Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe

Make crumble dough

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a mixing bowl combine flour, almond meal, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt. Rub in the cold cubed butter using fingertips or a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-size pieces.

Form clusters

Whisk the egg white briefly to loosen. Drizzle egg white over the crumb mix and toss lightly until some clusters form—do not overmix. Fold in toasted slivered almonds if using.

Bake crumble

Spread crumble on a parchment-lined baking sheet in an even layer. Bake 18–22 minutes, stirring once at 10 minutes, until golden and crunchy. Cool completely on the sheet. Reserve about 60 g of the crumble to press into the cheesecake base; keep the rest for topping.

Press base

Line a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan with parchment on the bottom. Press the reserved 60 g of crumble evenly into the pan bottom to form a thin base. Chill in refrigerator while preparing filling.

Prep ingredients & oven

Reduce oven to 325°F (160°C). Place a roasting pan or kettle of hot water on a lower rack to create a humid environment (optional). Remove cream cheese from fridge and cut into cubes so it softens slightly for smooth mixing.

Beat cream cheese and sugar

In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and 200 g granulated sugar on medium speed until very smooth, about 2–3 minutes, scraping the bowl frequently to avoid lumps.

Incorporate eggs

With mixer on low, add egg yolks one at a time, then add the whole eggs, mixing until just incorporated. Do not whip in excess air—mix until homogeneous.

Add sour cream and flavor

Fold in sour cream, vanilla extract and lemon zest on low speed until smooth. Sift in cornstarch and mix briefly to combine.

Marmalade the raspberry purée

Warm the 300 g raspberry purée gently in a small saucepan over low heat for 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk 2–3 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into the purée to temper and create a homogenous, slightly thickened pink purée.

Combine and swirl

Add the tempered raspberry purée to the cream cheese batter and fold gently to create an overall marbled/pink filling. For a fully pink cheesecake stir to incorporate completely; for a marbled effect fold a few strokes so streaks remain.

Fill pan

Pour filling over the chilled crumble base and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Tap the pan gently on the counter to release large air bubbles. Wrap the outside of the springform pan with aluminum foil if you will use a water bath.

Bake

Place cheesecake in the oven (in water bath if using). Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 50–65 minutes until edges are set and center still slightly jiggly (about 3–4 cm). Turn off oven and leave the door ajar; let cheesecake cool inside for 1 hour to reduce cracking.

Chill

Remove cheesecake from oven and water bath. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate uncovered for at least 6 hours or overnight until fully set.

Bloom gelatin

Sprinkle gelatin over 30 ml cold water in a small bowl and let bloom for 5 minutes.

Warm purée and sugar

In a small saucepan combine 150 g raspberry purée, 40 g sugar and lemon juice. Warm over low heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot but not boiling.

Add gelatin & cool

Stir the bloomed gelatin into the warm raspberry purée until completely dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm (about 25–30°C) so it will set gently on the chilled cheesecake without running.

Glaze cheesecake

Remove chilled cheesecake from springform and place on serving plate. Pour the cooled glaze over the top, spreading gently to the edges. Return to refrigerator to set 30–45 minutes.

Decorate with crumble

Scatter reserved almond crumble clusters over the glazed surface (or around the base) just before serving for texture contrast.

Prepare baking surface

Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper lightly sprayed with vegetable oil. Have a thin metal spatula or offset spatula ready to lift the opaline.

Make caramel

In a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine 150 g granulated sugar and 15 g corn syrup. Stir gently until sugar dissolves and then let mixture simmer without stirring until it turns a deep amber color (watch carefully—can burn quickly).

Add sesame & spread

Remove pan from heat. Immediately stir in the ground toasted black sesame and 10 g melted butter until uniform. Working quickly, pour a thin layer of the hot caramel-sesame mixture onto prepared sheet and spread with the spatula as thin as possible into an even film — the thinner it is, the more brittle and translucent (opaline) it will be.

Cool and break

Allow the opaline to cool completely (2–5 minutes). Once set and brittle, carefully lift and break into decorative shards. Store in an airtight container at room temperature; if humidity is high, keep in the fridge briefly before serving so it doesn't soften.

Finish plating

Just before serving, press one or two opaline shards into the top of the glazed cheesecake for height and contrast. Use additional crumble and fresh raspberries if desired.