Raspberry Cheesecake for Beginners

My husband's birthday was in the recent past. His favorite cake is the Cheesecake! He absolutely loves cheesecake. So, I set about making a cheesecake for him. I have made "no-bake" cheesecake before and didn't quite like it. This time I wanted to make a cheesecake that is baked. At the recommendation of a close friend, I decided to follow a simple recipe from the wrapper of the Philadelphia cheese. The recipe was for a classic cheesecake. I modified it and transformed it into a raspberry cheesecake.The cheesecake was very simple and easy to make and the result was delicious!!

My colleagues loved it, but it was my husband who raised the bar. My husband, who is a man of few words, announced that this cake was as good as what you get in the stores!! For me, there is no higher compliment!!

The only downside of this cake is that you cannot make it in a rush.The advantage is that you can make it ahead of time and therefore is perfect for gatherings like birthdays, thanksgiving & holidays! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who celebrate it!!

Servings: makes one 10 inch cake ( 16-18 servings)

Prep time: 20minsCook time: 55 minsTotal time: 5 hours 45 mins (including refrigerating time)

Ingredients:

Cream cheese: 4 packages ( 8 oz/226 gms each) ( room temperature)
Sugar: 1 cup
Eggs: 4, large
Vanilla essence: 1 tsp

For the crust:
Graham cracker crumbs: 1 1/2 cups
Butter: 1/3 cup

For the topping:

Fresh raspberries: 1 cup
Pink fruit jelly: 1/4 cup( preferably something pink or red)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 325 deg F.

Mix the graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. You can use your hands or pulse it in a food processor.

Press it onto the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan. Keep aside.

In a bowl add the 4 packages of cream cheese, vanilla essence & 1 cup sugar. Beat well using a hand blender. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each egg, on low until just blended.

Pour over the crust in the springform pan.

Place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 50-55 mins or until the center is set. Leave it in the oven with the oven turned off and the door open for another 30 mins.

Take it out of the oven and let it cool down completely on the countertop ( around 2 hours).

While the cake is cooling, prepare the topping.

Rinse, drain and keep the raspberries in a bowl.

Heat the jelly in a saucepan on the stovetop until melted. Turn off the flame. Pour the melted jelly on the raspberries in the bowl.

Once the cake is cooled, release the edges of the cake from the pan gently using a spatula or a butter knife. Release the springform pan and keep the cake on a rack it serving plate/ cooling rack.

Arrange/pour the raspberries with the jelly on the Cheesecake.

Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or until serving.

Enjoy!!

Cooking made easy:

To slice the cheesecake easily, use a knife that has been dipped in warm water. Keep a bowl of warm water handy and dip the knife in warm water before cutting each slice.

Tip for healthy living:

To enjoy this cake without packing the pounds, make the serving portions small by making thinner slices. You will still enjoy the dessert, but guilt-free!