Baked Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

Try this baked raspberry swirl cheesecake which comes together so quickly - just about 30 minutes of baking time. Simple ingredients, but extremely delicious- the best part? you can make it in advance. This is that perfect recipe that you will go back to once you try it! This recipe is a must-try - with the perfect thickness for the crust and just the right amount of cream cheese filling.

Jump to:

• ingredient rundown
• step by step instructions
• cooling and serving
• equipment/utensils needed
• how to make swirls on a cheesecake?
• best cream cheese to use?
• recipe variations
• tips to get the best results
• what to do if the cheesecake is stuck?
• inspiration for the recipe 🙂
• alternate measurements of the ingredients
• additional notes
• Baked Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Recipe

ingredient rundown

• graham crackers
• sugar
• butter
• cream cheese
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• lime
• raspberries

step by step instructions

Full recipe + measurements + video can be found in the recipe card below.

read the instructions carefully before you start preparing the cheesecake. With any baked goods, I highly recommend you follow the measurements by weight rather than by volume for best results.

Before you start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C)

The steps involved can be divided into four main sections:

1. Making the crust
2. Making the puree for the swirls
3. Making the filling
4. Assembling & bake

Making the crust

• Prepare the 9-inch springform pan - line with parchment paper.
• Crush the graham crackers. Mix all the ingredients listed in the crust section of the recipe card. Pour into the prepared tin and press down firmly.

Making the puree for the swirls

Once our crust is ready we make the raspberry puree. This is a quick one where we microwave the frozen raspberries and sieve the liquid to remove the seeds to give us red raspberry puree.

• Mix all the ingredients listed in the raspberry puree section in a microwave safe bowl
• Microwave on HIGH in bursts of 30 seconds for about minute or minute and half.
• Sieve to remove seeds. Let it cool while we make the cheesecake filling.

Making the filling

Now we come to the creamy cheesecake filling. We use cream cheese & eggs at room temperature and sugar to make the sweet, tangy, and creamy cheesecake filling. It is an explosion of flavors in every bite.

• Whisk together sugar and cream cheese.
• Add eggs, Vanilla essence, lime rind and beat again until creamy.

Assemble and bake

We have all the individual pieces of the cheesecake ready - the crust, filling, and puree. We have already preheated the oven. Now, all we have left to do is assemble and bake the raspberry-swirled cheesecake.

• place the springform pan on a baking tray (this protects the underside of the crust from overbaking).
• pour the filling on top of the crust.
• drop spoonfuls of raspberry puree on top of the filling.
• make swirls using a toothpick or skewer.
• bake for 30 minutes

cooling and serving

This cheesecake needs to be cooled to room temperature and then covered and chilled in the refrigerator.

I usually chill the cake for at least 4-5 hours or overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

cut into wedges and serve. Since we have swirls for garnish, I do not add any other additional garnishes. But if you like, you can serve some berries or any other fresh fruit of your choice.

equipment/utensils needed

• 9-inch springform pan
• baking sheet (optional, but preferred)
• small bowl to mix the crust ingredients
• large bowl to make the cream cheese filling
• hand mixer
• microwave safe bowl to make the raspberry puree
• spatula, small teaspoon
• skewer, toothpick or paring knife - to make the swirls
• weighing scale, measuring cups and spoons
• parchment paper
• scissors
• Aluminum foil to cover the cheese while refrigerating

how to make swirls on a cheesecake?

Here we are using the raspberry puree to make swirls to decorate the cheesecake. Make the raspberry as directed in the recipe. Drop spoonfuls of raspberry puree onto the cheesecake filling. You can use a toothpick, skewer, or a paring knife to gently make swirls on the cheesecake.

Make sure that you do not go too deep into the filling that the skewer or toothpick or knife you are using disturbs the crust.

best cream cheese to use?

Here in the US, my favorite cream cheese is the Philadelphia brand (this is not a sponsored post - just sharing my favorite brand). I L-O-V-E the raspberry swirl cheesecake using Philadelphia cream cheese.

My friend Sherin shared a couple of Indian brands that are available.- Britannia, Mooz, and La Cremella.

recipe variations

• Skip making the swirls. Double or triple the quantity of raspberry puree and serve with the cheesecake slice as a topping.
• You can use seedless raspberry or strawberry jam (approximately ¼ cup) to make the swirls. Make swirls as described earlier. If the jam is thick, microwave it for 30 seconds. Cool before you use it. The color of the swirls dulled after the bake-chilling process for me when I used the seedless jam.
• You can make a mixed berry swirl cheesecake if you use mixed berries to make the puree.

tips to get the best results

here are few tips you can keep in mind to get the best results while making this marbled cheesecake.

