Cheesecake with Cranberry Jewel Topping
Submitted by valrej
Cranberry cheesecake with a vanilla wafer crust and a glossy strained cranberry topping. Tart-sweet jewel finish over creamy filling, perfect for holiday tables.
YIELD
10 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
7 hrsCranberry-topped cheesecake earns its keep on the holiday table thanks to a strained, ruby-bright glaze that delivers all the tartness without the seedy chew of whole-berry sauce. The base is a buttery vanilla wafer crust pressed halfway up the springform sides, giving every slice a sturdy edge that holds up under the topping.
The filling stays classic: room-temperature cream cheese beaten with sugar, vanilla, and a splash of heavy cream for a softer, silkier set than a New York-style bake. Eggs go in last and only briefly, so you don’t whip air into the batter and crack the top.
For the topping, fresh or frozen cranberries simmer with sugar and concentrated cranberry juice, then get pushed through a sieve. The result is a smooth, jam-like glaze you spoon warm over the chilled cake so it sets into a glossy mirror finish.
Chef Tips
- Wrap the springform with foil before baking. It catches butter leaks from the crust and lets you do a water bath later if you want extra insurance against cracks.
- Bring the cream cheese fully to room temperature, otherwise you’ll fight lumps that no amount of mixing fixes.
- Pull the cake when the center still has a slight jiggle. It firms up as it chills overnight, which is when the texture really comes together.
- Press the cranberry mixture through the sieve hard with the back of a spoon. You want every bit of pulp, not just the juice.
Variations
- Swap vanilla wafers for gingersnaps in the crust for a spicier holiday angle.
- Add the zest of one orange to the topping while it simmers for a cranberry-orange twist.
- Garnish with sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs instead of whipped cream rosettes for a more rustic finish.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
CRUST:
Wrap the bottom and outsides of 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil.
Lightly butter inside of pan and set aside.
Combine cookie crumbs, sugar and butter.
Press mixture onto bottom and halfway up sides of prepared springform pan.
Bake for 10 minutes on center rack of preheated oven.
Set aside, but do not turn off oven.
FILLING:
Using electric mixer, blend together all ingredients.
Add eggs and mix just until well-combined.
Pour filling into prepared crust.
Bake until center is just set, about 50 minutes.
Refrigerate cake immediately, and leave until thoroughly chilled (at least 6 hours or overnight).
TOPPING:
Combine all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan.
Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
Bring to a boil and continue cooking for 3 minutes.
Strain mixture through a sieve set over a large bowl, pressing firmly with the back of a spoon to force as much of the liquid through sieve as possible.
Spoon warm topping evenly over cold cake.
Refrigerate until topping is set, at least 2 hours.
(Can be prepared 1 day before serving - store covered in refrigerator.)
To serve, pipe rosettes of whipped cream around edges of cake.
Garnish with whole cranberries.
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