Cranberry Orange Cheesecake

After living in California for 6 months, I hosted my first get-together. Truth be told, I was a bit nervous because people always expect a little more from a food blogger. Hosting for a few women comes easy to me, but hosting for couples and I start stressing. My party was a success, but the one item that stole the show was this Cranberry Orange Cheesecake. Everything you see here is made from scratch… the crust, filling, and cranberry topping. This Cranberry Orange Cheesecake recipe is involved and will take a couple of hours to make, but I highly recommend taking some time out and making this delicious cheesecake for the holidays. The best part is you can make this cheesecake up to one day in advance. It’s an indulgent, light & airy cheesecake that can easily feed about 16 people assuming you’re serving thin slices. I served all 9 people at my party and then gave each couple a big slice to go. I knew they would enjoy it even more at home in their pjs. This Christmas I suggest making this festive cheesecake… it’s amazing, and trust me, everyone will be raving about it. What are you waiting for? Christmas? I just had to. 🙂

This Cranberry Orange Cheesecake is:

Rich, yet lightMelts in your mouthNot dense, it’s lightIndulgentHeavenlyOut of this worldScrumptiousAmbrosialPerfect for Christmas how to make cranberry orange cheesecake recipe step by step?

Make the crust

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.2. In a food processor, add all the ingredients for the crust.3. Pulse until a powdery mixture is formed.4. This is what you should have.
Transfer the mixture to a springfoam pan lined with parchment paper shaped in a circle. Make sure you spray the bottom of the pan with butter or coconut oil, and then line with parchment paper.6. Using a cup measurement, pat the crust mixture down.7. Into the oven for 10 minutes.8. Your crust is done. Let it cool.

Make the cheesecake filling

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Let it preheat while you make the filling.2. Combine all the following ingredients in a food processor – cream cheese, ricotta cheese, sugar, 4 egg yolks (save the egg whites for later), heavy cream, zest of 1 orange, vanilla extract, and salt . Note: I accidentally added them to a large bowl.3. Pulse/Blend all the ingredients in the food processor.4. This is your filling. It should smooth.
Now transfer the filling to a large mixing bowl.6. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until firm peaks form.7. Once the egg whites are done, transfer it to the filling bowl.8. FOLD, do not mix, FOLD the egg whites into the filling. This will help create a light cheesecake, and not dense.
Pour the cheesecake filling into the springfoam pan with the crust.10. Tap down so everything is even. Smooth the mixture on top.11. Line a tray with foil paper. Place the cheesecake onto the tray and carefully place it into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees.12. Once done, raise the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Leave the cheesecake in there and let it continue baking. Bake the cheesecake for another 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown and the center is jiggly.
Turn off the oven. Open the oven door and leave the cake in there for 3 hours. The center will fall slightly – that’s okay.14. After 3 hours, cover the cheesecake with foil paper and place into the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and upto 24 hours.

Make the topping

In a pot, combine all the ingredients for a topping and cook over medium heat. Stir occasionally.2. Cover with a lid.3. This is what you’ll have after 5-7 minutes. Don’t make the topping too sweet since we want the flavors to balance one another.
Unmold the refrigerated cheesecake using a sharp knife.5. Carefully place the cheesecake onto a cake stand and carefully remove the springfoam pan bottom and parchment paper. 6. Serve each cheesecake slice with the cranberry orange topping. Enjoy!

Enjoy!

More Christmas Desserts!

Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake with White Chocolate Glaze Ginger Molasses Cookies Cranberry Almond Coffee Cake Fudgy Cranberry Walnut Brownies Cranberry Orange Cheesecake - 26

title: “Cranberry Orange Cheesecake” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-14” author: “Douglas Smith”

It’s no secret I love cheesecake. If you have hesitated making cheesecake for any reason, I’m here to change your mind! I take the mystery out of cheesecake with my step by step instructions. You will make a delicious and creamy cheesecake every time! There’s nothing like a homemade cheesecake, and you’ll love this classic New York Cheesecake, this festive Eggnog Cheesecake, and this loaded with flavor Tiramisu Cheesecake.

