Lemon Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce

A slice or two of this Lemon Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce, and your troubles will be long gone! Don’t believe me? Give it a try! 🙂

Picture this. You’re sitting on a crisp lawn, someplace sunny. The sun’s rays are warm, kissing your skin, enlivening you with every caress. There’s a gentle breeze and a fresh scent hanging in the air. You’ve paused; taken a day off from your hectic life. It feels like magic, this day you’re experiencing. You’ve passed this spot numerous times before, but has it ever made you feel this way? It’s bliss, isn’t it? You have everything you need in this moment… umm, except for a slice of this sublime Lemon Cheesecake! 😀

I didn’t mean for that to be a buzzkill, I promise. All I’m trying to say is, you need a day off and some cheesecake while you’re at it; you deserve it. Adulting is hard! And sometimes we get carried away in the grind, forgetting that we deserve to enjoy every moment we get on this planet.

Yesterday, after lunch, we dove into large slices of this citrus-y Lemon Cheesecake topped with an irresistible Raspberry Sauce. As the family oohed-and-aahed, I escaped into a world where I swam among bits of fragrant lemon zest in a sea of sweet creaminess, the experience heightened with splashes of raspberry goodness. We then headed to the beach to watch the sun dip for the day. It felt good to just stop and stare, as the breeze messed up my hair. Both, moments of quiet serenity, in an otherwise busy day.

Because I’m all about slowing down and indulging in such moments, here’s the recipe for this baked Lemon Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce!

Here’s what you need:

For the Biscuit Base:

• Digestive biscuits – 200 g
• Caster Sugar – 30 g
• Unsalted Butter – 55 g, melted

For the Cheesecake Layer:

• Cream Cheese – 400 g
• Caster Sugar – 3/4 cup
• Eggs – 4
• Vanilla Extract – 1 tsp
• Fresh Cream – 250 ml
• Zest of 1 & 1/2 large lemons
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed

For the Raspberry Sauce:

• Fresh Raspberries – 250 g
• Granulated Sugar – 3/4 cup
• Water – 2 tbsp
• Vanilla Extract – 1/4 tsp

Here’s how you make this beautiful Cheesecake:

• Make the Biscuit Base: Preheat the oven to 175 °C/ 350 °F. Using a food processor or mixer grinder, blitz the digestive biscuits to a coarse powder. Add in the caster sugar and melted butter, and using your hands, knead the mixture for a minute. Press the biscuit mixture into the base of a 9-inch spring-form tin that has been greased and lined with parchment paper. Bake the base for 10 minutes, then take it out and cool.
• Make the Lemon Cheesecake batter: Beat the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in an egg at a time and whip until well incorporated between additions. Add in the cream, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix well.
• Bake the Cheesecake: Cover the base and sides of the spring-form pan with aluminium foil. Then place it in a larger roasting pan filled with about an inch of water (also called a water bath). Pour the cheesecake batter over the cooled biscuit layer. Pop the cheesecake into the oven while still in the water bath and bake for an hour. Once the 60 minutes are up, turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in it to cool for another hour with the oven door closed. Take the cheesecake out and allow it to cool completely before you chill it in the refrigerator.
• Make the Raspberry Sauce: Tip the fresh raspberries into a heavy bottom pot along with the sugar and water. Place the pot on medium heat and bring the sauce to a slow boil. You will find the raspberries slowly disintegrating. When you have a nice pulpy sauce bubbling away, add a splash of vanilla extract, mix and let it continue boiling for 3-5 minutes until the sauce has thickened a bit. Take it off the heat and allow it to cool completely before pouring it over the cheesecake.
• Assemble the Lemon Cheesecake: Place the chilled cheesecake on a serving platter. Pour the sauce over it, garnish with raspberries and mint. Serve cold with more Raspberry Sauce on the side! Dig right IN!

Not to dis my Mango Swirl Cheesecake or the fusion Gulab Jamun Cheesecake (you’ve got to try these recipes, they are the bomb!), but this is THE BEST cheesecake I have ever baked! I’m a citrus dessert lover (if you are too, you should definitely check out my most-pinned recipe!) and this Lemon Cheesecake ticks all the right boxes, and how! 🙂

The biscuit base is crunchy and crackling, and salty and sweet; I love it so much, I eat A LOT of it while putting it together. (Obsessed with biscuit-based desserts like I am? You’ve  got to check these chocolatey treats out!)

The cheesecake layer is pure heaven. It is luscious, silky, smooth, mildly sweet, and oh-so-lemony! Your home will be filled with the most inviting aroma when this beauty bakes; you may find yourself gravitating towards the kitchen, but stand back, the oven’s hot! 😉 This Lemon Cheesecake is the kind of dessert, which when taken a bite of, you hold your breath, close your eyes and teleport to your happy place! SO GOOD! ❤

The Raspberry sauce is simple, quick and really yum. It is seriously tangy; an explosion of berry goodness, which cuts through the richness of the cheesecake, allowing for the perfect balance. There are so many ways you could use this sauce – on top of a Panna Cotta, as filling for Crepes, syrup on Pancakes, served with Chocolate Lava Cake or eaten as is, with a spoon (which I do too much of!)! 😀 Please do not strain the raspberry sauce, I implore you. The seeds give the sauce so much delightful texture!

Here’s some real talk, this cheesecake doesn’t require a lot of effort or elbow grease, but  it is a time consuming affair! It’s not a cheesecake you can put together in a jiffy (unlike this one which is ready-to-eat in 15 minutes!). But please, give this recipe a whirl; trust me it is well and beyond worth the time! I like to make it a day in advance and chill it overnight; and the next day involves topping it with Raspberry Sauce, grabbing a slice, then another; and then trying – and failing – to resist the urge to eat it all! 😉

You’ll love this Lemon Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce, Dear Reader. I am certain. You can thank me later! 😛 ❤

Want to Pin This recipe for later? Here you go!

Psst… If you’d like to, you could come check me out on Pinterest! I pin a tonne of fun stuff – chocolate, lots of dessert, easy weeknight recipes; home decor and (look away now, boyfriend!) some pretty unusual wedding stuff 😛

Also, for regular updates on what’s happening in The Foodscape kitchen, follow me on Instagram at @thefoodscape! You’ll love all the deliciousness there, I promise! ❤