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How about a baked cheesecake made with creamy white chocolate and mascarpone to impress your guests with next time you entertain? It’s got a ginger cookie base that compliments the cheesecake perfectly, and it looks incredible drizzled with raspberry coulis. The best thing is, it’s really easy to make!
A perfect dessert for a simple make ahead dinner
When I have guests for dinner, the one thing I don’t want to be doing is flapping around in the kitchen after my guests have arrived.
So my entertaining ‘winning formula’ is to choose dishes that can as much as possible be prepared in advance.
An example make ahead dinner includes these INCREDIBLE (honestly, they’re amazing!) crispy halloumi fries, which I pre-slice and roll in flour.
A perfect main course would be my Greek lemon chicken, which is so simple it’s almost ridiculous. It’s delicious and goes so, so, so well with this perfect Greek salad and tzatziki. You can pre-slice the potatoes, whisk up the marinade, pre-make the tzatziki, and assemble the salad ahead of time.
And then what better dessert to choose than a cheesecake? I’m pretty sure almost everyone likes it, don’t they? And actually you have to make it ahead – it needs to set in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
This is also a perfect easy dessert for a romantic Valentine’s day dinner!
Baked cheesecakes are easy to make!
I always used to think baked cheesecakes were tricky to make. But really, the trickiest part is knowing when it’s cooked, and letting it cool slowly so it doesn’t crack. Let’s face it, though, this isn’t exactly rocket science either!
And who cares if it does crack a bit, or the middle sinks a bit? Not me (not that I’m speaking from experience of course). One time when I made this, I broke my spring form pan and a bit of the cheesecake oozed out in the oven.
As a result the top of my finished cheesecake was by no means perfect, but I think it still looked pretty gorgeous when I served it.
Rustic rules!
Tips for the perfect baked cheesecake
I know that some people like to bake cheesecake in a bath of water to help it cook slowly and evenly. But I wanted to keep this recipe as simple as possible, so I don’t bother with that.
What I do do though is switch the oven off as soon as the cheesecake looks set around the edges but still a bit jiggly (like wobbly jelly) in the middle. Then I open the oven door slightly and let the cheesecake cool slowly – to avoid cracks.
How to make a raspberry coulis
Then while the cheesecake’s busy setting in the fridge, you make your raspberry coulis to pour over the top when you serve it. I know a ‘coulis’ sounds posh and difficult, but this is all you do to make it:
Step 1: Throw raspberries in a pan.
Step 2: Add a bit of icing sugar and lemon juice.
Step 3: Heat for a couple of minutes until the fruit starts to break down.
Step 4: Whizz up in a food processor with a few drizzles of water.
My inspiration for this recipe came from two sources: a similar Jamie Oliver cheesecake that Mr. Scrummy and I tasted in one of his restaurants, and a white chocolate baked cheesecake recipe by the lovely Mary Berry, food goddess extraordinaire in the UK.
I used mascarpone cheesecake like Jamie’s, and I also made my own base and raspberry topping. But essentially I (and you!) have Mary to thank for this deliciousness.
More easy make ahead desserts
- 6-ingredient gooey Swedish chocolate cake (kladdkaka)
- Easy Italian apple cake (torta di mele)
- 5 minute chocolate pots
- Chocolate malt cheesecake in a glass
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White chocolate baked cheesecake (with raspberry coulis)
Ingredients
For the base
- 7 ounces ginger cookies
- 5 tablespoons butter melted
For the cheesecake
- 10.5 ounces white chocolate
- 2 eggs
- 7 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 7 ounces cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 2/3 cup heavy / double cream
For the raspberry topping
- 10-11 ounces raspberries
- 1 tablespoon confectioners’ / icing sugar
- a couple of big squeezes of lemon juice
Instructions
For the base
- Line the base of a spring form pan (roughly 9 inches in diameter) with baking paper.
- Whizz the ginger cookies up in a food processor until they become fine crumbs. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then add the ginger cookie crumbs and stir until well combined.
- Tip the crumbs into the prepared pan and flatten down and push to the edges with the back of a metal spoon. Refrigerate for at least half an hour.
For the cheesecake
- Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 150C / 300F.
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave in 30-second bursts. Whisk the eggs into the mascarpone and cream cheeses with a hand-held whisk, then whisk in the cream and vanilla essence.
- Finally, gradually whisk in the white chocolate, then remove the cookie base from the fridge and pour the cheesecake mixture on top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the cheesecake is set around the edges but still jiggles in the middle like a jelly that hasn’t quite set.
- Switch the oven off and slightly open the door, but leave the cheesecake in to cool slowly. After about an hour, take the cheesecake out of the oven. When it’s cooled completely, cover it and put it in the fridge to set for at least four hours (preferably overnight).
For the raspberry coulis
- To make the raspberry coulis, heat half of the raspberries with the confectioners’ / icing sugar and the lemon juice until the raspberries start to bubble and break down (just a couple of minutes).
