Raspberry Swirl Lemon Cheesecake

Published: Aug 20, 2018 · by Elizabeth Waterson · This post may contain affiliate links, which may pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Confessions of a Baking Queen!

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This Raspberry Swirl Lemon Cheesecake is the perfect special occasion dessert. Raspberry Puree is swirled through a luscious lemon cheesecake all on top of a crunch Golden Oreo Crust! Step-by-step photos teach you how to make this Raspberry Swirl Lemon Cheesecake.

overhead shot of a raspberry swirl lemon cheesecake on a marble cake plate on a white surface

Cheesecake is one of my favorite things to make, especially in the summer. A nice cold dessert, oh it hits the spot! Especially lemon desserts and this year I have loved the combination of Lemon & Raspberry. They just go together so well.

If you've visited my site before you probably know that cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts. I love the rich, creamy filling against a crunchy crust and then the smooth whipped cream. Although, the main reason I love a cheesecake is that its a make-ahead dessert. I always bake my cheesecake the day before I want to serve it and then let it chill in the fridge all night. It makes for one less thing to stress about when you are preparing for whatever event you have.

This raspberry swirled lemon cheesecake has four parts. A golden Oreo crust, a creamy lemon cheesecake filling, a raspberry sauce swirled right into the cheesecake batter and then topped with fresh whipped cream and more raspberries if you want 🙂

If you're looking for raspberries and chocolate try my raspberry chocolate cake recipe.

Let's get to the recipe!

rraspberry swirl lemon cheesecake slice on a white plate with the full cheesecake on a stand in the background on a white surface

What are the ingredients for a Raspberry Swirl Lemon Cheesecake?

For the crust you'll need:

Golden or Lemon Oreos, finely crushed
Melted Butter

You could also use graham cracker crumbs and make my graham cracker crust recipe.

To create the raspberry swirl:

Fresh Raspberries
Bit of Granulated Sugar/ Caster Sugar

For the glorious cheesecake filling:

Cream Cheese- make sure it is the brick kind not whipped. Your cream cheese needs to be completely softened to room temperature when in doubt let it soften a longer period of time than shorter.
Granulated Sugar/ Caster Sugar
Heavy Cream
Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt
Lemons- you'll use both the zest and the juice
Large Eggs, at room temperature- you need to make sure they are at room temperature so that they combine evenly.

Since this cheesecake is all about lemon and raspberry flavors I don't use vanilla extract.

You could leave the gorgeous cheesecake as is but I always loved whipped cream with cheesecake. I have a whole post dedicated to making stabilized whipped cream. You'll need:

Heavy Whipping Cream
Powdered Sugar
Dry Milk Powder

Next time, try my strawberry cheesecake recipe.

Baking is a science and to really achieve the best results I highly recommend investing in a kitchen scale. This OXO Kitchen Scale is the one I use and is also the number one recommended kitchen scale by Cook's Illustrated. Think about it -what one person scoops into a "cup" is completely different from what someone else scoops!

How do you make a Golden Oreo Crust?

To start off a great cheesecake you need a great crust. I always prefer an Oreo crust over a graham cracker crust. I have made this cheesecake numerous times with regular Golden Oreos and the Lemon flavored ones. Either flavor works.

golden oreo crumbs with butter to make a cheesecake crust in a glass bowl with a pink spatula on a light white surface with a purple, blue, and green linen

In a large bowl combine the finely crushed Oreos ( I find it easiest to add them to a food processor but by all means use some elbow grease and beat the Oreos in a ziplock bag with a rolling-pin). Next, add your melted butter, mix it for a minute or two so that every crumb has been coated by the butter.

golden oreo crust all mixed together in a glass bowl with a pink spatula on a light white surface with a purple, blue, and green linen

Then press the crumbs up the side of your springform pan. Finally, place the pan in the fridge to chill while you make the rest of the recipe.

golden oreo crust packed into a round tin on a light white surface with a purple, blue, and green linen

How do you make the Raspberry Puree Swirl?

