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4.52 from 229 votes

Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake

Raspberry lemon cheesecake is sheer perfection. It's smooth and creamy, delicately flavored, and classic.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Additional Time12 hours
Total Time13 hours 40 minutes
Course: Cakes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: raspberry lemon cheesecake
Servings: 12
Calories: 459kcal
Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Ingredients

For the crust

  • 2 tablespoons (28 grams) salted butter
  • 4 sheets graham crackers for ½ cup crumbs

For the raspberry swirl

  • 6 ounces (166 grams) raspberries
  • 2 tablespoons (25 grams) sugar

For the filling

  • 2 pounds (907 grams) cream cheese
  • 1 ⅓ cups (266 grams) sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • ¼ cup (59 ml) heavy cream
  • ¼ cup (60 grams) sour cream
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

  • Have all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 325°F with a rack in the center. 
  • Spread the butter all over the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
  • Crush the graham crackers into crumbs. You can do this in a sealed plastic bag with a rolling pin or in a food processor. Pour the graham cracker crumbs into the greased pan and tap to distribute them around the bottom and sides, forming a thin crust. Tap out any excess.
  • Place the raspberries and the two tablespoons of sugar into a blender and process until smooth. Pass the puree through a fine-mesh strainer to remove all the seeds.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese for 30 to 60 seconds, just until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • Pour in the sugar little by little and beat until smooth and creamy, a minute or two.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, beating until just incorporated and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
  • Add the heavy cream, sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat briefly, just until combined.
  • Pour creamy filling into crust.
  • Pour raspberry puree over creamy filling. Use a knife to swirl it into the top of the filling any way you like. (Refer to video for visual cues.)
  • Wrap the outside of the pan tightly with foil. Place the pan into a roasting pan or large baking dish. Position the pan on the center oven rack and then carefully pour boiling water into the outer roasting pan to reach halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.
  • Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the outsides of the cake are set and the center still jiggles when you move the pan.
  • Turn off the oven and leave the door ajar (you can use a utensil to prop it open). Let the cake rest in the oven for an hour.
  • Remove cake from oven and from water bath. Remove foil. Let cake cool completely in pan.
  • Cover cake and refrigerate overnight to chill through completely.
  • Carefully remove outer ring from cake and serve.

Notes

  1. Starting with all ingredients at room temperature is very important to achieve the creamiest result.
  2. A graham cracker sheet means a whole sheet of four perforated crackers.
  3. To make this recipe gluten-free, use GF graham crackers.
  4. Use the good old cream cheese that comes in 8-ounce blocks. Softer cream cheese in tubs or the whipped kind won't work.
  5. Tightly covered leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to a week.
  6. This recipe is adapted from Joy of Cooking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 152mg | Sodium: 303mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g