The ideal dessert is a creamy almond cheesecake with handmade cherries on top, a graham cracker crust, and no pie filling.
Canned cherry pie filling is a common ingredient in Cherry Cheesecake recipes. This luscious Cherry Cheesecake, however, is unique. This recipe walks you through creating a handmade cherry topping rather than using a prepared topping. The berry combination is quick and simple to prepare on your stovetop, adding a far more enticing and fresh flavor to the indulgent dessert dish.
This is the ideal recipe for a real cheesecake flavor, especially when paired with handmade cherry pie filling. The basic cake recipe is a creamy, traditional cheesecake, with the addition of only a dash of almond extract for taste. It has a velvety texture and is sweet, rich, and zesty. In other words, any cheesecake lover’s dream comes true with this Cherry Cheesecake.
How to Make Cherry Cheesecake
- Prep Time: The oven should first be preheated at 350 degrees. Then, wrap a 9-inch springform pan in a sizable piece of foil, and prepare the water bath by pouring water into a sizable pan. It will be shielded from the water bath by the foil.
- Graham Cracker Crust: Crush the graham cracker sheets into large pieces to begin. The Graham Crackers can be broken on the counter or placed in a ziplock bag and processed in a food processor. When you have the crumbs, combine them in a big dish with 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 6 tablespoons melted butter. They should be well combined. Then pour the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan by 1 inch.
- Almond Cheesecake: Granulated sugar and cream cheese at room temperature should be added to your stand mixer. To make the cream cheese mixture smooth and airy, increase the speed of the electric mixer to medium-high. After adding the milk, mix everything together once more. One at a time, add the eggs to the cream cheese mixture; wait until each addition has been thoroughly incorporated before adding the next. The sour cream, flour, and almond essence are then added. Blend the batter well. Then, pour the creamy cheesecake mixture into the springform pan that has been prepared. Make careful to cover the crust with a uniform layer of cream filling. If required, you may smooth the surface with an offset spatula.
- Cooking Time:The pan should be placed in the water bath before going onto the center rack of the preheated oven. After an hour of baking, switch off the oven and slightly open the door. Keep the cheesecake in the oven for an hour to let some of the heat escape.
- Chilling Time: Remove the cheesecake from the oven when it has finished cooking. Remove the pan from the water bath with care, then throw away the foil. Overnight chill the almond cheesecake to allow the cheesecake filling to firm up.
- Cherry Topping:You may create the cherry topping the day before you serve the cheesecake. Set a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat in the stove. Cornstarch, water, white sugar, and cherries should all be added. The mixture has to thicken for 5-7 minutes after stirring the components together. As you cook, keep stirring often. Embrace the almond essence. The cherry topping should cool. Pour the cherry filling over the cheesecake center when you’re ready to serve it, spreading it out to the edge. Enjoy the Cherry Cheesecake by cutting it.
Key Ingredients
- Crust:Granulated sugar, melted butter, and graham crackers are all you need to make the traditional cheesecake crust. The ingredients are simple to mix to create a cheesecake base that is firm but buttery.
- Cream Cheese: Use softened cream cheese to make it easier to combine with the other ingredients in the batter. Additionally, you should use full-fat cream cheese because cheesecakes are supposed to be decadent.
- Sour Cream: To produce the creamiest cheesecake imaginable, a generous amount of sour cream is mixed into the cheesecake filling. Additionally, it adds a delectable tart flavor to balance the acidity of the cherries.
- Eggs: Whole eggs give the cheesecake an additional decadent and rich flavor, and they also aid in the batter’s ability to set into the cake’s famously smooth, thick custard filling. The eggs won’t curdle if you use a water bath.
- Almond extract: The sweet and tangy dish gets somewhat earthy and cozy nutty notes with the use of almond extract in the cheesecake batter and cherry topping. Cherry and almond have a flavour that pairs well together.
- Cherries: One pound of pitted, frozen cherries are used in the cherry topping recipe. They will slightly reduce in size in the pan as the cherry juice turns to syrup, leaving you with large pieces of cherries with a delicious glaze.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used to thicken the cherry topping’s syrup to the ideal consistency. You want it to be thick enough to adhere to the cheesecake while still being simple to pour and distribute on top.
Cherry Cheesecake: Can it be prepared in advance?
You may make the cheesecake batter and cherry topping in advance, then wait to bake the cheesecake portion. The batter may be prepared the day ahead, and the cherry topping can be stored in the fridge for about two to three days. The cheesecake layer may also be baked and frozen for up to three months.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs , 12 full crackers
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
Almond Cheesecake:
- 32 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 1/2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1/4 cup flour
Cherry Topping:
- 1 pound frozen cherries , pitted
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust:
- A 9-inch springform pan should be wrapped in a big piece of foil to protect it from the water bath and placed in a large pan of water before the oven is preheated to 350 degrees.
- Graham cracker crumbs, 13 cup sugar, and 6 tablespoons melted butter are combined, and the mixture is then pressed into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a springform pan.
Almond Cheesecake:
- In a stand mixer beat the cream cheese and sugar then add in the milk until combined.
- Add in the eggs one at a time until fully combined then add in the sour cream, vanilla and flour until combined before pouring into the springform pan.
- Pour filling into pan over the crust and spread evenly.
- Place the pan in the water bath and bake for 1 hour.
- Turn off the oven, open the door a couple inches to let the heat out gently and let cool for 1 hour.
- Remove from oven, discard the foil and refrigerate overnight before serving.
Cherry Topping:
- Place a medium pot on the stove on medium heat.
- Add the cherries, sugar, water and cornstarch to the pot and stir.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the almond extract.
- Let cool.
- Pour over the cheesecake when you’re ready to serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 375mg | Potassium: 279mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 816IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 169mg | Iron: 1mg