White Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake
Celebrate the flavours of a Tasmanian Christmas with this stunning white chocolate and cherry cheesecake. Creamy, fruity and beautifully festive, it’s topped with fresh local cherries and a vibrant cherry swirl, making it the perfect centrepiece for a summer gathering.
How long will it take?
35 minutes plus overnight chilling
What’s the serving size?
Serves 12
What do I need?
For the Biscuit Base
- 250 g chocolate ripple biscuits
- 100 g unsalted butter, melted
For the Cherry Swirl
- 300 g fresh cherries, pitted
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
For the Filling
- 500 g cream cheese, softened
- 300 mL thickened cream
- 200 g good-quality white chocolate, melted and cooled
- 100 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
For Decorating
- 20 fresh cherries
- 150 g good quality white chocolate
- 1 tsp coconut oil, optional for a smoother coating
- Edible gold lustre dust, optional
- 10 fresh cherries, pitted and halved
How do I make it?
- Grease and line the base of a 22-centimetre springform cake tin.
- Place biscuits in a food processor and blitz until fine crumbs form. Add melted butter and pulse until combined.
- Press mixture firmly into the base of the springform tin and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Make the Cherry Swirl by placing cherries, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 8-10 minutes until softened and juicy. Use a stick blender to blitz until smooth, then allow to cool completely.
- Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla, lemon zest and melted white chocolate, mixing until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks, then gently fold through the cheesecake mixture.
- Spoon half the filling over the chilled base.
- Dollop over one-third of the Cherry Swirl mixture and gently swirl with a skewer.
- Repeat with remaining filling and cherry mixture (reserving some Cherry Swirl for serving), creating a marbled effect across the top.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- Prepare the white chocolate cherries on top of the cheesecake by melting white chocolate with coconut oil in short bursts in the microwave.
- Holding each cherry by the stem, dip into the melted chocolate, allowing any excess to drip away.
- Place cherries on a tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate until set.
- Lightly dust a few cherries with edible gold lustre dust for a festive finish.
- Spoon reserved Cherry Swirl over the top of the cheesecake. Arrange the white chocolate-coated cherries and fresh cherry halves on top of the cheesecake.
TOP TIPS
- Ensure that you pat the cherries dry before dipping them in white chocolate. Any moisture on the cherries can cause the chocolate to seize or slide off.
- The cheesecake can be prepared up to two days in advance. Leave the decorating until the day of serving for the best presentation.
- For perfect slices, dip a sharp knife into hot water, wipe dry and slice. Repeat between cuts.
