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This Lemon Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake is perfectly sweet and tart, infused with lemon and raspberry flavors in every bite. The perfect cheesecake for summer!
The Perfect Cheesecake for Summer
It’s no secret that I love cheesecakes. Traditional or no-bake, New York Style or a new creative flavor, I am all about cheesecake. I’m always playing around with new cheesecake flavors, whether it’s for a season, holiday or just what I’m craving.
This Lemon Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake is my latest cheesecake creation, inspired by a few of my favorite summer flavors and a reader request. Lemon and raspberry is such a fun flavor combination, as they’re both bright, powerful flavors that are just a little tart and sour. Add them to a creamy cheesecake with a graham cracker crust and the result is divine.
This is a spin off of my other lemon cheesecake recipes that use extra eggs to add to the lemon flavor. Lemon and raspberry infuse every bite, with lemon zest and juice in the filling and an easy homemade raspberry filling swirled throughout. The raspberry swirl is beautiful on it’s own too, so once it’s baked, you’re all done!
Unlike other cheesecakes that can be decadent (and delicious) but maybe a little heavy, this is on the lighter side of cheesecakes, making it a perfect summer dessert. It’s perfect for picnics and BBQs, just be sure to allow plenty of time for cooling and chilling!
What You’ll Need
Don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients – most of these ingredients are pantry staples and basic baking ingredients.
For the Raspberry Filling
- Cornstarch – Thickens the sauce.
- Lemon juice – Be sure to use fresh lemon juice.
- Warm water – To dissolve the cornstarch.
- Raspberries – You can use fresh or frozen raspberries.
- Sugar – Sweetens the tart raspberry flavor.
For the Crust
- Graham cracker crumbs – You can crush graham crackers yourself or purchase crumbs.
- Butter – Salted or unsalted. You’ll want to melt it before using it.
- Sugar – For a lightly sweet crust.
For the Lemon Cheesecake FIlling
- Cream cheese – Allow it to come to room temperature first, to ensure there are no lumps in the filling.
- Sugar – Sweetens the tangy cream cheese and sour cream mixture.
- All-purpose flour – A small amount of flour is used to help add creaminess.
- Lemon – Both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest are used in the filling.
- Eggs – 3 large eggs plus 2 additional yolks are used.
How to Make Lemon Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
With some patience and attention to details, this lemon raspberry swirl cheesecake comes together easier than you may expect! It does take time but no part of this recipe is difficult to make.
- Make the raspberry filling. Whisk together cornstarch, lemon juice and warm water until the cornstarch dissolves. Heat raspberries and sugar over medium heat, stirring continuously. Add the cornstarch mixture and continue cooking, smashing the raspberries as they cook. Puree the raspberry mixture in a food processor, then strain and set aside.
- Make the graham cracker crust. Preheat the oven to 325°F and prepare the pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper and greasing the sides. Combine the crust ingredients and press the mixture in the bottom and up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool. Cover the outside of the pan with aluminum foil for the water bath.
- Prepare the cheesecake filling. Reduce the oven to 300°F. Beat cream cheese, sugar and flour until completely combined and smooth. Mix in the sour cream, lemon juice and lemon zest. Add the eggs one at a time, then the egg yolks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Assemble the cheesecake. Add two tablespoons of cheesecake filling to the cooled raspberry filling. Fill the crust with 3/4 of the cheesecake. Drop spoonsful of 1/2 the raspberry filling on top, using a knife to swirl them. Add the remaining cheesecake filling on top, then the remaining raspberry filling, again using a knife to swirl it around.
- Create the water bath. Place the springform pan inside another large pan. Fill the outside with enough warm water to go halfway up the sides but not above the top edge of the aluminum foil.
- Bake. Bake the lemon cheesecake for 1 hour 25 minutes. The center should be set but still jiggly.
- Cool. Turn off the oven and leave the door closed for 30 minutes. Then, crack the door for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and the water bath and place in the fridge to cool completely, at least 6 hours.
- Garnish and serve. Remove from the springform pan and place on a serving dish. Top with raspberries and lemon slices.
Tips for Success
The key to success with any cheesecake is to pay attention to details and take your time. Cheesecakes are a masterpiece that cannot be rushed! Below I’ve shared a few key tips for the perfect raspberry swirl cheesecake.
