Hello, gorgeous!
Seriously, is there anything more elegant than white chocolate? Or cheesecake? And how about a shout out to the cranberry? It’s not just meant to be a weird jellied canned sauce to be deposited in a bowl keeping its shape with the can lines on the sides. The cranberry should be properly celebrated. Who’s with me? Nobody puts cranberry in the corner!
Yeah. Sorry for that. Moving on. We all know by now that I’m ridiculous and that my cheesecakes are kind of a lot. But it’s a HOLIDAY! I feel like I have a license to be over the top.
I also know that I’ve bored you with vegetables and a frittata, so I truly feel like you totally deserve something sexy and decadent.
Enjoy this White Chocolate Cheesecake with Cranberry Topping…
Because you have a lot of work to do next week! Have a fantastic weekend, y’all!
White Chocolate Cheesecake with Cranberry Topping
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 stick butter melted
For the Cheesecake
- 5 8 ounce blocks cream cheese softened
- 1 2/3 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- splash of heavy cream
- White chocolate bar for shavings garnish if desired
- 6 eggs room temperature
For the Cranberry Topping
- 1 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries
- 6 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon honey
- zest and juice of 1 tangerine
- 1/4 cup sugar
Additional Items
- Heavy duty aluminum foil
- Spring form pan
- Roasting pan
- Large measuring cup or teapot to pour boiling water
Instructions
For the Crust
-
Wrap the spring form pan tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil - I used 2 overlapping large pieces and a leak proof spring form pan
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Stir sugar and graham crumbs together, add melted butter, stir to combine
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Press graham mixture on the bottom and up the sides of a spring form pan
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Set aside
For the Cheesecake
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on low until smooth and fluffy, 2-3 minutes
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Melt white chocolate chips according to package directions - I did this in the microwave with a splash of heavy cream to thin it out in 30 second intervals, stirring in between
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Sift flour and sugar together
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Slowly add flour/sugar mixture to the cream cheese a little at a time, still beating on low
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Add vanilla bean paste
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Add melted white chocolate
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Scrape down sides as necessary
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Add eggs, one at a time, making sure that each is incorporated before adding the next
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Turn off mixer, remove bowl from stand, tap bowl on counter several times to get the air bubbles out, set aside for 20-30 minutes
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Preheat oven to 350
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Prepare about 6-8 cups boiling water - depends on the size of your roasting pan
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Pour cheesecake batter into the prepared spring form pan and set the spring form pan into the roasting pan
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Transfer the roasting pan onto the oven rack and carefully and slowly pour boiling water in the roasting pan until halfway up the side of the spring form
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Bake for 45 minutes
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Reduce oven temperature to 325 and bake an additional 60 minutes
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Turn off oven, open door halfway, and leave cheesecake in the oven for another 30 minutes
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Remove from oven and cool completely
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Refrigerate uncovered overnight
For the Cranberry Topping
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Combine all ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until thick and bubbly
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Refrigerate overnight
To Serve
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If using white chocolate garnish, chill white chocolate bar in the refrigerator or freezer, then shave with a vegetable peeler onto a plate and put back in freezer until ready to use
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Transfer cheesecake to a platter or cake plate, top with cranberries, then shaved white chocolate
P.S. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway! $650 Amazon card will make a happy holiday!
White chocolate and cheesecake are two of the most indulgent things in the world, so for you to have combined them is just genius! What is even more genius is adding cranberries in to the mix too. Yes!
Thanks, Dannii! If we are going to indulge, this is the time of year to do it! 🙂
I’m still laughing at your dirty dancing reference. Is it aweful that I can still watch that movie over and over again (even though I can quote most of it) and never get bored? Also something I never tire of, cheesecakes! This one looks fab, Rachelle! LOVING the cranberries and tangerine zest! This is absolutely perfect for the holidays… or just because! Cheers, doll! Xo
Girl, I just watched it 2 times in as many days! Dirty Dancing is right up there with Steel Magnolias and Fried Green Tomatoes for me! I’ve kind of been going crazy with cheesecakes lately. Perhaps I need an intervention. Or maybe you and Boy can get on over here at help us eat some of them! 🙂
Rachelle, this is the prettiest cheesecake I’ve ever seen! What a perfect holiday dessert! I bet the white chocolate-cranberry combo is just perfect!
Thanks, girl! We sure liked it!
“Nobody puts cranberry in the corner” hah! Glad to see you giving cranberries a delicious platform worthy of them!
Thanks, Mary! 🙂
Well hello there! Gorgeous is an understatement. I’m going to work very hard to try and make this vegan, because, YUM!
I can’t wait to see your gorgeous vegan creation if you do! Thanks, Linda!
I’ll put cranberries in a corner and this cheesecake so I can eat it all myself! Ain’t nobody got time for no sharing of a white chocolate cranberry cheesecake. Perfect pics too 🙂
Bahhahahaha! Girl, this thing is so outrageously enormous, you’ll be sick if you don’t share! Thanks for the photo love! 🙂
Gorgeous. Delectable. Show stopper. Perfect. Need I say more? This one rocks, my friend!
’nuff said. Thanks, Annie!
What a stunning cake this is! It looks perfect and lovely for the holidays.
Thanks so much, Amy! And thanks for visiting!
Rachelle! Rachelle! Rachelle!! oh my, love everything about this cheesecake, love your photos also!! on my to do list!
Gaila! Gaila! Gaila! DO IT! You will not regret it! Thanks for your kind photo compliments!
I live with pumpkin haters, and this is a Thanksgiving dessert I can get behind- fab photos 🙂
Pumpkin haters?!?!!? That’s tragic, Medha! At least you have an alternative now – well, you may have to get together with Linda and make a vegan version! I appreciate your fab photo comment! 🙂
My sister still thinks the canned stuff is the best…I’m trying to convert her, but it’s tough! This cheesecake is gorgeous and gives me one more dessert to add to my list of ones for the big dinner. My problem…I have to have a slice of each one! Yikes…
I’m not hating on the canned stuff because it comes in handy sometimes, but keep on working on your sister! Thanks for your kind words! Why should you have to choose!?!?!?!
This cake is such a showstopper! Love the gorgeous cranberry topping over the white chocolate cheesecake! So decadent, festive and incredibly delicious!
Thanks, Kelly!
this is such a gorgeous cheesecake Rachelle, absolutely a showstopper! Love it!
Thanks, Manali! 🙂
This cheesecake is absolutely gorgeous, Rachelle! Love white chocolate and cranberry – such a gorgeous combo. A definite show-stopping dessert recipe!
Thanks so much, Jess!
Oh! This cheesecake looks absolutely delicious!! White chocolate and cranberries sound like an amazing combo. I will be trying this very soon, thanks for sharing <3
Thanks, Anu! I hope you love it as much as we did! 🙂
Wow, this clearly took a lot of work, and for that, I salute you. It looks amazing! I will always take cheesecake, and then some. It’s really the most irresistible dessert. And I love how much height yours has!
Yeah, Mir. We all know I’m kind of ridiculous so this super tall cheesecake is right in line. Thanks for the salute, my friend! 🙂
Do you use a 9″ or a 10″ springform pan?
thanks! Can’t wait to try it out!
Hi Darlene! Thanks for your question! I have several and the one I used for the white chocolate was a 9 inch. It’s a Nordic Ward brand that claims to be leak-proof, but I wasn’t willing to risk it, so I did the foil and water bath. I hope you love it as much as we did! I’d love to hear all about it!