I know that most of you are here looking for Dorie’s Caramel-Peanut-Topped Brownie Cake. I'm sorry to disappoint, but this week I had a more pressing obligation. Sunday was my mother's birthday. It was one of those milestone birthdays to boot. I can't tell you which milestone, for fear of getting cut out of the will, but trust me, it was a biggie. Mom doesn't care for chocolate cake or peanuts, so this week's TWD cake was pretty much out. What she does love, however, is cheesecake. So, that's what I made for her - a raspberry swirl cheesecake with a chocolate cookie crust to be exact.
I used Dorie's Tall and Creamy Cheesecake recipe as the inspiration for my cheesecake, so I did at least try to stay within the spirit of the assignment.
For my cheesecake, I substituted mascarpone cheese for one quarter of the cream cheese called for in the recipe. I also used creme fraiche in place of the sour cream. For the swirl, I used a product called Red Raspberry Ecstasy from Maury Island Farm. It is a dessert topping made with only red raspberries and sugar. It really lives up to its name! Before serving, I drizzled the cake with a little melted bittersweet chocolate and used that as my "glue" for securing some fresh berries on top.
As you would expect, this cheesecake was pure heaven! It was rich and impossibly creamy, yet still had some lightness of texture. Mom loved it and so did everyone else!
If you'd like to see some great interpretations of Dorie's Caramel-Peanut-Topped Brownie Cake, click on over to the Tuesdays with Dorie Blogroll.
Tall and Creamy Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake (Printable Recipe)
Adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan
Ingredients:
For the crust:
2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
For the cheesecake:
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 8-ounce container mascarpone cheese
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup creme fraiche
1/2 cup raspberry dessert topping
Method:
To make the crust:
Preheat the oven to 350°F
Butter a 9-inch springform pan and wrap the bottom of the pan in a double layer of aluminum foil.
Stir the crumbs, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Pour over the melted butter and stir until all of the dry ingredients are uniformly moist. Turn the ingredients into the buttered springform pan and use your fingers to pat an even layer of crumbs along the bottom of the pan and about halfway up the sides.
Place the springform on a baking sheet and bake on a center rack in the oven for 10 minutes. Set the crust aside to cool while you make the cheesecake.
Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
To make the cheesecake:
Put a kettle of water on to boil.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone at medium speed until it is soft and creamy, about 4 minutes. With the mixer running, add the sugar and salt and continue to beat another 4 minutes or so, until the cream cheese mixture is light. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one by one, beating for a full minute after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low and stir in the creme fraiche.
Put the foil-wrapped springform pan in a large roasting pan.
Give the batter a few stirs with a rubber spatula, and scrape it into the springform pan. The batter will reach the brim of the pan.
Spoon the raspberry topping over the top of the batter and give it a few swirls around with a knife. Be careful not to swirl too much.
Put the roasting pan in the oven and pour enough boiling water into the roaster to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, at which point the top will be browned (and perhaps cracked) and may have risen just a little above the rim of the pan. Turn off the oven and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon. Allow the cheesecake to sit in its water bath for another hour.
After 1 hour, carefully pull the setup out of the oven and lift the springform pan out of the roaster. Carefully remove the aluminum foil. Let the cheesecake come to room temperature on a cooling rack.
When the cake is cool, cover the top lightly and chill the cake for at least 4 hours, although overnight would be better.
To serve, remove the sides of the springform pan and set the cake, still on the pan's base, on a serving platter. Cut the cheesecake using a long, thin knife that has been run under hot water and lightly wiped. Keep warming the knife as you cut slices of the cake.
Enjoy!
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75 comments:
Oh my goodness! This looks incredible! Happy B-Day to your mom! What a perfect perfect birthday cake.
best birthday cake ever. seriously, this looks like it was made by either a well-oiled machine or a perfectionist. :)
Happy birthday to your mom! I wish her many more milestones to come, Susan!
And this cheesecake... Wow! My birthday is in November... ;)
Pure heaven for sure! Your mom is one lucky birthday girl. :)
oh my.. i'm sure your mom was in cheesecake heaven.. that cake lookes divine!
Good Morning... I will be definately making this one... Not only is Cheesecake one of my favorites but Raspberry too.. Just sounds like it is to die for.. YUMMO! Please wish your Mom HAppy Birthday for me...
Hugs,
Donna
Oh wow. This looks delcious. You are certainly excused from any TWD obligations for a birthday. It's the season for it. My Dad's birthday was Saturday (celebrated on Sunday).
Talk about a happy birthday! That cake looks amazing!
I don't think your mom could have found a better birthday cake...that is outstanding!
My husband will LOVE this!
What a gorgeous cheesecake!!
What a beautiful cake! It looks professionally done!
oh my, that crust is unbelievable! I much prefer a chocolate cookie crust to a graham cracker crust. And baking for mom sounds like a perfect excuse for missing TWD or anything really!
cheesecake is my favorite and this looks impossibly delish!! will you make it for my birthday too?! ;-)
Best wishes for mom and what are you waiting for, cut the cake...I'll eat a piece in 1/2 hr. to savour it.
Any way your mom will share a piece with me?
My eyeballs almost poped out when I saw that last picture!!! You are a dream daughter!
Is there any left? Can you PLEASE send me a slice? :) Looks absolutely decadent and worthy of a special birthday!
That is fabulously gorgeous. I'm not a baker, and if I manage to make something edible I'm always a bit surprised. If I made something that was edible AND gorgeous I think I would keel over from the shock.
Oh, sigh. Now THAT's what I call Oven Love.
Beautiful!