- Prevent your water bath from leaking. One of the most important things with a cheesecake water bath is preventing it from leaking. My secret tip is using slow cooker liners! You can see more of my water bath tips here.
- Adjust the cheesecake size. I made this raspberry swirl cheesecake in a traditional 9-inch pan. If you’d like to use a 7-inch pan or even make these into mini cheesecakes, check out my guide on how to adjust cheesecake sizes.
- Allow for slow cooling. While it’s tempting to pull the cheesecake from the oven as soon as it’s done, the slow cooling process is essential for avoiding cracks. Allow it to cool in the oven, with and without the door open, before moving it to the fridge.
- Mix the ingredients on low. Be sure to use low speed to reduce the amount of air added to the batter, which can cause cracks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Make in advance. Cheesecake requires a minimum of 6 hours to fully set and chill, so technically you can make this in the morning, but I’ve found making it the day before best. More chill time ensures it’s completely set and allows the flavors to infuse every bite even more.
Serving Suggestions
Since each bite of this cheesecake is infused with raspberry and lemon flavor, I don’t find any typical toppings like lemon curd or whipped cream necessary. Instead, I serve this lemon raspberry cheesecake topped with fresh raspberries and lemon slices.
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover cheesecake should be stored in the fridge, either tightly covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container. Cheesecake will last for up to 4 to 5 days in the fridge. It will taste great for several days, which is one of the reasons cheesecake is great for making a day or two in advance.
Can I Freeze Cheesecake?
Yes, this raspberry swirl cheesecake can be frozen. First, allow it to properly cool and chill in the fridge according to the instructions. It should be completely chilled and set before freezing.
You can freeze the whole cheesecake or individual slices. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap then in aluminum foil. The double-wrapping helps prevent freezer burn. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Print
Lemon Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Lemon Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake is perfectly sweet and tart, infused with lemon and raspberry flavors in every bite. The perfect cheesecake for summer!
Ingredients
Raspberry Filling
- 2 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp warm water
- 2 1/2 cups (319g) fresh or frozen raspberries
- 2 1/2 tsp sugar
Crust
- 2 1/4 cups (302g) graham cracker crumbs
- 10 tbsp (140g) salted butter, melted
- 3 tbsp (39g) sugar
Lemon Cheesecake Filling
- 24 ounces (678g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (207g) sugar
- 3 tbsp (24g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (173g) sour cream
- 6 tbsp (90ml) lemon juice
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
Instructions
RASPBERRY FILLING
- To start, make the raspberry filling. Add the cornstarch, lemon juice, and warm water to a small bowl and whisk together until the cornstarch has dissolved.
- Combine the raspberries and sugar together in a medium to large saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring continuously for 3 minutes as the juices release.
- Add the cornstarch mixture and continue cooking for another 3 minutes, smashing the raspberries as they cook. The mixture should bubble a little bit and just start to thicken.
- Puree the raspberry mixture in a food processor and then strain the puree. Set puree aside to cool.
CRUST
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides.
- Combine the crust ingredients in a small bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
- Cover the outsides of the pan with aluminum foil so that water from the water bath cannot get in (see how I prepare my pan for a water bath). Set prepared pan aside.
CHEESECAKE
- Reduce oven temperature to 300°F (148°C).
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour on low speed until well completely combined and smooth. Be sure to use low speed to reduce the amount of air added to the batter, which can cause cracks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the sour cream, lemon juice and lemon zest and mix on low speed until well combined
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly to combine after each addition, then add the egg yolks and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined.
- Add two tablespoons of the cheesecake filling to the cooled raspberry filling.
- Fill the crust with about 3/4 of the cheesecake filling.
- Drop spoonfuls of about 1/2 of the raspberry filling onto the cheesecake filling. Use a knife or spatula to run through the spoonfuls and swirl them around.
- Drop spoonfuls of the remaining filling over the raspberry swirl and gently spread evenly. Then drop spoonfuls of the remaining raspberry filling over the top of the cheesecake and use a knife or spatula to swirl it around.
- Place the springform pan inside another larger pan. Fill the outside pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan.
- Bake for 1 hour 25 minutes. The center should be set, but still jiggly.