- Whizz the mixture in a food processor until smooth. Then whizz in a few drizzles of water until the raspberries are a pouring consistency. Pour into a jug ready for serving.
To serve
- Serve slices of the cheesecake straight from the fridge topped with three or four raspberries and raspberry coulis.
Julie Morris says
I made this for a dinner party to celebrate the end of lockdown here in Italy. It was surprisingly simple to make, totally yummy and made me look like a baking pro.
Thanks Helen
Helen says
Hi Julie! Ooohhh this makes me so happy – thank you so much for letting me know! My favourite kinds of recipes are ones that make you look like a baking goddess, but really you just chucked a few ingredients into the oven in about 5 minutes 😉 If you liked this recipe you might also enjoy my ginger and white chocolate cheesecake. It’s a Wagamama copycat but just as easy and impressive!
Jackie Cleaver says
Does this freeze. We are in lockdown here and it would be nice to have a slice when needed as there are just two of us and we can’t mix with other people.
Helen says
Hi Jackie! Yes, it freezes beautifully! Great idea to have some treats stashed away in the freezer during this bizarre time. There’s another cheesecake recipe that freezes well on the blog (ginger and white chocolate) if you’d like to give that one a go in the future too. All the best!
Lauren says
Made this cheesecake for the family twice and it was all finished up and got lots of complements, thank you for your recipe!
Helen says
Hi Lauren. Thank you so much for taking the time to pass by and let me know. These kinds of comments make my day! 🙂
Amy | Foodetcaetera says
Your cheesecake looks like perfection!!!!
Helen says
Thank you Amy! 🙂
Nancy | Plus Ate Six says
I’ve never met a cheesecake I don’t like but I’ve never met a white chocolate one and this one sounds and looks divine. I bet your neighbour was happy you went and knocked on his door!
Helen says
Thanks Nancy! What I like is that you don’t have to add any extra sugar – adding the white chocolate makes it sweet enough.
Marissa says
I absolutely agree – I love to do 99% of the cooking in advance when we’re having people over. When the host is in the kitchen the whole time no one has fun – including the host! 🙂 Not just a fabulous cheesecake (mascarpone? yes please!), but the whole menu looks amazing.
Helen says
Thank you, Marissa! I make this particular all the time – always goes down well 🙂
[email protected] says
I am loving everything about this cheesecake and the ginger cookie base sounds yummy. I need to try this recipe.
Helen says
Really hope you do, Janette! It’s divine!
Bam's Kitchen says
I would love a bite.. who is kidding who… maybe more like a few peices just to assess for quality assurance wink wink.:) I am also just loving those delicate pink plates. You have an amazingly gentle and sweet neighborhood and hoping the rest of your dinner party went off without a hitch.
Helen says
Thank you so much, Bam! If you lived closer, you could have plenty of pieces… just for quality control, of course!
Eva says
Ton cheese cake pareil très bon. Jaime bien l’idée de mettre du mascarpone en lieu de philadelphia. J’adore tes assiettes 😉
Helen says
Merci Eva! Moi aussi j’adore l’assiette rose! 🙂
Marlene says
Yum, Helen! This sounds divine. White chocolate and raspberries–what could be better? I may try this as mini cheesecakes for my duaghter’s baby shower next month, using your caramel minis as a guide. Or just make the caramel ones!
Helen says
Oh, please do, Marlene! I’m sure this would work as mini cheesecakes – you might just have to adjust the cooking time a little. I’m sure it’ll work out great if you follow the caramel cheesecake recipe, as you say!
Shashi @ RunninSrilankan says
Helen, Rustic rules indeed! But your cheesecake looks perfect to me! Gosh so perfect I wish I had a slice for a midmorning snack – if only I was your neighbor and could get a knock on my door eh?! :)Jamie Oliver and Mary Berry are 2 of my favs – and I so gotta try this – what a gorgeous first attempt! Thanks for the tip about keeping the oven cracked a bit after turning it off so the cheesecake cools slowly – I’ve always ended up with a cracked one and cannot wait to try this tip!
Helen says
If you were my neighbour, Shashi, you’d be getting plenty of knocks on the door, because I’m sure there would be beautiful smells coming from your kitchen every day! 🙂
Kathleen | Hapa Nom Nom says
An easy dessert for a dinner party?! Sign me up! So when it comes to entertaining, I spend all day cooking, cleaning, making sure everything is just so. I drive myself crazy, but I think I secretly love it 😉 That being said, by the time I’m done putting dinner together, I have zero energy for dessert! This cheesecake is perfect for me, easy to put together and completely delicious and gorgeous! 🙂
Helen says
I know, Kathleen! Isn’t it a shame entertaining’s so exhausting, as I do love experimenting with all that gorgeous food.
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
Cheese cake is always such a great dessert to make for a dinner party, isn’t it! This looks so lovely and fresh, and perfect for summer.
Helen says
Yes, absolutely perfect!! Making another one of these this weekend 🙂