Fresh Cherry Cheesecake

Fresh Cherry Cheesecake has been on my mind lately. When I think of a dessert with fruit, I do not want something that comes out of a tin can. Most recipes that involve cherries call for the canned type. Not exactly my thing. They just don’t have that fresh flavor and have an artificial, syrupy taste. Fresh is so much better, and once you try fresh, you won’t want to go back.

Cheesecake has always been a favorite of mine anyway. As a child, it took me forever to try it. I mean, the name does sound weird, and why would you put cheese in a dessert? Once I tried it, though, there was no going back. After that first taste, my grandma would always have a Sara Lee No-Bake Cheesecake ready for when we would come to visit.

While this recipe isn’t No-Bake, it does bring me back to that little girl who looked forward to her slice of cheesecake for dessert.

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For the graham cracker crumbs, you can certainly buy them already crumbled. I happened to have graham crackers on hand, so I used my Ninja Professional Blender to crush them into fine pieces. This is the best blender I have ever owned. It does such a great job on so many things. I got it nearly 10 years ago and use it several times per week. It does an awesome job of making smoothies, and can even make homemade peanut butter. It’s a fantastic kitchen tool to have around!

The cheesecake recipe itself uses cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream to help give it a creamy texture. I use my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer with the flat beater attachment whenever I make cheesecake. It mixes the ingredients thoroughly and is quick with no splatter around the kitchen. If you are in the market to get one, do it! I’ve had mine for 9 years and it is still going strong. All I can say is that the tragic day that decides its life is over, I will be getting a new one that day. Seriously, I can’t live without it!

You’ll want to be sure to use a 9” Springform Pan. This is because cheesecakes cannot be inverted to remove them from the pan for presentation. With a springform pan, you simply release the side ring and pull it up. This makes it both prettier to present and easier to cut into neat slices.

You’ll know the cheesecake is ready to remove from the oven when the edges are starting to turn golden in color. The middle 2-3 inches should jiggle slightly. If you wait until there is no more jiggle, your cheesecake will be overdone. If baked too long, it will still taste good, but won’t be as creamy.

I let my cheesecake cool overnight and waited until the next morning before I began to make the cherry topping. Hubby and I pitted the cherries together (sorry, there’s no clean way that we’ve found to do this), and I made the topping. It’s pretty straightforward to make and doesn’t take long at all. It cools fairly quickly, so if you’re dying to try your Fresh Cherry Cheesecake, you won’t have a long wait!

The cheesecake should be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. You can also store leftovers in the freezer to make them last longer. If you have any extra cherry topping, store it in a sealed container in the fridge. We are saving it to use on top of ice cream.

If you love cheesecake, you might also like Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies

Print Recipe

Fresh Cherry Cheesecake

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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Dessert

Serves: 10

Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cooking Time: 60-70 minutes

Fresh Cherry Cheesecake is a dessert with a beautiful presentation. Made with a creamy cheesecake and fresh cherry topping, it's a dessert sure to impress.

Ingredients

• CHEESECAKE
• 1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• CHERRY TOPPING
• 2 1/2 cups fresh cherries, pitted
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp almond extract

Instructions

1

CHEESECAKE

2

Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously grease the sides of a 9″ springform pan.

3

Mix the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter together in a small bowl. Press into the bottom of the springform pan.

4

Bake for 10 minutes then set aside to cool.

5

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until combined and creamy.

6

Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until well incorporated

7

Blend in the sour cream and vanilla until smooth.

8

Pour over the crust.

9

Bake for 60-70 minutes or until the edges are set and 2-3″ of the center jiggles slightly.

10

Turn off the oven and run a knife along the edge to loosen the cake from the sides.

11

Let cool in the oven for an hour with the door slightly ajar. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature before refrigerating for a minimum of 4 hours.

12

CHERRY TOPPING

13

Pit cherries.

14

In a medium saucepan, heat the cherries, sugar, and 1 1/2 tbsp of the water until heated.

15

Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining 1/2 tbsp of water.

16

Stir in the cornstarch and almond extract. Continue to cook until sauce thickens (about 3-4 minutes).

17

Let cool completely before spooning over cheesecake and serving.