Cranberry Cheesecake Recipe for the Fall Holidays
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Oct 22, 2021 • 5 min read
There’s nothing quite as comforting as a creamy, decadent cheesecake. This cranberry cheesecake recipe takes the classic to new heights with a gingerbread cookie crust and a jewellike sugared-cranberry topping.
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What Is Cranberry Cheesecake?
Cranberry cheesecake is a twist on a classic dessert made with a cream cheese filling, fruity topping, and a cookie crust. While traditional cheesecake is made with a graham cracker crust, this holiday version uses gingersnaps for a spicier base. Instead of a strawberry or cherry jam, canned cranberry sauce works as the vibrant red fruit component, adding zing and counteracting the sweetness of the cheesecake. In lieu of sour cream, crème fraîche adds richness to this decadent dessert. Sugared cranberries top the cake for an elegant finish.
What Are Sugared Cranberries?
Sugared cranberries are a lightly candied garnish made from fresh cranberries and caster sugar, which coats the cranberries and makes them look frosted and intriguing. Sugared cranberries use just two ingredients and require a few steps to perfect, but are worth the labor of love. Fresh cranberries are coated in sugar syrup, then strained and left to dry so the surface becomes slightly tacky, creating perfect conditions for rolling in sugar. Using caster (also called superfine) sugar adds an extra sparkle to the cranberries, and the fine texture is perfect for evenly coating the tart cranberries. If you can’t find this ingredient, granulated white sugar is a fine substitute.
5 Tips for Baking Cranberry Cheesecake
Here’s how to make the best, creamiest cheesecake at home.
- 1. Temper the ingredients. To ensure a smooth and creamy texture, make sure all of your ingredients for the cheesecake filling are at room temperature. If the cream cheese or eggs are too cold when mixing, the filling will remain chunky and you won’t attain that classic velvety texture.
- 2. Blind bake the crust. The textures at play in a cheesecake are part of what make it such a unique dessert. Since the cheesecake itself is baked at a lower temperature, the key to a crisp crust is blind baking it before filling to ensure a crunchy texture that will stay that way as the cake bakes.
- 3. Use a springform pan. A springform pan has removable sides, making the release and reveal of the cheesecake hassle-free. The last thing you want to do is flip this cake over, so make sure to have the right pan for the job.
- 4. Don’t skip the water bath. It may feel like an extra step, but the water bath, also known as a bain-marie, is a crucial technique for cooking the cheesecake filling. The steam keeps the air in the oven humid, creating an ideal environment for a velvety-smooth filling. It also ensures the top won’t crack or dry out as the dessert bakes.
- 5. Cool in stages. Drastic temperature changes will cause the cheesecake to crack on the surface and sink in the center. To avoid this, cool the cheesecake in the oven first by turning off the oven and propping open the oven door. Transfer the cheesecake to the countertop to cool fully, then chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours or overnight before serving.
Cranberry Cheesecake Recipe
makes
1 9-inch cheesecakeprep time
30 mintotal time
8 hr 15 mincook time
1 hr 45 minIngredients
For the crust:
For the filling:
For the topping:
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
Make the crust. Place the gingersnaps in the bowl of a food processor and pulse into crumbs. You should have about 1½ cups of crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a large bowl.
- 3
Pour the melted butter over the crumbs and add the sugar. Stir until well combined.
- 4
Press the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan and use a flat-surface tool, like a spatula or measuring cup, to press the crust into an even layer, working it about 1 inch or so up the sides of the pan and across the entire bottom.
- 5
Blind bake the crust for 15 minutes.
- 6
Remove crust from the oven and set aside, then reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 7
Wrap the bottom and sides of the outside of the springform pan in a layer of aluminum foil, and set in a high-sided roasting pan.
- 8
Make the filling. Using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and salt together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- 9
Add the crème fraîche and vanilla extract, and beat for another 2 minutes.
- 10
Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the eggs one at a time.
- 11
Once the final egg is just combined and the mixture looks uniform, stop mixing.
- 12
Pour the filling over the prepared crust.
- 13
Fill the roasting pan with hot tap water to a depth of one inch and carefully transfer the pan into the oven.
- 14
Bake the cheesecake until just set, about 65–70 minutes. The middle will jiggle very slightly but the sides should be fully cooked and set.
- 15
Turn the oven off and prop the door open.
- 16
Let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 30 minutes before transferring to the countertop to finish cooling.
- 17
Run a knife along the sides of the cheesecake and cool completely at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before topping.
- 18
Meanwhile, make the sugared cranberries. Bring the water and the granulated sugar to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- 19
Gently stir the cranberries into the cooled syrup, stirring until the cranberries are fully coated.
- 20
Remove the cranberries from the syrup with a slotted spoon and transfer to a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack.
- 21
Let the cranberry mixture dry until the surface of the cranberries is tacky, about 1 hour.
- 22
Pour caster sugar into a high-sided sheet tray or roasting pan, and roll the cranberries in the sugar until fully coated and sparkling with sugar.
- 23
Assemble the cheesecake. Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and transfer to a serving platter.
- 24
Slice the canned cranberry sauce into thin rounds and arrange in an even layer across the top of the cheesecake.
- 25
Shower the cheesecake with a light, even dusting or orange zest.
- 26
Carefully mound the sugared cranberries over the top of the cheesecake, starting in the center and working your way out to prevent them from tumbling off.
- 27
Slice carefully. Some sugared cranberries will roll away, so simply garnish the plate with the extras and serve.
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