- Turn off the oven and leave the door closed for 30 minutes. The cheesecake will continue to cook, but slowly begin to cool as well.
- Crack the door of the oven for 30 minutes to allow the cheesecake to continue to cool slowly. This process helps prevent cracking.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and water bath wrapping and place the cheesecake in the refrigerator to cool completely.
- Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and place on a serving dish.
- Top the cheesecake with raspberries and lemon slices, then refrigerate the cheesecake until ready to serve. Cheesecake is best if eaten within 3-4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 22.1 g
- Sodium: 278.8 mg
- Fat: 28.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.8 g
- Protein: 6.5 g
- Cholesterol: 141.4 mg
I love this recipe! I was wondering though, if baking for 2 hours initially would be ok? The filling seemed too jiggly at an hour and 25, and I noticed your white chocolate raspberry cooks for 2 hours?
I’m glad you enjoy it! All ovens can vary, so if you feel like it needs more time, feel free to add to it. Here’s a post on how to tell when your cheesecake is done baking, that might be helpful.
This was an absolutely crappy recipe. I tried making it twice. Noticed the batter was a bit runnier than I’m used to but I was like whatever it’ll probably cook fine no it did not. I had to cook it for over an hour longer than the instructed time and it still wasn’t done in the middle it was brown and cracking on top, but gooey and undercooked in the middle would not recommend. And yes, I let it completely cool, and it was still liquidy.😭😭😭😭 guess I’m not having homemade cheesecake for my party
I’m really sorry you had trouble, but I am certain it wasn’t the recipe. The same lemon cheesecake base is used in my lemon blueberry cheesecake and that’s a very, very popular recipe. There can certainly be differences between ovens, which could mean you need more baking time but it does sound like you cooked it plenty long. When you say, “it wasn’t done”, it’s hard to know what you were seeing. I have a post on how to tell when your cheesecake is done, which might be helpful. I’d also double check that you added the correct amount of all ingredients. If you added too much of something that is a more liquid ingredient, it could significantly add to the bake time, giving you the exact result you seem to have gotten.
Can you use cornstarch or Giuten Free flour in the filling instead of flour? I need to make it Gluten Free
Yes, you could use either. For cornstarch, use half the amount.
I’m curious what you did to make a gluten free crust. I want to make this but need it gf.
Hi, if I prepare this in an 8 inch springform pan, how long would you bake it?
You would need to increase the baking time, I’m just not sure by how much. Maybe 10-15 minutes?
Hi,
How long can the cheesecake can be in the freezer for?
If I cook it on Friday and we only eat it Sunday, would it be ok?
Thanks a lot! Looking forward to taste it!
Amélie
Cheesecakes are generally OK in the freezer for 2 to 3 months and in the fridge for about five days. If you make it Friday and eat it Sunday, it should be fine. Just keep it well covered in the fridge.
Yum!! I used a shortbread crust because I’m obsessed with them. I love the middle layer of raspberry.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Question
Can I use a premade crust? What the temp
As long as it’s an actual cheesecake crust, I assume it’d be fine. Most premade store bought crusts are in pie pans, which would mean you’d need less of the filling.
Ohhh! I am looking forward to making this cheesecake. I made the blueberry cheesecake last week and it disappeared in two days! I bet I’ll have the same results with this cheesecake! Thanks for the great recipe! You are inspiring!
I love this recipe!! Would cooking it for 2 hours be ok instead of the 1.25 hours? I noticed the raspberry white chocolate cheesecake bakes for 2 hours?
Why does the photo show what appears a thin layer of the raspberry filling between cheesecake layers rather than swirled through it? I like the layer look and am looking forward to making what sounds like a delicious cheesecake. Thank you.
Haven’t made a lemon/raspberry cheesecake this way but will try! Another note to prevent cracking: get a larger pan place 2-3 paper towels in the bottom of a plastic slow cooker bag, then place springform pan inside. Boil your water and once the filling is in, fill the outer pan up to half way. Toll down the sides of plastic so that it’s not touching the cake and carefully place in the oven. Check for slight jiggle after cooking while still in the oven then proceed as normal for cooling process. (Oven door slightly ajar for 30 minutes). Comes out perfect with no cracks!