You will love this creamy New York style cherry cheesecake, with a sweet cherry swirl and a buttery graham cracker crust!

Best Cherry Cheesecake Recipe

This is a sponsored post, written by me and created in partnership with Stemilt Growers. All opinions expressed herein are straight from my heart.

I almost can’t believe we are nearing the middle of summer already!

It was such a slow start to the warm weather, and even now that the sun is finally shining, it still doesn’t feel nearly as hot as it normally does at this time of year.

But it is, in fact, nearly the fourth of July! And it feels like the perfect time to share this cherry cheesecake.

New York Cherry Cheesecake Recipe

I love making cherry desserts in the summertime. Some of my favorites include this Chocolate Cherry Galette, these sweet little cherry cheesecake thumbprint cookies, and these Cherry Chip Cupcakes.

But today we are talking cheesecake. And boy, are you going to love this one!

It’s so incredibly creamy. A true New York style cheesecake, with a buttery graham cracker crust and a swirl of sweet cherry topping. It’s perfect for your next get-together!

HOW TO MAKE CHERRY CHEESECAKE

This cherry cheesecake is made with cream cheese, a little sugar, cornstarch for structure, eggs, cream, and almond extract. I love adding almond extract to all my cherry desserts, because it really brings out their sweet, fruity flavor.

The cheesecake filling recipe is based on my favorite vanilla cheesecake. You can read more about it here: Vanilla Bean Cheesecake.

Once your filling is mixed up, just pour it over a crunchy graham cracker crust. Could anything be better?

Learn more about how to make a classic graham cracker crust here: Graham Cracker Crust.

The last step before baking is to swirl the cheesecake with a luscious cherry topping. It really takes this dessert to the next level!

HOW TO MAKE CHERRY CHEESECAKE TOPPING

The cherry topping is as easy as cooking a few handfuls of fresh cherries down with a little sugar, cornstarch and water.

Once the mixture becomes thick and syrupy, just season with lemon juice and almond extract, and whiz the whole thing up with a blender. I love to use a hand blender for these types of jobs. It makes things so easy!

You’ll have enough cherry topping to swirl all throughout your cheesecake, plus extra to pool on the plate under each slice.

Perfect Cherry Cheesecake Recipe

HOW TO BAKE THIS CHERRY CHEESECAKE

This cherry cheesecake will start in a relatively hot oven, but after a a little while you can turn the temperature way down and let it cook low and slow. I’ve found this cooking method works really well to prevent cracking.

And so does baking it in a water bath! Put the cheesecake into a larger pan filled with water, and this will control the baking temperature as the cheesecake cooks. It’s a gentle cooking technique that really produces a beautifully creamy result.

Now, you may notice that this cherry cheesecake is NOT baked in a springform pan. I have to be honest, I am really not a fan! They always seem to leak, no matter how carefully they are wrapped.

I know it’s unheard of, but I really prefer to bake my cheesecakes in a regular cake pan. As long as the pan is properly greased and lined, the cheesecake flips right out without a problem. Just make sure it’s well chilled!

HOW LONG DOES THIS CHERRY CHEESECAKE LAST?

I would recommend making this cherry cheesecake the day before you plan to serve it. It has kind of a long bake time, and it takes quite a while to fully cool as well.

It can sit out at room temperature for several hours, although it does become a bit softer as it warms.

If you have any leftovers, just wrap them well and keep them refrigerated. They’ll last in the fridge for about a week.

This cherry cheesecake can also be frozen! It will last for at least a few months in the freezer. Just be sure to wrap it tightly, to prevent it picking up any funky freezer odors. Thaw it in the fridge and serve!

Cherry Swirl Cheesecake with Cherry Sauce


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Best Cherry Cheesecake Recipe
5 stars (3 ratings)

Cherry Cheesecake

Servings: 10
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
You will love this creamy New York style cherry cheesecake, with a sweet cherry swirl and a buttery graham cracker crust!

Ingredients

For the cherry sauce

  • 2 1/2 cups (345 g) cherries, fresh, stemmed and pitted
  • 1/2 cup (125 g) water
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract

For the graham cracker crust

For the cheesecake filling

  • 24 ounces (680.39 g) cream cheese, (3 8-ounce bricks), softened
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 4 eggs, large
  • 1 egg yolk, large
  • 1/4 cup (59.5 g) heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions
 

Notes

More info on the cheesecake filling here: Vanilla Bean Cheesecake.
More info on the crust here: Graham Cracker Crust.
More scrumptious cherry desserts you will love:
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 563kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 38g, Saturated Fat: 21g, Cholesterol: 192mg, Sodium: 362mg, Potassium: 228mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 37g, Vitamin A: 1430IU, Vitamin C: 2.8mg, Calcium: 107mg, Iron: 1.3mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Tried this recipe?Mention @bakingamoment on Instagram or tag #bakingamoment.