Blackberry Ripple Lime Cheesecake Recipe

With summer berries in season, it’s the perfect time to make your own cheesecake with pops of naturally sweet and tart flavors that complement the cake’s creaminess. Plus, rippling the blackberry purée through the batter gives this cheesecake a dramatic look. It might seem difficult, notes cookbook author Lori Longbotham, who contributed the recipe to Real Food, but all you need to do is pour the purée in thin lines, in a bull’s-eye pattern, on top of the batter, and then use a table knife to swirl the purée through. Don’t overdo it; just a few swirls will create a beautiful effect.

Note that the cake needs to be refrigerated at least eight hours or overnight before serving—but by making it ahead of time you will have it ready for a delicious and impressive dessert.

Blackberry Ripple Lime Cheesecake Recipe

Serves 10 to 12

Crust:
112 cups pecan pieces
12 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
14 cup (12 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
2 6-ounce packages ripe blackberries
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
14 cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter the side and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

For crust: Pulse pecans, flour and sugar in a food processor until nuts are finely ground. Add butter and pulse until blended. Use a glass to firmly press crust into the pan, evenly covering the bottom and going 1 inch up the side. Bake until light brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

For Filling: Mash blackberries and sugar together with a pastry blender, a potato masher or a fork in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until berries begin to release their juices, stir in cornstarch, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil 1 minute. Pour through a coarse strainer into a bowl and refrigerate purée, covered, until ready to use.

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium-high speed about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in condensed milk, lime juice, zest and vanilla, scraping down the side of the bowl as necessary. Reduce speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Transfer blackberry purée to a small glass measure. Pour batter into pan, drizzle with blackberry purée, and swirl a table knife through the batter to marbleize. Bake until puffed on the sides and still jiggly in the center, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate, tightly wrapped, at least 8 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, run a sharp knife around edge of the pan to loosen the cake, and remove the side of the pan. Cut into thin slices with a sharp knife dipped into hot water after each cut, and serve.

Mary Subialka is the editor of Real Food and Drinks magazines, covering the flavorful world of food, wine, and spirits. She rarely meets a chicken she doesn’t like, and hopes that her son, who used to eat beets and Indian food as a preschooler, will one day again think of real food as more than something you need to eat before dessert and be inspired by his younger brother, who is now into trying new foods.