Orange Cranberry Cheesecake

Oh cheesecake, how I love you! And this orange cranberry cheesecake is a keeper for sure. It’s everything you want in a holiday recipe and then some. The tangy and zippy flavor of orange and cream cheese, with a swirl of cranberry sauce. What’s not to love?! They really aren’t as hard as people make them out to be either. They may be a little more work than a holiday cookie or cranberry Christmas cake, but they are totally worth it! I break down this recipe into easy steps. If you follow this recipe with all of my tips, I promise it will turn out great! I also recommend making your cranberry sauce from scratch because it adds extra orange flavor that you’ll love. The graham cracker crust is perfect for the flavors in this cheesecake, and it’s so easy to whip up. You’ll be so glad you tried this recipe!

Ingredients

The ingredients in this cranberry orange cheesecake are so simple, but packed with flavor! I recommend making a homemade cranberry sauce to really ramp up the flavor in this cheesecake. This cheesecake will knock your socks off with fresh and fun flavors.

Crust And Cranberry Filling

Graham Cracker Crumbs: You can buy them at the store or make your own crumbs using Graham Crackers and pulsing them in a food processor.Granulated Sugar: This is just your regular pantry sugar to help sweeten the crust. You could leave this out if you wanted to.Butter: Butter helps the crust stick together. You’ll want to use unsalted because there is added salt in this crust already.Salt: Just a pinch to bring out all the lovely flavors!Canned Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce or Homemade: You can easily buy a can, or make it yourself homemade! I have a great recipe for cranberry sauce that you’ll want to save for later anyways!

Cheesecake

Cream Cheese: You will need to buy 4 8oz packages of cream cheese. It’s a lot! But thats what makes this cheesecake so creamy and tangy.Granulated Sugar: Your pantry sugar will work great.Sour Cream: This makes the cheesecake extra creamy and tangy! You’re going to love the flavor this adds.Eggs: I always use large grade A eggs in my recipes.Vanilla Extract: Whatever you have on hand for baking will do.Orange Zest: You will want to buy an orange and zest fresh orange into this cheesecake. It makes such a difference!

Cranberry Orange Cheesecake Recipe

If you have never made a cheesecake before, you have nothing to worry about! I’ve included lots of insider tips from my years of experience that will help you make the perfect cheesecake every time! This orange cranberry cheesecake is perfect for the season, so get ready for your new favorite holiday dessert!

Crust

Cheesecake

Bake the Cranberry Orange Cheesecake

Cool and Serve

Room Temperature Ingredients: Using room temperature ingredients will help you achieve a silky smooth cheesecake batter. I usually get the cream cheese, sour cream and eggs out of the fridge a couple hours before I’m ready to start baking to ensure they have enough time to soften. Scrape Down Bowl: Scrape down the bowl several times between each step. Doing this will prevent thicker batter from sticking to the sides and bottom of the bowl, only to end up making your batter lumpy. Aluminum Foil: Heavy-duty 18-inch aluminum foil is one of the secrets to making cheesecake that not only bakes evenly in a water bath, but prevents ANY water from getting in and making the crust soggy. I’ve tried with 2-3 layers of foil, but have found that this can still sometimes leak. Best to go with 4 layers of the foil, making sure it is a big enough piece to go ALL the way up each side of the pan.Cooling: Letting the cheesecake cool in the oven as the oven cools will prevent it from cracking. You don’t want to poke it or stick a thermometer in it either! That will greatly increase the risk of the cheesecake cracking as it cools down. Cranberry Sauce: If you don’t like canned cranberry sauce, make your own cranberry sauce! Let it cool completely before pureeing and adding to the cheesecake. Making your own will enable you to have it spiced just the way you like it.

In the Fridge: The cheesecake by itself is best stored covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. In the Freezer: You can freeze this cheesecake for up to 6 months, just cover it in plastic wrap or an airtight container. Let it sit out on the counter for a few hours before eating.