This cherry cheesecake is a moreish journey so worth taking - lusciously creamy, with juicy mouthfuls of cherry bits mingling with the cream cheese tang, just perfectly sweetened!
After the Cinnamon Cheesecake, this is by far my favorite. It is rich, yet the fresh fruit cuts through it, creating pockets of succulent, jammy pockets. Maybe that’s why it was half gone even before lunchtime, and I was all but ready to bake another one!
How to make cherry cheesecake?
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Bake the cheesecake crust
Always start with the crust because while it bakes, you can prep the filling.
- Crush Marie biscuits and combine them with melted butter using your hands till you have a damp, uniform crumb.
- Press the crumbs on the base of a spring bottom pan. Pack them tightly.
- Let the crust bake for ten minutes.
Make the cheesecake filling
- Using an electric beater, blend raw sugar with cream cheese. Ensure all your ingredients are at room temperature to get the texture right.
- One egg at a time, add in two eggs after the sugar-cheese mixture is smooth.
- Throw in some all-purpose flour to bind it all and vanilla extract and mix till you have a thick, silky batter.
- Toss the cherries with some flour and fold into the batter.
Bake the cherry cheesecake
Remember to always wrap foil tightly around the outside of the bottom edge to catch any leaks and avoid creating a mess in the oven.
- Pour the batter on top of the baked crust.
- Top with more cherry halves and bake.
- In about 50 to 60 minutes, when the cheesecake center is still wobbly, and the hue is barely golden, the cake is done.
- I highly recommend to chill overnight and then serve the next day.
Serving the cherry cheesecake
Without a blink, I would serve the cheesecake as is. It needs no dressing up or accompaniment. But some more cherries never hurt anyone. So, I made a lovely cherry sauce.
How to make cherry sauce?
The process is very similar to a fruit compote. You chop the cherries and cook them in a splash of water and sugar on low heat.
I added a shot of balsamic vinegar. The acidity and sour taste lend more structure and definition to the sauce. It potentiates flavors, allowing the sweetness of the cherries to stand out.
You can use lemon juice or even red wine, as I did for my chocolate hazelnut cheesecake, to the same effect.
When the fruit is cooked through, soft and bubbling in its juice, do a taste test. If it’s too sweet, add a touch of lemon juice. If it’s not sweet enough, sprinkle some sugar.
The sauce will be a bit watery. Stir in a slurry of cornstarch to thicken it. It will condense further as it cools.
Variations of the cherry cheesecake recipe
Fruit: If you don’t have fresh cherries, try any seasonal fruit – apricots, plums, peaches, or berries. Cut them into bite-size pieces and fold them in.
Biscuit base: Graham crackers are always a great choice for a cheesecake base. You can even use digestives or Oreos.
Sugar: I prefer to bake with raw sugar, but regular sugar will work well.
Eggless: I’ve baked quite a few eggless cheesecakes - saffron cardamom cheesecake, espresso cheesecake, cheesecake swirl brownie. Use any one of them for the recipe.
Pro tips for making cherry cheesecake
- To prevent cracks in the cake, turn off the oven when the cake is still wobbly with a springy center. Leave the cake inside the oven but with the door cracked open for at least 30 minutes.
- Let the cheesecake cool before you take it out of the cake pan. The center will fall a little. But that’s usual for cheesecakes and not a cause for worry.
- Always, I repeat, always chill a cheesecake overnight. It helps set the cake and gives a firmer consistency.
Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with others. That’s why I’m always eager to hear from you. So go right ahead & drop a comment or reach out on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook. I hope you love this cherry cheesecake as much as we do!
📖 Recipe
Cherry Cheesecake
Ingredients
Cheesecake Base
- 1.5 cup Marie biscuits, crushed
- 1/3 cup Butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 2 1/4 cups Cream cheese
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup All-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup Cream I use Amul cream
- 3/4 cup Cherries, pitted and halved Plus extra for topping
- 2 tsp All-purpose flour
Cherry Sauce
- 1/2 cup Cherries, pitted and halved
- 2 tsp Sugar
- 2 tsp Balsamic vinegar
- 4 tbsp Water
- 1 tsp Cornstarch + 2 tsp water
Instructions
Cheesecake Base
- Preheat your oven to 180C. Cover the bottom and sides of your 8" springform pan with aluminium foil.