Oh, sigh. Now THAT's what I call Oven Love.
Beautiful!
Oh, that is creamy and dreamy. It looks amazing and I wish I had some right now.
Yum!!! That cheesecake looks so good. Lucky Mom!!!
Dang, I wish I had a daughter like you! I love the lattice you did with the chocolate - very classy touch, Susan!
That looks beautiful and decadent!
That's a beauty of a cheesecake--it looks very professional and very birthday-worthy....now I want cheesecake right now
Oh wow! You must have added a few dollars to your inheritance with this cheesecake!!!
Oh my, what a beautiful cheesecake.
Just one word: Gorgeous!
OMG! I want cheesecake soooo badly now. I am dying for it.
This looks and sounds utterly incredible! I can't wait to bake one of these bad boys for myself. What a lucky Mum!
Your cheesecake looks amazing, it is simply beautiful. I surly bet it tastes as good as it looks.
You knwo - I must say - you definitely didn't disappoint with this!
-DTW
www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com
Lucky MOM! ANd your pictures? Seriously, to die for!
Happy Birthday to your mom! and what a heavenly way to celebrate! :)
how lovely! looks super tasty! happy birthday mom! she's got a great daughter :)
I have to agree with your mom. I'd take a slice of that over regular cake and buttercream any day! Lovely.
Cheese cake is my absolute favorite dessert and yours looks yummy! I will have to try dorie's recipe.
Oh My Gosh!!! Have to try it - next special occasion.
This looks unbelieveably delicious! This must have been the best birthday cake ever. SO much better than the caramel peanut topped brownie cake. I hope your mom had a great birthday!
What a beautiful cheesecake for your mom, good job!
That looks phenomenal! Definitely something my dad would like, he loves chocolate and raspberry combos.
I know Mom wouldn't mind if I had a piece, it's so lovely..Happy Birthday!
wow susan! the cake is gorgeous!
i am still sad about the tainted dairy products here...it makes me cautious when thinking about baking...i used to use "meng niu" milk when i bake...i know i just used max 1/3 cup...but still...it's tainted. it's so unexpected...i just don't know how to be more careful anymore.
oppps, sorry for rambling. the cake looks gorgeous and i am sure my sous chef will go crazy over this.
Oh my GAWD. Your mom is no dummy. That looks like paradise!!
Your cake has everyone in the office licking my screen! That cake is the devil on a plate.
HOLY MOLY. Could this be any more beautiful!?? What a presentation, I can only IMAGINE how fabulous it must taste!
WOW... your mom must have been delighted to celebrate her b-day with this dessert! This cheesecake recipe is a terrific one (coincidentally, I made it a few mos ago for my friend's mom's b-day), and I really liked your suggestion on the raspberry swirl...must find this product.
If it were up to any of us, the birthday girl wouldn't have had a bite of her cheesecake without having to fight us for it. Looks delicious.
What a wonderful cheesecake. And your photos are fantastic. I'll have to try the recipe. My family loves cheesecake. Thank you for the great post.
Beautiful cake! And happy birthday mom!!!! (If this is what you do for birthdays, mine is coming up next month... in case you were wondering... :)
Your cheesecake looks fabulous...and I love raspberries. It looks so pretty with the chocolate. Hey, I was laughing when I saw your apple cake because the SAME THING happened to me last week. I LET IT COOL in the pan completely and it STILL broke apart. It had sealed itself to the bottom. It just can't be both of us....it HAS to be the cake!!!! LOL!!!
MMMM cheesecake. MMMMMMM
This looks gorgeous! Happy belated birthday to your Mom.
Wow, that looks amazing!
Happy belated birthday to your mom! What a great cheesecake to celebrate!
Congrats Susan for winning the Joust. Happy belated birthday to your mom and this cheesecake looks delicious.
Oh wow, this is great looking. I've never made cheesecake, but this inspires me.
It's a lovely lovely cake- a perfect birthday gesture.
Rasberries and chocolate are still one of my favourite combinations Susan:D
It's gorgeous! What a terrific birthday treat. I'm with Mom... cheesecake is my absolute favorite. I'd take it over chocolate cake any day!
Oh man.....that closeup shot makes me want to dig my finger in and eat it!
Oh my, good gracious does this ever look good! Hope you had a wonderful birthday celebration with Mom!
Absolutely beautiful cheesecake! I bet it was yummy, too!
HB Mom!
I'm a bit bored by all those brownie cakes, this is more up my street. Happy birthday to your mom!
Happy Birthday to your mom. Today is my mother's birthday as well. But, unlike you, I told the whole world how old she is on my blog today. 29 again.
Gorgeous cheesecake!
Looks beautiful and your description sounds very tempting. Yumm
AmyRuth
Happy Birthday to your Mom
This is simply gorgeous. And mascarpone? YUM.
BTW, my book (Sunday Night Football Cookbook) came--thank you thank you thank you!
That is a simply stunning looking cake!
this might be the best looking cheesecake i have ever seen! and the fact that it's got chocolate and raspberries is a definitely plus in my book :)
Happy birthday to your mom! My goodness, Susan, I think you've achieved cheesecake Nirvana with this one! Simply perfection!
Now THAT is a milestone cheesecake and a half! I could devour that right now and feel no shame! Hope that your mom had a terrific b-day :)
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made a variation on the theme for out dinner tonight. I gave linky love on my blog.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
your cheesecake loooks really really delicious.
Hi, i just made this cake yesterday.
i substituted the creme fraiche for sour cream. it worked fine.
the cake tasted delicious
thanks for the recipe
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