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Cranberry Cheesecake with White Chocolate Mousse and Sugared Cranberries Recipe

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4.2 from 75 reviews

This showstopping Cranberry Cheesecake is a festive American dessert perfect for Christmas gatherings. It features a buttery graham cracker crust, rich cream cheese filling swirled with tangy homemade cranberry jam, topped with a luscious white chocolate mousse, and garnished with sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs. The combination of creamy, tart, and sweet flavors guarantees rave reviews and repeated dessert requests.

  • Total Time: 9 hours 55 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

Cranberry Filling

  • 1 (12-ounce) bag fresh or frozen cranberries (about 3 cups)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Crust

  • 2 1/4 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 6 Tablespoons salted butter, melted

Cheesecake

  • 24 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature

Mousse

  • 1 (4-ounce) bar white chocolate, chopped
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Candied Cranberries & Rosemary

  • 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 cup water
  • 8-10 sprigs fresh rosemary

Instructions

  1. Make Cranberry Filling: Combine cranberries, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup water in a medium pot over medium heat. Stir frequently until the cranberries burst and the mixture thickens, about 10-15 minutes. Add extra water if it sticks to the pot. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract, and cool completely. This can be made up to 2 weeks ahead and refrigerated.
  2. Prepare Sugared Cranberries & Rosemary: In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup water to a boil over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add cranberries and soak 1-2 minutes, then strain and spread on parchment-lined baking sheet or wire rack, ensuring they don’t touch. Soak rosemary sprigs in syrup similarly, drain, and place on baking sheet. Let cranberries and rosemary dry 1-2 hours until tacky, then toss with granulated sugar to coat. Store airtight for 3-5 days or use immediately.
  3. Prepare Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F and line bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until finely crushed. Mix crumbs with sugar and melted butter until evenly moistened. Press crumbs firmly into the pan and halfway up the sides using a flat-bottomed cup or glass. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and cool. Lower oven temperature to 325°F.
  4. Make Cheesecake Filling: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and flour with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Mix in sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla extract, scraping bowl as needed. Add eggs one at a time on low speed, scraping between additions. Avoid overmixing to prevent air incorporation.
  5. Assemble & Bake Cheesecake: Pour half the batter into crust. Dollop half the cranberry filling over batter, stirring it gently with a butter knife to swirl. Pour remaining batter atop and dollop remaining cranberry filling, swirling again. Place cheesecake in preheated 325°F oven. Set a large pan of hot water on rack below cheesecake to create a water bath. Bake 55-60 minutes until edges are set and center jiggles slightly.
  6. Cool Cheesecake: Turn off oven and crack oven door open. Let cheesecake cool inside for 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around the pan edge to loosen. Leave in oven with door ajar 20-30 more minutes. Remove and cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight to set fully.
  7. Prepare White Chocolate Mousse: Melt white chocolate gently in microwave at 50% power in 20-30 second bursts, stirring between until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth, then mix in melted chocolate. Whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture gently with a spatula until combined.
  8. Finish and Decorate: Remove chilled cheesecake from pan and place on serving plate. Spread white chocolate mousse evenly over cheesecake surface to edges. Arrange sugared rosemary sprigs in a wreath around edges and pile sugared cranberries on top as desired. Serve chilled.

Notes

  • You can prepare the cranberry filling up to 2 weeks ahead and refrigerate.
  • Use room temperature ingredients for the cheesecake to ensure a smooth batter.
  • Do not overmix the batter after adding eggs to avoid cracks in the cheesecake.
  • The water bath during baking helps prevent cracking and results in creamy texture.
  • Sugared cranberries and rosemary can be stored airtight for up to 5 days.
  • For best results, chill cheesecake overnight before serving.
  • Pressing crust halfway up the sides adds extra structure to hold the filling.
  • Allow mousse to soften slightly at room temperature if too firm before spreading to avoid cracking.
  • Author: ELLA
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 55 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Find it online: https://ellarecipe.com/cranberry-cheesecake-with-white-chocolate-mousse-and-sugared-cranberries-recipe/