Best Chilled Cranberry Cheesecake Recipes

CRANBERRY SWIRL CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap exterior of a 9-inch springform pan (including bottom) in a double layer of foil.
• Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground. Add butter and 2 tablespoons sugar; pulse until mixture has the texture of wet sand. Press firmly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until set and darkened slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool completely.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar in a slow, steady stream. Beat in salt and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed (do not overmix). Place springform pan in a large, shallow roasting pan. Pour filling into crust.
• Dollop cranberry sauce, 1 teaspoon at a time, over filling; swirl sauce into filling with a skewer or toothpick.
• Transfer roasting pan to oven. Carefully pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake until cake is set but still slightly wobbly in center, about 1 hour, 15 minutes.
• Carefully transfer springform pan to a wire rack; let cool completely. Refrigerate, uncovered, 6 hours, or loosely covered, up to 1 day. Before unmolding and slicing, run a knife around edge of cake.

CREAMY CHEESECAKE WITH CRANBERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• For the crust: Brush a 10-inch springform pan with some of the melted butter. Stir together the remaining butter with the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and 1 inch up the side of the pan. Use the back of a measuring cup or a drinking glass to pack the crust firmly and evenly into the edges of the pan. Bake until browned, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool completely, then set the pan on top of a large sheet of aluminum foil and wrap the foil around the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Place the pan on a baking sheet.
• For the filling: Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the sour cream, and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the cream and vanilla extract, and mix until just combined. Beat in the eggs one at time, beating the mixture after the last egg until just combined (take care not to overmix or the cake will turn into a souffle).
• Pour the filling in to the crust. Bake until the cheesecake is slightly golden and barely set in the middle when the pan is tapped, about 1 hour and 20 minutes (the cake might puff up slightly while in the oven, but that is okay; it will deflate as it cools). Turn off the oven, and leave the cake inside with the door shut for 1 hour. It will continue to set and color slightly in the oven.
• Run a thin knife or spatula around the cake to release it from the sides (this also helps reduce cracks in the top of the cake as it chills). Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• For the cranberry compote: Stir the sugar, dried cranberries and 1 cup water together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then add the fresh cranberries. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the fresh cranberries have burst and the sauce is slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the compote to a heat-safe bowl and let it cool slightly before covering the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerating until it is completely chilled. The cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools. (This can be made up to one day in advance.)
• For serving: Spread the cranberry compote in an even layer on top of the chilled cheesecake. The cheesecake will sink a bit in the center as it cools so it creates a perfect well for the cranberry compote. Run a thin knife or spatula between the cake and the sides again, then release the sides of the springform pan and remove the ring from the cheesecake base. Set the base on a cake platter, slice and serve.

CHEESECAKE WITH CRANBERRY GLAZE AND SUGARED CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
• Crush biscuits into crumbs using a food processor. Stir crumbs, butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt together to make the crust. Press into the bottom of the pan. Rinse food processor and set aside for the cranberry glaze.
• Bake crust in the preheated oven until firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Let crust cool while making the filling.
• Beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Add eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and orange zest. Mix until well combined, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Spoon batter over the crust.
• Bake until the filling is set but still soft in the center, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool cheesecake to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• While the cheesecake is cooling, combine 1/3 cup sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a bowl and cool for 10 minutes. Add cranberries and stir to coat with syrup.
• Refrigerate cheesecake and syrup-coated cranberries, 8 hours to overnight.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Drain the cranberries, then roll them in the sugar. Place the sugared cranberries on the prepared baking sheet and allow to dry, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• In the meantime, make the glaze. Combine cranberries, water, and sugar in a small saucepan. Simmer, crushing cranberries, until jammy, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly. Transfer to the food processor; add confectioners' sugar, orange juice, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Process until smooth.
• Strain cranberry glaze through a fine-mesh sieve and discard solids. Pour over the cheesecake and smooth across the top with a small offset spatula. Garnish with sugared cranberries.