Recipe: Cranberry – Orange Cheesecake

The other day I found this amazing cake recipe online and when my mom asked me what I was going to make for out Boxing Day potluck dinner, I knew immediately that I had to make this. It’s delicious, but not for the light-hearted as it stuffs you right up. Everyone loved it, so I thought I’d share it with you.

Cranberry-Orange Cheesecake

Least blurry picture of a piece of cheesecake.

It is not the most difficult cake to make, but it does require some patience and it’s a three step process that you should do at least one day ahead of time. This is not a cake you just whip out in a few minutes. I also changed a few things in the original recipe. I, for one, used a somewhat larger springform pan and I replaced the liqueur with orange juice.

Here’s what I did:

Crust

  • 9-ounces (250 grams) digestive cookies, crumbled
  • 2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, grated
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • dash of cinnamon

The crust: you can easily use a spoon to press the cookie crumbs into the pan. Just make sure you butter the sides to prevent sticking. The spoon also allows you to press up the edge.
Filling

  • 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature (about 900g)
  • 1 cup sugar (200g)
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs
  • grated peel from 2 oranges
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • juice of half an orange

The filling will be very liquid-like once you’ve mixed everything together. It will become more solid when you bake it.
Topping

  • 1/2 cup sugar (100g)
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
  • 2 1/2 cups fresh cranberries (500-600g)
  • juice of 1/2 an orange
You need something that binds the cranberries into a bit of a jelly like substance, I used an actual binder substance, but you can also use cornstarch. Whatever works and you happen to have lying around will do.
How to make it:
For crust:
Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Finely grind cookies and chocolate in processor. Add cinnamon, then butter; blend until moist clumps form. Using plastic wrap as aid, press crumb mixture onto bottom and 1 1/4 inches up sides of 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Bake until set, about 8 minutes. Cool completely.
For filling:
Increase oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light. Beat in flour. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, just until blended. Beat in orange peel, juice, and vanilla.
Pour filling into crust. Bake the cheesecake in a waterbath, or slide a roasting tray of water underneath the cake form. Bake until filling is just set in center but still moves slightly, about 1 hour. Turn off oven, place wooden spoon into the oven door to allow the heat to escape slowly, and let the cheesecake cool fully. Then cover and chill overnight.
For topping:
Stir sugar and water in medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium; add cornstarch mixture and bring to simmer. Add cranberries; cook until beginning to pop, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Stir in orange peel and cranberry liqueur. Cool completely. Cover and chill overnight. (Cheesecake and cranberry topping can be made a day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
Top cheesecake with cranberries and serve immediately.
The key to ANY cheesecake is to let it settle and cool well in the oven before moving it. Moving it before it sets will lead to cracks and that’s not what you want. Therefore you should let it cool in the oven for 4 – 6 hours or until it stops wobbling. You can then cover it and put it in the fridge.
Bon appetit!
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