Mini Raspberry Lemon Cheesecakes

These are mini Raspberry Lemon Cheesecakes (recipe below has directions for a regular size cheesecake too).  See, I love anything/everything mini.  It’s just so cute!  Plus it helps with portion control as well as waste control.  It takes awhile to eat through a cheesecake so I thought “why not half the recipe?!”

To make mini cheesecakes you need three (4 inch) Mini Spring-form Pans.  I got mine from amazon for  only $8.19 for the set.  Why did I get them?  Well, Nick was ordering some text books online and he could either pay $6 in shipping or add something to his order for at least $5 dollars so I thought spending $2 extra dollars for cute and useful spring-form pans was a pretty good deal and a much better use of our money than to pay for shipping.  Right?

I’ve got lots of ideas to put these little pans to use to stay tuned.  More cute and yummy things are coming your way!

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Are you surprised I made another lemon dessert?  I am!  It’s actually starting to grow on me.  I might just even have to admit that I like it now.

My mom would make this cheesecake when I was growing up and I always passed (and enjoyed a large bowl of ice cream instead) because of my aversion to all things lemon but I decided to give it another go.  She was pretty surprised the other day when I called asking for the recipe.

K, so cheesecake is supposed to be super creamy, flat on top, and have no cracks right?  Well that is sometimes difficult to produce so below are some common problems (my problems) with a few tips to fix ’em.  Good Luck!

My cheesecake sinks in the middle after cooling: 

Tip:  Do NOT over beat the batter.  The more you mix the cream cheese, the more air you add and this will cause your cheesecake to sink in the middle when it cools.  You want the top of you cake to be perfectly flat.  To make sure there are no lumps without beating the heck out of the cream cheese, it needs to pretty soft.  You can either let it sit out for a few hours on your counter or microwave it until you can easily press you finger into it.  You’ll also want your eggs room temp too so just set those out with your cream cheese or place them in a glass of warm water for 5-10 minutes.

Take away: Less beating = Flat top (no sinking)

My cheesecake cracks:

Tip: Cool it slowly.  The cracks are caused by sudden changes in temperature.   Leaving the cheesecake in the oven with the door cracked open after turning off the oven helps prevent this.  You then have to continue to cool it slowly by letting it come to room temperature before putting it in the cold fridge.

Take away: Slow temperature changes = crack free cake

My cheesecake is dry/crumbly:

Tip: Do NOT over bake it.  A lot of recipes call for placing the pan in a water bath to combat this (which works and  you can do) but that is just more work and risky if you ask me.  Cooking the cheesecake at a lower temperature will work similar to the whole water bath thing.

Take away: Lower temperature = Smooth creamy consistent texture

My cheesecakes aren’t perfect but they are a heck of a lot closer to it after following those wise tips that my momma shared with me.  I hope they help you too!  Have any more tricks and tips?  Please share! 🙂

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Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake

*For a full size cheese cake double all the ingredients and use a 9 inch spring form pan and cook it at 275 F for 50 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave it in there for 30 minutes. Remove and let it cool to room temperature before placing in the fridge. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 12

Author Melanie

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter melted
• 2 8 ounces packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 6 ounce container fresh raspberries
• 2 1/2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam heated until smooth (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, mix together butter and graham crackers and then press into the bottom of 3 4-inch spring form pans and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix cheese and sugar together until smooth. Mix in one egg and then add the second egg along with the zest and juice and mix until smooth (don't over beat).
4. Pour batter over crusts. Place pans on a cookie sheet and then bake for 35-40 minutes until it is puffed and the middle looks dull (not shiny). Turn off the oven and open it a crack and let it sit in in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, run a sharp knife around the edge of each cake to release it from the pan and and let cakes cool to room temperature before placing in the fridge. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before removing sides and serving. Garnish with fresh raspberries and spoon or brush on seedless jam over raspberries. (Cheesecake tastes best served at room temperature)

 Recipe Source: Adapted from my mom to mini spring-form pans

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