Creamy & Dreamy: The Irresistible White Chocolate & Raspberry Cheesecake

This raspberry and white chocolate baked cheesecake is something special. Tangy raspberries are swirled with a creamy, rich white chocolate. It's the perfect balance of fruity and creamy, tangy and rich. Pair that with a moreishly delicious cheesecake base and you've got a dessert that everyone will love!

I love making cheesecakes and this raspberry white chocolate cheesecake was spurred on by listening to an episode of Smartless the podcast with Sean Hayes, Jason Bateman and Will Arnett. Sean decided to make a white chocolate cheesecake because he had read white chocolate is the secret to a super rich and creamy cheesecake. He actually drove 1.5 hours to buy a Milky Bar white chocolate bar. Lucky for some of us, Milky Bar is easy to get but honestly any white chocolate bar will work beautifully in this cheesecake.

Tips for Making This White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

Baking: Always use a springform tin (20cms or 8 inches and 5cm/2 inches high). If your springform tin leaks (some do with age and getting bumped around) wrap two layers of foil around the base. In any case you should always place your springform tin on a baking tray so that any drips of butter (inevitable really) fall onto the tray and not the bottom of your oven. You want to bake the cheesecake low and slow and then cool the cheesecake in the oven that has been turned off. You do not need a water bath for this cheesecake as you are baking it in a low temperature oven. The cheesecake is ready when the top layer is set but the centre is still wobbly. It will firm up upon cooling.

Crust: I love using raw sugar for a crunchy texture to the cheesecake crust. It's my little secret (well not a secret any more). And I always use Biscoff cookies for my cheesecake base and I love the caramelised flavour and spice of Biscoff biscuits.

Filling: Always use full fat cream cheese for cheesecakes and make sure that the eggs and cream cheese are room temperature or even slightly warm. Also ensure that the white chocolate is melted completely and smooth. As long as the eggs, cream cheese and white chocolate are a similar temperature they will mix together perfectly. Mixing it by hand means les cracking but you have to catch all of the mixture, even the bits at the bottom of the bowl. Cornstarch or custard powder also helps to prevent the cheesecake from cracking.

Raspberry sauce: There's no need to use fresh raspberries for the sauce as these are expensive. Using frozen raspberries is absolutely fine for the sauce. Save the fresh raspberries for the decorations. I sometimes save some extra raspberry sauce to serve with the cheesecake

Decorations: White chocolate is best shaved when the chocolate is at room temperature and not cold from the fridge. Use a sharp paring knife and shave off little curls.

I know that this cake looks complicated but cheesecakes are a great make-ahead type of cake. They freeze beautifully and all you have to do is defrost that morning and decorate it before serving it. I always seem to have a cheesecake in the freezer for parties and events. There's ALWAYS cake in my freezer.

Over these holidays we went to a neighbourhood Christmas dinner which was hosted by our neighbours a food doors down. It was a last minute invite, as we were driving out a few nights before our neighbour Paulina ran out of her house and said that she didn't have either of our numbers and would we like to come along. It was the night of our Friendsmas but I said that if she didn't mind us arriving late with dessert we would love to come. It's nice to catch up with everyone and hear the neighbourhood gossip.

"Do you think our mortal enemy will be there?" I said to Mr NQN while we were getting ready to leave for the dinner. Our mortal enemy is the man who has just moved in opposite us. He has a huge house with a double garage and a driveway that fits two cars. But instead he loves parking in front of our house.

I know we don't own that space. But seriously, when his double driveway is empty and so is his garage, must he? Seriously?

It turns out he wasn't invited as he hasn't left the best impression on anyone else and another neighbour called him a w*nker while others rolled their eyes at his mention. I did meet an older gentleman George who lived in our street for decades but moved to another suburb but rents out his house. It turns out he and his wife have a great way of dealing with parking disputes. Our neighbour friend Tony told me that on the first week that he and his partner Bryan moved in, George's wife Angela knocked on their door with a plate of food. Smiling she welcomed the couple to the street. When Tony offered her a seat inside she took a seat at the table and looked straight at him. "Now let me explain to you the rules of parking in our street...". Nobody annoyed anyone else and the peaceful calm of the street was maintained.

Maybe our new neighbour just needs a cheesecake and a welcome chat haha ;)

So tell me Dear Reader, do you always have cake or something to bring along? Do you have parking disputes with your neighbours? Do you have any advice?

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time:

Cooking time:

Raspberry Sauce

• 250g/8.8ozs frozen raspberries
• 2 tablespoons water
• 4 tablespoons caster or superfine sugar

For Crust

• 200g/7ozs Biscoff cookies
• 75g/2.6ozs butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons raw sugar

For Filling

• 1 quantity raspberry sauce (see recipe above)
• 300g/10.6ozs white chocolate, melted and smooth
• 700g/1.5lbs cream cheese, full fat, room temperature
• 140g/5ozs caster or superfine sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons vanilla custard powder or cornflour/fine cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

To decorate

• 100g/3.5oz fresh raspberries
• 50g/1.7ozs shaved white chocolate
• Whipped cream (I recommend using stabilised cream, recipe here)

Step 1 - Line the base and sides of a 20cm/8 inch and 5cm/2 inch high springform round tin. Place the raspberries, water and sugar in a small saucepan and heat up. Simmer for 5 minutes and then strain the pips and reserve the sauce. Allow to cool while you do the rest.

Step 2 - Process the Biscoff cookies until very fine in texture. Mix with the melted butter and raw sugar and press into the base of the springform tin. Place in the freezer until needed.

Step 3 - Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler or in a microwave (50% power, 1 minute bursts stirring between each minute). Make sure the chocolate is very smooth and completely melted. In a mixer with a beater attachment beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add in eggs one at a time (I whisk them a little before adding each one in) and then stir in the white chocolate, custard powder or cornflour and vanilla and mix by hand until you get a smooth, consistent texture. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to catch it all.

Step 4 - Preheat oven to 140C/280F fan forced. Add 1/4 of the cream cheese mixture on top of the crumb base and then a quarter of the raspberry sauce and swirl and repeat finishing with a big swirl of the raspberry sauce on top. Bake for 1 hour and 10-15 minutes - it is ready when the centre is set but still wobbly when you jiggle it (it will firm up upon cooling). Then turn off the oven and allow it to cool in the oven. Cool completely and then refrigerate overnight.

Step 5 - Use a piping bag with a fluted tip to pipe whipped cream around the border and add raspberries and shaved white chocolate. Dust with icing sugar and serve.