Few people make cheesecake, because it has a reputation for being difficult to bake. The truth is, this crowd-pleaser is easy to prepare. The raspberry sauce and blueberries provide just the right fruity tartness - and a festive look.
Ingredients
CRUST
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
FILLING
- 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
TOPPING
- 1 pint fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 325ยบ F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with waxed paper.
- Put the graham cracker crumbs in a medium bowl. Add the butter and mix with a fork until evenly moistened. Press the mixture over the bottom and up 1 inch of the sides of the pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary. Beat in the sour cream until blended. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. Pour half of the batter into the pan.
- Put the jam and lemon juice in a small saucepan and warm over low heat, stirring often, until melted and smooth (about 4 minutes). Drizzle one fourth of the jam mixture in stripes over the batter in the pan. Spoon the remaining batter over the jam, then drizzle with 1/8 cup of jam. Reserve the last of the jam mixture to drizzle over the cheesecake.
- Swirl the batter gently with a thin knife to marbleize it slightly.
- Bake the cheesecake until firm around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center, 70 to 80 minutes. (Don't worry if your cheesecake cracks while baking or cooling.) Set the cake in the pan on a wire rack, run a knife along the inside edge to loosen the sides, and let it cool completely. Wrap the cake in plastic and chill it for at least 4 hours.
- Take the cake out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. Remove the pan sides and place the cake on a platter. Warm the remaining jam mixture until liquid, then drizzle it over the cheesecake. Serve with the fresh blueberries. Serves 12 to 16.
