant pink raspberry lemonade batter.
Ingredients
Raspberry Puree:
- 8 ounces (227g) raspberries, fresh or slightly thawed frozen
- 3-4 tablespoons (40-50g) granulated sugar, depending on how sweet the berries are
- 1 teaspoon corn starch (reserve for topping)
Crust:
- 1 ¼ cups (130g) graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoon (30g) packed light brown sugar
- 4 tablespoon (56g) unsalted butter, melted
Lemon Cheesecake Batter:
- 18 ounces (500) grams full-fat cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- ¾ cup (150) grams granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest from 1-2 lemons
- ⅓ cup (80ml) sour cream
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ⅓ cup (80ml) raspberry puree (from above)
Instructions
- Make the raspberry puree. Combine raspberries and sugar (you'll use the corn starch later when you make the topping) in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Use a spatula to press the puree through a fine mesh strainer, discarding any seeds and pulp that remain. Scrape the underside of the strainer to get the maximum amount of puree, then set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the sides and line the base of an 8-inch round non-stick springform pan with a round of parchment paper.
- Make the crust. Combine graham crumbs, brown sugar and melted butter in a medium bowl and blend until well combined. Press the crumbs firmly and evenly into the bottom and about 1-inch up the sides of the pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden and feels dry. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Meanwhile, make the filling.
- Make the filling. Blend cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add sugar and lemon zest and mix until very smooth and creamy. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl several times to ensure there are not lumps at this stage and everything is well combined. The mixture should be lump-free before you move on to the next step.
- Add sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla and mix until smooth and evenly incorporated. Scrape down the sides and around the bottom of the bowl again and mix in eggs, one at a time until everything is blended. Transfer 1 cup of batter to another clean bowl and stir in ⅓ cup (80ml) of raspberry puree.
- Assemble the cheesecake. Pour the lemon cheesecake batter into the pre-baked crust, spreading it out evenly and popping any air bubbles that you see. Gently spoon dollops of the raspberry batter over top (or use a cookie scoop to portion it) and gently swirl it in with a butter knife so you get nice defined swirls. Don't swirl too much or it will fade into the batter and don't go too deep or you will disturb the crust.
- Make the raspberry swirl. Combine another ⅓ cup (80ml) of raspberry puree with 1 teaspoon of corn starch until smooth and dollop this mixture randomly over the cheesecake batter. Use a skewer to swirl it in just a bit to make the pattern pictured in the article.
- Place a cookie sheet on the bottom rack of the oven and fill it with boiling water. Place the cheesecake above on the center rack and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the edges are set and the center of the cheesecake has a slight wobble when you shake the pan. See video tutorial for what this looks like.
- Transfer pan to a wire rack and immediately run a butter knife or offset spatula around the sides of the pan to release the cheesecake, then let cool completely in the pan. Once cool, cover with foil and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or over night. Once chilled, release the sides of the pan and serve with the extra raspberry puree and enjoy!
