1. I do NOT like cheesecake.
2. My husband LOVES cheesecake.
So since I am all about trying new recipes AND because I love my husband so much, I tried out a new cheesecake recipe for his birthday last weekend. Thankfully, those that eat cheesecake seemed to enjoy these and I hope you do too!
*Note* Please do not be intimidated by the instructions. It may look like a lot but it's fairly simple. I promise you can do it!
Ingredients:
For the crust:
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tbsp. sugar
For the raspberry swirl:
- 6 oz. fresh raspberries
- 2 tbsp. sugar
For the filling:
- 2 lbs. cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1½ cups sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 325˚ F.
- Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
- In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar. Stir together with a fork until well blended and all the dry ingredients are moistened.
- Press 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner. I used the bottom of a glass to push the graham cracker down.
- Bake until just set, 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.
- To make the raspberry puree, combine the raspberries and sugar in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth, then pour through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.
- To make the cheesecake, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy. Blend in the sugar until smooth. Mix in the salt and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- To assemble, spoon 3 tablespoons of the cheesecake batter over the crust in each cupcake liner.
- Dot a ½ teaspoon of the raspberry puree in a few dots over the cheesecake filling. Use a toothpick or a wooden skewer to lightly swirl and create a marbled effect.
- Bake until the filling is set, about 22 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.
- Let cool to room temperature.
- Transfer to the refrigerator and let chill for at least 4 hours before serving. *I placed some cling wrap lightly on top and kept them in the cupcake tins for refrigeration.
Enjoy!
