Cheesecake with Raspberry Jam

Cheesecake is a classic because it's a dessert super easy to make and one that's very welcome after any meal. Today I bring you a version that turns out perfect: a creamy cheesecake that tastes delicious with jam inside. We make it with a cookie base which, although it adds a few extra initial minutes of prep and baking, is worth making — how good is cheesecake with a cookie base!

To give the base a slightly different touch, we'll add a bit of ginger to the cookie mixture, which pairs perfectly with the cheesecake and the jam.

If you prefer to make it without the cookie base you can do that too, the batter preparation will only take 5 minutes and the result is truly delicious

Whether Monday or Sunday, having cheesecake in the fridge ensures you'll win and enjoy. I hope you enjoy it!

TIP! If you're too lazy to make the cookie base but want to give the cake a base to ensure some consistency and a nice finish, you can line the pan with shortcrust or puff pastry. Cheesecake with those sweet pastry bases will be delicious. You can also add a pinch of ginger or cinnamon to the base to give a spiced note to each bite.

Porcelain dessert plates Caractére by Revol

Ingredients

For the base:

• 225 gr Digestive biscuits*
• 115 gr melted butter
• 1 tsp ginger
• (Optional) 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• (Optional) 1 tsp cinnamon

*If you prefer, you can use less Digestive and reach 225gr with other biscuits, like Maria-type cookies.

For the filling:

• 400 gr cream cheese (Philadelphia-type)
• 250 gr Mascarpone cheese
• 160 gr sugar
• 4 eggs
• Juice of half a lemon
• 40 gr cornflour (Maizena)
• 1 cdp of Madagascar Vanilla Extract
• Raspberry jam (or strawberry, fig, mixed berries...)

Non-stick springform pan, Revol plates, cups and creamers

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 180 ºC.

Prepare the cookie base:

1. In a food processor, add the biscuits and pulse for a few seconds. Add the melted butter and while it is integrating you can add the teaspoon of ginger (and the cocoa if you want a more intense-flavored base).
2. Prepare the pan: you can place a sheet of baking paper covering the whole pan with plenty of overhang on the sides to ensure easy unmolding and avoid spills. Or with the usual method, you can brush the pan with butter; make sure it's a leakproof pan (I used a 22 cm springform, but depending on what you use you can do it in a 24 or 26 cm one, it will be wider and not so tall).
3. Press the cookie mixture into the pan with a spoon (or with the base of a large measuring spoon, which works very well for me). Distribute the mixture evenly across the pan, but you can leave it a bit higher on the walls, it looks nice and better ensures the pan's seal.
4. Chill the pan in the fridge or freezer for half an hour.
5. After that time, remove it from the fridge and bake for about 10–12 minutes, until you see the crust is slightly toasted. Let cool on a wire rack.

Serving spatula with wooden handle Nordic Ware

Prepare the filling and the cheesecake:

1. Put the Philadelphia cheese into the KitchenAid bowl with the balloon whisk attachment, or into a large bowl. Beat with electric beaters or the mixer until the cheese is creamy.
2. Without stopping beating, add the Mascarpone and then the sugar.
3. Add the lemon juice and the eggs. It's important to add them one by one, letting the cheese incorporate them. It's a very quick process.
4. Add the dessert spoon of vanilla and the cornstarch, which will help thicken.
5. You obtain a fairly runny mixture.
6. Pour the filling into the pan prepared with the cookie base.
7. Now it's time to add the jam. If it's thick or cold, as mine was, it will sink to the bottom of the cake. Add spoonfuls distributed across the cake, be generous (I used half a jar). If you want to thin it slightly with water or milk, you'll see it stays more on the surface, creating a marbled effect on top.
8. Place the pan in the oven, on the lower rack. If you see the surface browning too quickly, cover it loosely with baking paper or foil (remove it before finishing baking so the top can brown). Bake for almost an hour or until a knife comes out clean.

I hope you enjoy it; at home it passed the test with flying colors. I hope you get top marks on yours.

Remember that if you're a fan of cheesecakes, there's a book you'll want: The Best Cheesecakes, by Bea Roque, a book that can be summed up as the Cheesecake Bible and where you'll find an endless source of inspiration to make all kinds of cheesecakes.