The Ultimate Basque Cheesecake
Clover Lover’s Sonoma-Style Cheesecake
Romance is in the air! Everyone knows the way to the heart is through the stomach. That’s why we’ve set the moo-d for Valentine’s Day with our recipe for Clover Lover’s Sonoma-Style Cheesecake. It’s a decadent spin on a classic dessert that is certain to stir the fires of passion.
We start with buttery graham cracker crust brimming with a rich, creamy filling made from Clover Organic Cream Cheese, Sour Cream, Heavy Whipping Cream, and Cage-Free Brown Eggs, whipped together with just the right amount of pure cane sugar and bourbon vanilla. We crowned it with dots of fresh raspberry sauce swirled into hearts, then baked the whole thing to perfection.
Serve your loved ones a slice nestled in a puddle of more raspberry sauce, and get ready to swoon. One taste and you’ll understand why C-lover is the brand name with “love” in it.
Ingredients
For the Raspberry Sauce:
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/3 cup cold water
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
For the Crust:
- 2 cups cinnamon graham crackers, pulsed into crumbs
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
For the Cheesecake:
- 3 (8 ounce) packages Clover Organic Cream Cheese, softened
- 1 cup Clover Organic Sour Cream
- 1 1/4 cups pure cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla extract
- 3 large Clover Organic Cage-Free Brown Eggs + 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Clover Organic Heavy Whipping Cream
Directions
1
Make the Raspberry Sauce: In a small saucepan, whisk together sugar and cornstarch until well blended. Gradually add cold water and raspberries. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until mixture reaches a boil. Reduce temperature and gently boil about 5 minutes, whisking constantly and breaking up the raspberries, until sauce is glossy and thickened. Remove from heat and force sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove seeds. Set aside.
2
Make the Crust: Lightly coat the inside of a 9″ springform pan with non-stick spray. Set aside. Combine graham crackers and sugar in a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Pour into a mixing bowl and mix in melted butter, a little at a time, until combined. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom of the springform pan. Set aside.
3
Make the Cheesecake filling: Using a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the softened cream cheese and sour cream until completely smooth.
4
Add sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth (scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.) Beat in the eggs and yolks. Stir in the flour, mixing just until combined.
5
Quickly stir in the cream, mixing just until incorporated in the batter.
6
Pour filling into prepared crust, and spread evenly.
7
Fill a turkey baster with cooled raspberry sauce. Dot the top of the cheesecake with evenly spaced circles of sauce in concentric circles.
8
One at a time, drag a knife blade tip through the center of each raspberry circle from top to bottom to create a heart shape. Work in the same direction and repeat with all circles.
9
Wrap the bottom and sides of the springform pan in two layers of tin foil.
10
Place the wrapped cheesecake pan into a large, deep baking dish. Fill the dish half way with water to create a water bath. This will help your cheesecake to bake crack-free.
11
Carefully place the baking dish on the center oven rack. Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 25 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow the cheesecake to sit, undisturbed, for 55 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR during this time.
12
Carefully remove the pan from the oven (be extra careful not to slosh the hot water bath), and transfer the cheesecake from the water bath to a cooling rack. Cool completely. Over loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
13
When ready to serve, loosen the sides of the springform and run a knife very gently around the edge of the cake. Remove the springform pan. Transfer the cake to a serving dish. Slice and plate with a heart-shaped dollop of remaining raspberry sauce.
