PERFECT Baked White Chocolate Cheesecake (With Raspberry Puree)
A deliciously creamy baked chocolate cheesecake made with white chocolate and mascarpone cheese. I always thought baked cheesecakes were difficult to make, but this couldn't be easier. Not too sweet, and perfect for making ahead. Top with raspberries and an easy raspberry coulis, and you'll be everyone's favorite person!
Line the base of a spring form pan (roughly 9 inches in diameter) with baking paper.
Crush the ginger cookies/biscuits in a food processor until they become fine crumbs. Alternatively, put the cookies into a large food bag, seal it and hit the bag with a rolling pin until you have fine crumbs.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then add the ginger cookie crumbs and stir until well combined.
Empty 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 300F/150C.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave in 20 to 30 second bursts until almost melted. Stir to melt completely. Alternatively, melt in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of boiling water (do not let the bowl touch the water).
Whisk the eggs into the softened mascarpone and cream cheeses with an electric hand-held whisk on a low speed, then whisk in the cream and vanilla essence. Only whisk until just well combined.
Gradually whisk in the white chocolate, again just until well combined.
Remove the cookie base from the fridge and pour the cheesecake mixture on top. Smooth out the top with a spatula or metal spoon.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or 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 inside the oven to cool slowly. After about an hour, take the cheesecake out of the oven. When it’s cooled completely (while still in the pan), cover it and put it in the fridge to set for at least four hours (preferably overnight).
For the raspberry puree/coulis
To make the raspberry puree, 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).
Pulse the mixture in a food processor until smooth. Then add a drizzle of water until the raspberries are the right consistency for pouring. Pour into a jug ready for serving.
To serve
Serve small slices of the cheesecake either at room temperature or straight from the fridge. Top with a few of the reserved raspberries and some of the raspberry puree.
Notes
Melting the white chocolate: Be careful not to overheat or get any moisture in the chocolate as you melt it. If it does 'seize up', you can try adding a tablespoon of hot water and whisking until smooth again.To melt 'well', simply heat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds at a time only. Stir well between each 'spurt' and only melt until 'almost' melted. Then stir well again until it melts completely by itself.Mixing the cheesecake mixture: Make sure the cream cheeses are softened a little so that they combine easily with the other ingredients. Only whisk until the ingredients are all well combined. You don't want to whisk too much air into the mixture.Variations: Top with sliced peaches instead of more fresh raspberries. Replace the raspberry puree with passionfruit pulp (either fresh or canned), blueberries or a fruit compote of your choice. Use milk or dark chocolate instead of white. Use a different type of cookie for the base, such as Oreos, Lotus Biscoff cookies, or Graham Crackers. Choose gluten free cookies for a completely gluten free dessert (since there's no other flour in the cheesecake).P.S. I wrote a separate article all about the 5-minute raspberry puree in this post. Check it out! This sauce is more versatile than you might think!