Spring is the busy birthday season at my office, and I kicked things off today with a beautiful cheesecake topped with berry compote. This was for a coworker who was fresh off the Whole 30 and quipped “I just want a regular cheesecake with some berries. Nothing too sweet. No caramel or chocolate or any crap like that. Blueberries are nature’s Skittles, you know!” 😂

Although I absolutely loved loved loved the compote and the silky smooth texture of the cheesecake, my favorite part of this was how easy it was. Usually cheesecakes involve a huge time investment, risky water baths, and imprecise bake times that suggest things like jiggle levels. Not here! This is quick to whip up, skips the water bath,  relies on temperature rather than jiggle, and tastes amazing! So, basically, a dream cheesecake! 😀

Originally I wanted to do fresh glazed blueberries for the top of this, but when I saw the price on blueberries I got cold feet and headed for the freezer case (heyooo) for some mixed frozen berries instead. You know what though? I’m glad I did, because this pairing is absolutely lovely – I really enjoyed the extra moisture and texture added by the compote, and I know the fresh berries simply wouldn’t have served the same purpose.

My coworker did request a fruity cheesecake, but I think this recipe would lend itself equally as well to one of those cheesecakes on the sickly sweet spectrum, like maybe going with an Oreo crust and tossing in some chocolate chips? Oooo. Next time! 🙂

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Cheesecake with Berry Compote

Ingredients

Crust

• 1/2 cup 1 stick butter, melted
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 2 1/2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar

Filling

• 40 oz 5 packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 5 large eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 Tbsp butter melted

Topping

• 12 oz frozen mixed berries
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

Crust

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until sandy. Press into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan, and bake at 300 for 10-15 minutes or until the crust browns slightly and smells toasted. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Filling

1. Preheat the oven to 500.
2. Cut cream cheese into 1 inch cubes and place in the bowl of an electric mixer.
3. Using a paddle attachment, beat on medium-high for 1 minute.
4. Scrape down the sides, add salt and half the sugar, and beat on medium for 1 minute.
5. Scrape down the sides, add the rest of the sugar, and beat on medium for 1 minute.
6. Scrape down the sides, add the sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla, and beat on low speed for 1 minute.
7. Scrape down the sides, and add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 10-15 seconds apiece, scraping the bowl between additions.
8. Without touching the crust, brush the sides of the pan with melted butter.
9. Pour the filling into the prepared crust, and bake for 10 minutes.
10. Then, without opening the door, drop the temperature to 200 and bake until an instant read thermometer inserted in the center of the cake reads 150 degrees, approximately 1 hour 30 minutes.
11. Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes, then gently run a knife around the edge of the pan to release the cake. Allow the cake to cool (2-3 hours) then wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until cold.

Topping

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook until the berries are broken down and the sauce thickens. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.
2. Top the cheesecake just prior to serving.

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