- Combine the melted butter and crushed cookies in a small bowl. This mixture should have the consistency of wet sand.
- Press it down evenly at the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 160C while you're preparing for the filling.
Cheesecake Filling
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat until well incorporated.
- Mix in cream, flour, and vanilla extract. Whisk well until smooth.
- Toss the cherries withv2 tsp of flour and fold into the batter.
- Pour into the prepared crust. Place some extra chopped cherries on top if you wish.
- Carefully place in the oven and bake at 160C for 55-60 minutes. The top of the cake should look cooked and the center should be a bit wobbly. My cake took almost 55 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and slightly crack the door open and allow it to cool for 30 minutes.
- Let the cake cool on the countertop for another hour and then refrigerate for at least 10 hours for it to set completely. Remove carefully from the pan, place it on your serving plate.
- Spoon over the cherry sauce and top with a couple of mint leaves.
- Slice and enjoy!
Cherry Sauce
- Combine pitted and chopped cherries, sugar, balsamic vinegar, and water in a small saucepan.
- Cook on medium heat until the cherries are soft and cooked through.
- Make a slurry with cornstarch and water, add to the simmering sauce. Let it come to a boil and thicken. If the sauce seems too thick, you can add more water.
- Take it off the heat. Taste and adjust for sweetness. Cool completely.
Nutrition
Di Macca says
Just have to tell you Tasha that this is the best baked cheesecake recipe that I've ever come across. Picked a batch of cherries for it and the cake turned out divine. Love baked cheesecake but have always found them to be very temperamental when it comes to the baking time etc so hadn't made one for a very long time until I came across yours. Thank you for making the method so easy and straightforward which makes for hassle free baking. Have made 2 so far, your cherry and also a fresh apricot one as well in the last 2 weeks. Have some fresh marionberries that are going in next cake this weekend. Will also try out your choc/hazelnut recipe as that is my hubby's fave combination. Cheers Di
Natasha Minocha says
Thank you so much, Di, for this WONDERFUL feedback! Readers like you are a big part of why I love what I do. You make all the effort worth the while. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and truly appreciate your support. xx
Di Macca says
You are very welcome Tasha!! Forgot to mention that I made an almond meal base and subbed sugars with maple/rice syrup and also used g/free flour. Swirled homemade apricot jam through the batter mix as well.........absolutely divine. Your recipe is extremely adaptable and for someone who has an issue with so many ingredients esp when it comes to desserts, this is an absolute winner hands down......now i can enjoy cheesecake again. Thanks, and look forward to exploring your beautiful site for more happy baking. Di xx
dessert
Natasha Minocha says
This is amazing, Di! Thank you so much for sharing!I'm sure a lot of readers will also benefit from this. I'm very glad you could conveniently make this recipe according to your preferences. Big love
Mamta Chopra says
Dear Natasha, with Annya’s help, I attempted this glorious recipe yesterday. Super simple to follow with minimal ingredients and the cheesecake turned out divine! Thank you so much for this beautifully stated, fool-proof recipe! This cheesecake is the cherry bomb! ????
Highly recommend!!
Natasha Minocha says
Oh my goodness! I'm thrilled to hear from you, Mamta!
Your wonderful feedback is music to my ears. Really glad the cheesecake turned out well. Best of all, Annya is following your footsteps in the kitchen!
Lots of love and hugs
Bhavika says
This is stunning! Can't wait to try love fruit cheesecakes 🙂
Natasha Minocha says
So glad you like this, Bhavika! Thank you for following along.xoxo
Smitha Dsouza says
The day you posted this it caught my eye as it was visually appealing and plus it has cherries in it so I searched for cherries everywhere ,paid a bomb to get them and finally baked it I must say it was worth every penny😁, this is a keeper for sure and will make it every cherry season. I made a short crust pastry instead of the biscuit base wanted to try out with a different base Thankyou Natasha for sharing the recipe. I love your blog have tried a couple of your recipes from it too 🙂 Thankyou for all the efforts you put into your blog.
Natasha Minocha says
Wow Smitha!Cheesecake with shortcrust pastry sounds divine!
Thank you so much for your amazing feedback. So grateful for your support and love. Means so much to me. xoxo