Fresh homemade cranberry filling is gently swirled in a smooth Orange flavored cheesecake. It’s topped off with a festive cranberry topping sprinkled with orange zest! It’s the perfect Holiday Dessert!
One of my “favorite things” is creating a new recipe. Especially for the Holidays! I bet you thought I would say “raindrops and roses” huh? Which are nice…but they aren’t Cheesecake…and cheesecake is LIFE! (You can see why I’m a weight loss class drop out!)
I love to get in the kitchen and start mixing, blending, and baking. Oh, and the smells. I love the smells this time of year. The spices, fruits, and baked goods. It’s heavenly. I love the flavor combo’s this time of year offers as well. Like Cranberry and Orange! Hands-down one of my favorite flavor combinations.
So… when I had the opportunity to create Holiday Dessert for Amoretti Flavorings, I jumped at the chance. I dreamed this dessert into existence! A creamy Orange cheesecake with swirls of cranberry and topped off with even more cranberries.
I’ve been so excited to share this recipe with y’all. If you’re a cranberry-orange fan, you are going to love this cheesecake!
How To Make Cranberry-Orange Cheesecake
You can make this cheesecake with or without Amoretti flavorings…but I highly recommend using them if you can. If not, no worries, I’m sharing substitutions!
If you’ve never made a cheesecake before it can be a little daunting. Let’s break down the different elements of this recipe to help make it easier to follow along with my step-by-step directions.
- Step 1 – Cranberry Sauce Swirl
- Step 2 – Graham Cracker Crust
- Step 3 – Orange Cheesecake
- Step 4 – Cranberry Topping
This recipe begins with the amazing fresh cranberry sauce that you will swirl into the orange cheesecake. It needs to be chilled, so it needs to be made first.
Step 1: Cranberry Sauce Swirl
In a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, add 1/2 cup fresh cranberries, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, and 1 Tablespoon Amoretti natural Cranberry Flavor. (This flavoring smells so good you’ll want to jump into the bottle!)
TIP: You can substitute the water with cranberry juice if you don’t have cranberry extract.
Stir continually over heat until mixture comes to a low boil and berries begin to pop. Reduce heat to low, continue stirring until liquids reduce down by half.
Smash cranberries with a fork, or potato masher…yes you can dig that potato masher out for more than the mashed potatoes this Thanksgiving. Honestly this is much needed therapy…especially this year. Just get in there and smash those little ruby red gems!
Place cranberry sauce in a bowl, cover, and chill for 30 minutes, while you prepare the remainder of the cheesecake.
Step 2: Graham Cracker Crust
In a small bowl combine 2 cups crushed graham crackers, 4 Tablespoons Sugar, and 4 Tablespoons melted butter.
Mix all crust ingredients together until well combined. Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared 9-inch spring form pan. Set aside as you prepare Orange Cheesecake Filling.
Step 3: Orange Cheesecake Batter
In the bowl of stand mixer, combine softened cream cheese, and 1/2 cup of sugar. Blend on low until well combined and smooth, scrapping down the sides and bottom of bowl occasionally.
In a small bowl beat 3 large eggs. Add beaten eggs slowly to cream cheese mixture until well combined.
TIP: I like to add a little at a time, allowing the mixer to completely combine the ingredients after each addition.
Scrape down the bowl. Add the zest of one orange…
…And 1/2 Tablespoon Amoretti Orange Flavoring. This flavoring adds so much beautiful color to this cheesecake, not to mention flavor. You can substitute with 1/2 teaspoon Orange Extract.
Mix until smooth and creamy, scrapping down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is well combined.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Pour the scrumptious smooth and creamy orange cheesecake batter into the prepared graham cracker crust!
Go grab that chilled cranberry sauce that you made earlier, it’s time to swirl and twirl!
Add the chilled cranberry purée by placing 10 Tablespoon size dabs on the top of the cheesecake.
To swirl filling, place a butter knife halfway down in the middle of one of the dabs of cranberry filling. Drag the butter knife to the next dab and then the next. Continuing to go back and forth until you have achieved the perfect design. (Move over Van Gogh…This is food art my friends.)
Center the cheesecake on the middle rack of preheated oven. Place a shallow dish, like a pie plate, filled with water on the bottom rack of the oven, underneath the cheesecake to prevent cracking during baking.
Bake cheesecake for 1 hour.
Do NOT open the oven during baking!!! Let’s go over that again…DO NOT OPEN the oven during the hour the cheesecake is baking. It’s going to be okay! Just go watch a Hallmark movie while it bakes.
Isn’t that beautiful? No cracks and the perfect swirl! Let’s be proud of ourselves!!
Okay back to the cheesecake! Remove the cheesecake from the oven.
TIP: Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cheesecake pan after it has cooled about 10 minutes. This will keep the crust from sticking to the sides of the pan, pulling the cheesecake away from the crust, as it cools.
Allow to chill until completely cool. Chill the cheesecake overnight.
