Lemon Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A tall, creamy New York-style cheesecake perfumed with lemon zest and marbled with a bright raspberry puree, baked gently in a water bath for a crack-free top. Finished with fresh berries and softly whipped cream, it's the kind of dessert that shows up on a $38 restaurant dessert menu — and it's entirely doable on a Saturday afternoon at home.

Ingredients

• 10 oz fresh or frozen raspberries
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp water

• 10 full sheets graham crackers (about 1 1/2 cups crumbs)
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

• 32 oz full-fat cream cheese (4 blocks), room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3 tbsp finely grated lemon zest (from about 3 large lemons)
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
• 2/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature

• 1 cup heavy cream, cold
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 oz fresh raspberries
• 1 tsp lemon zest, for garnish

Instructions

1. Make the raspberry swirl first so it can cool completely. Combine the raspberries, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, mashing with a spoon, until the berries collapse into a loose sauce. Stir the cornstarch and water together, add to the pan, and simmer 1 minute more until glossy and slightly thickened.
2. Press the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, scraping the underside of the sieve to get everything through; discard the seeds. You should have about 1/2 cup of thick puree. Refrigerate until cool, at least 30 minutes.
3. Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the lower third. Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan in two layers of heavy-duty foil, pressing tightly up the sides so no water can seep in. Lightly butter the inside.
4. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor to fine crumbs (or crush in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin). Mix with 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the melted butter until the texture of wet sand. Press firmly into the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of the pan, using a flat-bottomed glass to compact it. Bake 10 minutes, then cool on a rack. Reduce the oven to 325°F.
5. Beat the room-temperature cream cheese in a stand mixer with the paddle on medium-low for 2 minutes, until completely smooth with no lumps. Scrape the bowl and paddle thoroughly — lumps at this stage will never disappear.
6. Add the 1 1/3 cups sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and beat on medium-low 1 minute. Scrape down. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla and mix 30 seconds.
7. On low speed, add the eggs and yolk one at a time, mixing just until each disappears, about 15 seconds each. Scrape the bowl, then add the sour cream and 1/3 cup heavy cream and mix on low just until uniform. Do not whip air into the batter — bubbles cause cracks and a soufflé-like rise.
8. Pour about two-thirds of the batter over the cooled crust. Dollop half the raspberry puree in teaspoon-sized spots across the surface. Add the remaining batter, smooth the top, then dot with the rest of the puree. Drag a butter knife or skewer through the dollops in slow figure-eights, 6 to 8 passes only, to create ribbons rather than pink batter.
9. Set the wrapped pan in a large roasting pan and pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes 1 inch up the sides. Bake at 325°F for 75 to 85 minutes, until the outer 2 inches are set and puffed and the center 3 inches still jiggle as one soft unit when nudged. An instant-read thermometer 1 inch from the center should read 150°F.
10. Turn the oven off, crack the door open a few inches, and let the cheesecake sit in the cooling oven for 1 hour. Remove from the water bath, peel off the foil, and run a thin knife around the edge to release the cake from the pan sides. Cool on a rack to room temperature, about 2 hours.
11. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. The texture goes from soft to sliceable and dense during this rest.
12. Just before serving, whip the cold 1 cup heavy cream with the powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla to soft peaks. Unclasp the springform ring. Slice the cheesecake with a long knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean between every cut. Top slices with whipped cream, fresh raspberries, and a scatter of lemon zest.
13. For a clean plate-up, warm a spoonful of any leftover raspberry puree with a teaspoon of water and streak it under each slice.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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