Raspberry Swirled Lemon Cheesecake with lemon slices as decoration on top

Overview

Cheesecake is my husbands all time favorite meal. Chocolate chip cheesecake to be exact. And yes, I said favorite meal. That is always his answer when asked what his favorite meal is. One of the many reasons why I love him so much.

We have gone to New York together twice and both times cheesecake is high on the must eat list. The cheesecake from Carnegie Deli has been both of our favorites. There is just something about the texture, the tanginess, and that delicious sugar cookie crust. It is just perfect.

A slice of Raspberry Swirled Lemon Cheesecake

After visiting New York a few weeks ago and indulging in the amazing cheesecake again, my husband said to me very seriously, “You HAVE to learn how to make this.” And of course I told him that I would try.

I love it when people give me challenges revolving around food. But as it turns out, it didn’t even have to be challenging. I couldn’t believe it when I found the supposed actual recipe on Carnegie Deli’s website.

A slice of Raspberry Swirled Lemon Cheesecake

One day I will make it exactly as is, but yesterday I decided to use it as the base for a raspberry lemon adaptation. It turned out fantastic. I much prefer this to the chocolate chip version.

Sorry Mr. BB, but this is far superior. I guess it is my love for lemon and berries, especially in the summer.  Perfectly tart and creamy with that buttery sugar cookie crust to balance it all out. It is dangerous having this whole thing in my fridge! HELP!

Raspberry Swirled Lemon Cheesecake with lemon slices as decoration on top

MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like to try another creamy cheesecake recipe.

Raspberry Swirled Lemon Cheesecake with lemon slices as decoration on top
Yield: 10-12 servings

Raspberry Swirled Lemon Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 200 grams (7 ounces, about 2 cups once made into crumbs) graham crackers (or another type of crispy cookie like vanilla wafers, shortbread, or gingersnaps)
  • 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
  • 113 grams (½ cup, 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the Raspberry Swirl

  • 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
  • 2 TBSP sugar
  • splash of water

For the Lemon Cheesecake Filling

  • 470 grams (2 cups, 480 milliliters) heavy cream, very cold
  • 452 grams (2 cups, 16 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 80 grams (⅔ cup) powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest, about 1 whole lemon
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, about 1 whole lemon

Instructions

For the Crust

  1. Place the graham crackers (200 grams/ 7 ounces) into a food processor and pulse until you have cookie crumbs. Alternatively, you can place them in a zip top bag and use a rolling pin to roll back and forth over the cookies until they are crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a medium bowl. 
  2. Stir in the granulated sugar (50 grams/ ¼ cup) and the melted butter (113 grams/ ½ cup) until all of the crumbs are completely coated with butter.
  3. Firmly press the cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch (23 cm) springform pan or pie plate. The bottom of a glass or a measuring cup can be helpful to press the crumbs into an even layer.
  4. Place it in the refrigerator for about at least 10 minutes to firm up before filling.

For the Raspberry Swirl

  1. Combine the raspberries, sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the berries start breaking down and mixture starts to thicken. Use a wooden spoon to break up the berries while cooking.
  2. Pour the mixture through a strainer and set aside the raspberry syrup to cool.

For the Lemon Filling

  1. Place the cold heavy cream (470 grams/ 2 cups) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer. Begin whipping on medium speed until stiff peaks are formed. Set aside.
  2. In a separate bowl using a hand mixer, whip the room temperature cream cheese (452 grams, 2 cups) until soft and light. Add the powdered sugar (80 grams, ⅔ cup) vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), lemon zest (1 tablespoon), and lemon juice (3 tablespoons) and whip together until combined.
  3. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture using a rubber spatula.
  4. Pour the filling into the springform pan or pie plate and smooth out with a rubber spatula.
  5. Gently pour the raspberry sauce over the lemon filling and using a butter knife, swirl the 2 together.
  6. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to overnight before un-molding and slicing.

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