Monthly Recipe

Try this berry swirl cheesecake for Independence Day

Made and reviewed
by CHARLOTTE ANGELL
Rated by JON ANGELL For The Advocate

Berry Swirl Cheesecake

Gram Cracker Crust
1 ½ cups (180g) gram cracker crumbs (about 12-15 full-sheet gram crackers)
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, melted

Berry Swirls (Can use store bought jams, if you don’t want to make)
1 cup chopped strawberries fresh or frozen (130g)
1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen (143g)
4 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided (24.7g)

Cheesecake Filling
32 ounces (904g) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (180g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
3 large eggs, at room temperature

Whipped Cream Topping (optional)
1 ½ cups (150g) heavy cream, cold
2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions
Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position, and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Berry Puree: While the crust is baking, combine the chopped strawberries, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir consistently, breaking up the strawberries as you go, until the mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Repeat this with the blueberries. To make the purees smooth use an immersions blender (optional).

Crust: If you’re starting out with full gram crackers, use a food processor or blender to grind them into fine crumbs. Pour into a medium bowl and stir in sugar until combined, and then stir in melted butter, Mixture will be sandy. Try to smash/break up any large chunks. Pour into an ungreased 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan.

With medium pressure using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom and partly up the sides to make a compact crust. Do not pack down with heavy force because that makes the crust too hard. Simply pat down until the mixture is no longer crumbly; you can use the flat bottom of a small measuring cup to help smooth it all out if needed. Pre-bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the hot pan on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil (use a double layer for extra protection, if desired). You will wrap the foil around the pan in step 5. Allow the crust to slightly cool as you prepare the filling.

Filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar together on medium-high speed in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream and vanilla and then beat until fully combined. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed after each addition until just incorporated. After the final egg is incorporated into the batter, stop mixing. To help prevent the cheesecake from deflating and cracking, avoid over-mixing the batter as best you can.

Wrap the aluminum foil around the springform pan. (up the sides but not over into inside of pan)

Assemble the cheesecake: Pour about a 1/3 of the cheesecake batter into the crust (you can eyeball it; this doesn’t need to be exact). Add a few spoonfuls of each berry mixture. Pour the next 1/3 of the batter on tip and gently spread to the edges of the pan. Add more berries, just plopping spoonfuls of them onto the batter. Add the rest of the batter and then spoon on any more berries you might have left. Using a butter knife, carefully swirl the mixture.

Prepare the water bath: Boil a kettle of water. You need 1 inch of water in your roasting pan for the water bath, so make sure you boil enough. Place the wrapped springform pan inside of a large roasting pan. Carefully pour the hot water inside the roasting pan and place in the oven. (or you can place the roasting pan in the oven first, then pour the hot water in. Whichever is easier for you.)

Bake the cheesecake for 65-85 minutes or until the edges are set. Don’t get nervous if your cheesecake takes longer than this. When it’s done, the center of the cheesecake will slightly wobble if you gently shake the pan.

Cool and chill the cheesecake: Turn the oven off and open the oven door slightly. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven, door slightly ajar, as it cools down for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, then cool cheesecake completely at room temperature. Then, refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Whipped cream topping (optional): Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, brown sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Medium peaks are between soft/loose peaks and stiff peaks, are the perfect consistency for topping and piping on desserts.

Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan, then remove the rim. Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag and pipe a design on top.

Using a sharp knife, cut into slices for serving. For neat slices, wipe the knife clean and dip into warm water between each slice.

Cover and store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.