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Dazzle your guests with a delicious Holiday Cheesecake and transform your favorite Holiday Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars into a dessert that everyone will be talking about.
Ingredients
For the Sponge Cake Crust:
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 2 extra large eggs, separated
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed and separated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons crystallized ginger, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
For the White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake Filling:
- 1 cup canned whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 8 ounces white chocolate chips
- 3 ( 8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 extra large eggs
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
For the Butter Frosting:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Topping:
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup white chocolate chips, melted
Instructions
For the Sponge Cake Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Spray a 9-inch springform pan with non stick cooking spray.
- Wrap the outside with aluminum foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides.
- In a small bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- Beat the egg yolks on high (about 3 minutes); slowly add 2 tablespoons brown sugar and the vanilla.
- Beat an additional 3 minutes or until the yolks become thick yellow ribbons.
- Add the flour mixture to the batter, blend just until combined; blend in the melted butter.
- Wash the mixing bowl.
TIP: Make sure all traces of fat is gone. Even a little fat can cause the egg whites not to whip.
- Add the egg whites and cream of tarter to the mixing bowl; beat on high until frothy.
- Gradually add the remaining brown sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the peaks will stand up).
- Fold one third of the egg whites into the batter, then the remaining whites.
- Gently spread out the batter over the bottom of the pan; place in a large shallow baking pan.
- Bake 10 minutes or until gently touched in the center the cake springs back.
- Leave the crust in the pan and place on a wire rack to cool; leave the oven on while you prepare the cheesecake batter.
For the White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake Filling:
- The oven should still be set to 350° from the crust.
PLACE THE SPRINGFORM PAN BACK INTO SHALLOW BAKING PAN!
- Spoon the cranberry sauce into a small bowl, break it up with spoon, add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, stir until smooth; set aside.
- Pour white chocolate chips into a small microwave safe bowl; heat in 30 second increments, stirring between each time until chips are melted and creamy; set aside.
- Place all the cream cheese into a large mixing bowl; cream until smooth.
- Add the sugar and vanilla; blend until combined, light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time.
- Blend in melted white chocolate.
- Blend in the cream just until combined.
DON’T OVER MIX!
- Spoon filling over crust.
- Drop cranberry sauce in spoonfuls on top of the batter; slightly push down cranberry sauce into the batter with the spoon.
- Use a thin sharp knife to form red swirls.
- Place the cheesecake in the shallow baking pan in the oven.
- Fill the pan with hot water that comes about 1-inch up the side of the spingform pan.
- Bake until edges are light golden brown and the top is slightly golden tan with cranberry swirls (about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours.
- Refrigerate until completely cold (preferably overnight).
For the Butter Frosting:
- Add the butter to a mixing bowl; beat until light and creamy.
- Add the confectioners sugar, vanilla and milk.
- Beat to combine.
- Release the side of the springform pan.
- Gently spoon frosting on top of the cheesecake; spread to the edges.
- Sprinkle on the cranberries.
- Pour white chocolate chips into a small microwave safe bowl; heat in 30 second increments, stirring between each time until chips are melted and creamy.
- Use a fork and drizzle on top of the cheesecake in a back and forth motion.
- Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
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