This is ridiculously easy. In a food processor add your raspberries and a little bit of granulated sugar, blend until a liquid.

raspberries and sugar in a food processor on a light white surface with a purple, blue, and green linen

Then place a mesh strainer over a medium bowl and pour the raspberry sauce through it, using a spatula to help push the liquid through and leave the seeds behind. This takes a few minutes to do so I like to do this step before I make the cheesecake. You can even make the raspberry purée a day ahead of time.

raspberry puree being pushed thru a mesh sieve with a white spatula in a glass bowl on a light white surface with a purple, blue, and green linen

How do you make a Lemon Cheesecake?

As with any cheesecake recipe, I beg of you, please start with room temperature cream cheese. If your cream cheese is too cold you will end up with lumps and your cheesecake will be ruined. I suggest cutting your blocks of cream cheese into small cubes and placing them on a plate to help the warming process.

Check out all my cheesecake baking tips here.

Once your cream cheese is at room temperature add it to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat for a minute or two so that the mixture is nice and creamy, you can mix on medium speed for this step only then reduce the speed to low. Then add your granulated sugar, mixing until incorporated.

cream cheese and granulated sugar in a metal bowl mixed together for cheesecake batter on a light white surface with a purple, blue, and green linen

Next, add in heavy cream, sour cream, lemon zest and lemon juice mixing until fully combined.

lemon cheesecake ingredients in a silver mixing bowl with a pink spatula on a light white surface with a purple, blue, and green linen

Followed by the eggs one at a time. Stir until just combined. You should have a creamy batter with no lumps.

eggs added to a lemon cheesecake batter in a silver bowl on a light white surface with a purple, blue, and green linen

What is the best way to create a raspberry swirl?

Once the cheesecake filling is ready to pour into prepared pan, place dollops of raspberry puree and use a knife to swirl the dollops into the cheesecake batter.

raspberry puree swirled into a lemon cheesecake on a light white surface with a purple, blue, and green linen

How do I make a water bath for cooking my cheesecake?

Then place your springform pan into a larger 10/11 inch cake pan place that cake pan in the roasting pan and fill the roasting pan with hot water halfway up the sides of the cake pan. This prevents ANY water from getting in the cheesecake and you don't have to wrap everything with foil. If you do not have a larger cake pan just wrap the springform pan with heavy-duty foil- this will prevent any water seeping inside- unless there are any rips in the foil so be careful!!

raspberry swirl lemon cheesecake recipe before baking in a water bath on a light white surface with a purple, blue, and green linen

How do I make a cheesecake with no cracks?

Let the cheesecake rest in the oven when baked
- When about the inner 2-inch diameter of the cheesecake is jiggly and the rest is set I turn the oven off and let the Cheesecake rest in the oven for 1 hour, I usually prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon for the last 20-30 minutes You can also use a digital thermometer to check the internal temperature has reached 145F/63C.
Cooling the cheesecake
- Take Cake Pan out of the roasting pan and let Cheesecake cool further on a wire rack for one hour
- After the cheesecake has cooled wrap it in plastic wrap and let the cheesecake chill overnight or a minimum of 6 hours

Once the cheesecake has fully cooled I make some fresh whipped cream and use a star tip to pipe it on the edge of the cheesecake. You could, of course, use canned whipped cream but I loooove the fresh stuff. And if you are feeling fancy place to fresh raspberry on top to decorate.

I have a whole post dedicated to making stabilized whipped cream, it only takes 4 ingredients and five minutes.

close up of raspberry swirl lemon cheesecake on a white plate on a white surface

How do I get clean slices when I cut the cheesecake?

When cutting the cheesecake to serve always have a hot cloth nearby to wipe the knife clean after each cut
When serving let the cheesecake sit for 5-10 minutes before serving

Try my Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake next!

slice of lemon blueberry cheesecake on a white plate next to a cup of tea and fork and more cheesecake in the background all on a white surfacae

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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