Cranberry Orange Cheesecake
The best homemade cheesecake you'll ever make. Incredibly light & airy Cranberry Orange Cheesecake is the perfect dessert for Christmas. Please follow the instructions EXACTLY!
Servings: 16 thin slices
Ingredients
for the crust
- 6 ounces graham crackers I used Honey Maid brand
- 1 1/4 cups walnuts
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter melted
for the cheesecake filling
- 1/2 pound cream cheese room temperature
- 8 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs yolks and egg whites separated at room temperature
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- zest of 1 orange finely grated
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
for the topping
- 8 ounces organic fresh cranberries I used Trader Joe's
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- zest of 1 orange finely grated
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
Make the crust
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a food processor, add all the ingredients for the crust.
- Pulse until a powdery mixture is formed.
- This is what you should have.
- Transfer the mixture to a springfoam pan lined with parchment paper shaped in a circle. Make sure you spray the bottom of the pan with butter or coconut oil, and then line with parchment paper.
- Using a cup measurement, pat the crust mixture down.
- Into the oven for 10 minutes.
- Your crust is done. Let it cool.
Make the cheesecake filling
- Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Let it preheat while you make the filling.
- Combine all the following ingredients in a food processor - cream cheese, ricotta cheese, sugar, 4 egg yolks (save the egg whites for later), heavy cream, zest of 1 orange, vanilla extract, and salt . Note: I accidentally added them to a large bowl.
- Pulse/Blend all the ingredients in the food processor.
- This is your filling. It should smooth.
- Now transfer the filling to a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until firm peaks form.
- Once the egg whites are done, transfer it to the filling bowl.
- FOLD, do not mix, FOLD the egg whites into the filling. This will help create a light cheesecake, and not dense.
- Pour the cheesecake filling into the springfoam pan with the crust.
- Tap down so everything is even. Smooth the mixture on top.
- Line a tray with foil paper. Place the cheesecake onto the tray and carefully place it into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees.
- Once done, raise the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Leave the cheesecake in there and let it continue baking. Bake the cheesecake for another 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown and the center is jiggly.
- Turn off the oven. Open the oven door and leave the cake in there for 3 hours. The center will fall slightly - that's okay.
- After 3 hours, cover the cheesecake with foil paper and place into the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and upto 24 hours.
Make the topping
- In a pot, combine all the ingredients for a topping and cook over medium heat. Stir occassionally.
- Cover with a lid.
- This is what you'll have after 5-7 minutes. Don't make the topping too sweet since we want the flavors to balance one another.
- Unmold the refrigerated cheesecake using a sharp knife.
- Carefully place the cheesecake onto a cake stand and carefully remove the springfoam pan bottom and parchment paper.
- Serve each cheesecake slice with the cranberry orange topping. Enjoy!
Notes
* The center of this cheesecake will be slightly soft and mushy, this is normal. This cheesecake is light & airy.
** This cheesecake is not New York Cheesecake because it's not dense, it's light and airy.
Nutrition
Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 586IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 1mg