Pastry Chef Sumi Saito,
Prairie Ink Cafe
This not-too-sweet cheesecake is a hit with its berry zing. For sparkle, sprinkle the top with luster dust available at cake supply stores.
Ingredients
Crust
2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
Filling
1 kg cream cheese
1 1/4 cups sugar
7 large eggs
1 cup raspberry purée
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raspberries
Ganache
185 g dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup 35% cream
Garnish
fresh raspberries
white chocolate, melted
mint
Method
Crust
- Line the bottom and sides of a 10″ springform pan with parchment paper.
- Combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press into the bottom of the pan, firmly, creating an even layer. Chill.
Filling
- Heat oven to 275˚F.
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until soft and creamy, scraping bowl well.
- Add sugar, beat well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Slowly add eggs while mixing.
- Add raspberry purée and vanilla. Mix until incorporated.
- Pour batter into pan. Sprinkle fresh raspberries evenly over top.
- Place cheesecake pan into a pan filled with 1″ of water. Bake in water bath 1 hour 20 min or until almost set—the middle of the cheesecake will still ripple a bit when you tap the outside of the pan.
- Turn off oven and leave cheesecake in for an additional 20-30 min or until the middle is set or starting to crack. Let cool 30 min on counter, then in fridge overnight.
Ganache
- In a small saucepan, heat cream over medium heat to just under boiling point. If it boils, let it cool a few minutes.
- Pour over chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap for 5 min.
- Stir until chocolate is melted and ganache is smooth.
Yields one 10″ cheesecake