• make sure the eggs and cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature to avoid a lumpy filling. This is crucial.
• If you like baking, invest in a small kitchen weighing scale. This helps to measure the ingredients correctly and the final baked goodies will be of high quality.
• make sure that you do not go too deep into the filling that the skewer or toothpick or knife you are using while making the swirls. If you go too deep, that might scrape the top of the graham cracker crust.
• line your cheesecake tin with parchment paper to ensure that you can remove the cheesecake easily. I apply a little butter before placing the parchment paper (as shown in the video) to keep the parchment paper in place.
• Use a springform pan to make it easy to remove the cheesecake. This recipe is for a 9-inch cheesecake.
• I have never had a cracked top with this cheesecake. if by chance the top of the cheesecake cracks for you, top it with fresh fruits and whipped cream. :).
• the total bake time is just 30 minutes making it such an easy recipe. Keep an eye out at around 20 minutes into baking. If you see, the top of the cheesecake browning a little too much, use a crust shield - Aluminium foil - to protect the crust from browning too much.
• place the springform pan on a baking sheet. this will prevent the base of the crust from over baking.
• the center of the cheesecake will be slightly wobbly fresh out of the oven. As long as a digital thermometer will read between 165 degrees F and 170 degrees F when the cheesecake is ready.

what to do if the cheesecake is stuck?

the main reason we are lining the springform pan is to remove the sides easily which helps in the removal of the cheesecake without breaking. We are also lining the springform tin with parchment paper is to make it easy to remove the cheesecake from the tin. Use a strip of parchment paper slightly taller than the final cake.

if you are worried about the filling leaking out of the springform pan, keep the parchment paper lining slightly larger than the base of the springform pan.

do not remove the cheesecake from the pan right out of the oven. Cool it on a rack, chill it in the refrigerator before removing the side of the pan and ultimately removing it from the tin.

if you want to transfer to a serving dish, use the edge of the parchment paper to slide it onto the serving dish.

in case the cheesecake is stuck to the parchment paper on the side, run a sharp knife along the edge before you remove the springform pan and then the parchment paper.

inspiration for the recipe 🙂

one of my favorite desserts is a cheesecake. I love this recipe for a baked cheesecake. According to me, this cheesecake version has the right thickness for the crust and the right amount of sweet and tangy cheesecake filling.

this cheesecake is adapted from a King Arthur baking recipe.

I like this one mainly because it is super simple to prepare - ready in approximately 45 minutes (including the prep time & cooking time), is a foolproof recipe. I have made it several times and it has never failed me. I like the proportion of the cheesecake filling and the crust thickness ratio (if there is such a thing :)).

changes I made

I have adjusted the quantities slightly to make a round figure for e.g if the measurement was for 74 grams of butter, I have rounded it to 75 grams. I love the citrusy kick in the cheesecake filling, hence I used a rind of lime. I used granulated sugar to make the crust.

alternate measurements of the ingredients

I understand not all of you will have a kitchen weighing scale at home. So, here are the alternate measurements for the ingredients. The volume measurement is approximations. for best results measure the ingredients by weight rather than by volume.

1 cup = 240ML

Crust

• 130 grams graham cracker crumbs - 9 to 10 whole graham crackers, crushed | 1½ cups
• 30 grams granulated sugar - ⅛  cup
• 75 grams butter, melted - approximately 6 tablespoon

Puree

• 50 grams frozen raspberries - approximately ½ cup

Filling

• 452 grams cream cheese - two 8-ounce packages
• 150 grams granulated sugar - approximately  ¾ cup
• 2 eggs - each egg weighed about 50-60 grams

additional notes

• 1 CUP = 240 ML. (Indian cups are typically 250 ml. You can use Indian cups with no significant change to the dish). If you can weigh the ingredients rather than measure by volume, you will get the best results.
• 1 TEASPOON = 5ML; 1 TABLESPOON= 15 ML
• make sure the eggs and cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature to avoid a lumpy filling. This is crucial.
• make sure that you do not go too deep into the filling that the skewer or toothpick or knife you are using while making the swirls. If you go too deep, that might scrape the top of the graham cracker crust.
• line your cheesecake tin with parchment paper to ensure that you can remove the cheesecake easily. I apply a little butter before placing the parchment paper (as shown in the video) to keep the parchment paper in place.
• the total bake time is just 30 minutes making it such an easy recipe. Keep an eye out at around 20 minutes into baking. If you see, the top of the cheesecake browning a little too much, use a crust shield - Aluminium foil - to protect the crust from browning too much.
• place the springform pan on a baking sheet. this will prevent the base of the crust from over baking.
• do not remove the cheesecake from the pan right out of the oven. Cool it on a rack, chill it in the refrigerator before removing the side of the pan and ultimately removing it from the tin.
• in case the cheesecake is stuck to the parchment paper on the side, run a sharp knife along the edge before you remove the springform pan and then the parchment paper.

This cheesecake is adapted from a King arthur baking recipe.