TIP: I place a dinner plate over the top of the cheesecake pan to keep it covered before chilling. It doesn’t stick to the top of the cheesecake like plastic wrap does.
STEP 4: How To Make Cranberry Topping For Cheesecake
In a medium sauce pan over medium heat add 1 cup fresh cranberries, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup orange juice, and 2 Tablespoon Amoretti Orange Craft Purée. You can substitute 1 teaspoon orange extract for the Orange Purée.
Stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a low boil and berries begin to pop.
In a small bowl, combine 1 Tablespoon water and 1 Tablespoons corn starch. Slowly whisk mixture into boiling cranberries, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and cool completely.
TIP: Make this the day beforehand and allow to chill overnight…then garnish top of cheesecake right before serving.
Spoon Cranberry Topping on the top of chilled cheesecake. Carefully spreading to about 1/2 inch from edge. Sprinkle with Orange Zest and garnish with sugared cranberries and orange slices. Remove form from pan.
Let’s have a “WOW” moment shall we?
WOW, WOW, WOW!!!! Isn’t it beautiful! The orange, the cranberries, it’s a dessert party for the Holidays!! This put the “Boom-bang-boom” in FESTIVE!
I had friends “taste test” this recipe, and they loved the flavors in this cheesecake. If you prefer a slightly sweeter topping I suggest adding a couple of extra Tablespoons of sugar during baking. I tend to lean towards the “tart”.
Oh, the flavors in this dessert! Epic!
Orange and cranberry are the perfect match for this delicious dessert. It truly is as tasty as it is looks. Can you see why I was so excited to share this new recipe with you for the Holidays!
Here are some other fantastic Cranberry Recipes
- Savory Sausage Cranberry Bites
- Holiday Pumpkin Cranberry Bundt Cake
- Cranberry Jello Salad
- Cranberry Apple Pie
- Cranbery Orange Jello Salad
- Cranberry Upside-Down Coffee Cake
- Cranberry Eggnog Bread
- Autumn Cheesecake from Allrecipes
Thank you so much for stopping by today and sharing in my love of Holiday Baking! I hope you’ll give this recipe a try at your Nest this year! If you love the festive flavors of the season…you’ll love this yummy dessert.
Happy Nesting!
Cranberry Orange Cheesecake
Ingredients
Cranberry Orange Cheesecake
- 24 ounces cream cheese softened (or 3 packages)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature, beaten
- Zest of one Orange
- 1/2 Tablespoon Amoretti Natural Orange Artisan Flavor or 1/2 teaspoon Orange Extract
Cranberry Sauce Swirl
- 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water or Cranberry juice
- 1 Tablespoon Amoretti Natural Cranberry Artisan Flavor optional
Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups crushed graham crackers
- 4 Tablespoons butter melted
- 4 Tablespoon sugar
Cranberry Topping
- 1 Cup fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup sugar Add 2 Tablespoons for sweeter topping
- 2 Tablespoon Amoretti Orange Craft Puree OR 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 1 Tablespoon Corn Starch
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan over medium heat add 1 cup fresh cranberries, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water or cranberry juice, and 1 Tablespoon Amoretti Cranberry Flavor (optional).
- Stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a low boil and berries begin to pop. Reduce heat to low, continue stirring until liquids reduce by half. Smash cranberries with the back of a fork or potato masher. Cool. Place in small bowl, cover, and chill 30 minutes.
- In a medium size bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Press in the bottom, and up the sides of a 9 in. spring form pan. Set pan aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°
- In the bowl of mixer, with paddle attachment, add softened cream cheese and sugar. Blend on low until well combined, scrapping down the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally. Add beaten eggs, a little at a time, mixing in-between each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add orange zest and Amoretti Orange Artisan Flavoring or Orange extract. Mix until smooth and creamy.
- Pour orange cheesecake batter into graham cracker crust. Add the chilled cranberry puree by dabbing 10 Tablespoons on the top of cheesecake. Use a butter knife to swirl the dabs of cranberry filling into the orange cheesecake batter by dragging the knife through the cranberry dabs back and forth careful not to touch the bottom crust.
- Center the cheesecake on the middle rack of preheated oven. Place a shallow baking dish, filled with one inch of water, on the bottom rack, underneath the cheesecake to prevent cracking. Do NOT open oven during baking. Bake for 1 hour.
- Remove cheesecake and allow to cool completely. While cheesecake is cooling, take a sharp knife and carefully go around between the pan and crust to loosen the crust from the pan. Cover and Chill overnight.
- In a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, add 1 cup fresh cranberries, orange juice, sugar, and Amoretti Orange Puree, or 1 teaspoon orange extract. Stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a low boil and berries begin to pop.
- In a small bowl, combine water and corn starch. Mix until well blended. Whisk into boiling cranberry sauce, constantly stirring until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and cool completely. This can be made the day before serving and chilled. Spoon fresh cranberry sauce on top of chilled Cranberry Orange Cheesecake. Garnish with additional orange zest, orange slices, and fresh sugared cranberries.