This beautiful and scrumptious cranberry white chocolate mousse cheesecake is an absolute showstopper of a vacation dessert!

And simply have a look at these sugared cranberries! 😍 (You gained’t imagine how simple they’re to make!) All the completely different layers and parts may be made forward of time for fast meeting and baking. I’m strolling you thru every part under!

Fast Cranberry Jam

Completely integral to the recipe, this fast and straightforward cranberry jam is simply:

• recent cranberries
• granulated sugar
• water + a contact of recent lemon juice + a tiny little bit of vanilla extract

Simmer all of these substances till the cranberries pop and break down and the jam is tremendous thick. It would thicken even a bit extra because it cools.

Let it cool to room temperature. The jam may be made a number of days upfront.

Learn how to Make Sugared Cranberries

I’ve all the time thought sugared cranberries to be one of the lovely garnishes ever. However I assumed they had been difficult to make.

Boy was I ever improper! These sugared cranberries are easy as may be.

1. Simmer sugar and water till the sugar dissolves making a easy syrup.
2. Pour the straightforward syrup over recent cranberries and allow them to sit on this combination for five to 10 minutes.
3. Use a slotted spoon to take away the cranberries from the straightforward syrup and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet (with out touching or they’ll stick collectively).
4. Let the cranberries dry for a number of hours till they’re sticky to the contact.
5. Roll in granulated sugar.

That’s it! The sugared cranberries may be made a number of days upfront and hold greatest uncovered at room temperature (in a cool, dry spot).

Cheesecake Batter

The cheesecake batter on this recipe is egg-free and bakes as much as the lightest, creamiest baked cheesecake you’ll ever meet.

It’s superb. And it comes with an ancestry that’s loaded with rave opinions (began with this white chocolate mousse cheesecake which has now been made right into a peppermint bark model, a pumpkin model, and now this epic cranberry cheesecake).

A little bit of cornstarch within the batter helps thicken, in addition to soften, the cheesecake batter for a luscious, ethereal consequence.

Additionally, as a result of there aren’t any eggs within the recipe, this cheesecake isn’t vulnerable to cracking like so many different baked cheesecake recipes.

Assembling Cranberry Cheesecake

The crust for this cheesecake bakes for a couple of minutes by itself earlier than assembling the remainder of the layers.

• First: crust
• Second: half of the cheesecake batter
• Third: half of the cooled cranberry jam
• Fourth: remaining cheesecake batter

At this level, the cheesecake is baked till the sides are set and the middle continues to be a bit jiggly wiggly.

As soon as the cheesecake is usually cooled, proceed with the layers.

• Fifth: remaining cranberry jam
• Sixth: white chocolate mousse layer

Selecting the Proper Springform Pan Measurement

The images on this submit present the cheesecake assembled and baked in a 9-inch springform pan {aff. hyperlink}.

You may see that it’s very full. And that’s with out the sweetened whipped cream layer. If utilizing a 9-inch springform pan, be certain the edges are at the least three inches tall.

A 10-inch springform pan {aff. hyperlink} can even work nice for this recipe.

Both manner, I favor to both pipe the sweetened whipped cream across the edges or dollop on particular person servings vs spreading excessive of the white chocolate mousse (irrespective of the scale of pan).

Non-obligatory Layers

Whereas undoubtedly lovely, the sugared cranberries are utterly non-obligatory for this cheesecake. They’re solely used for garnish (and for consuming if folks need to – I feel they’re yummy!), however they aren’t integral to the recipe just like the crust, cranberry jam, cheesecake batter or white chocolate mousse.

The sweetened whipped cream additionally makes a fairly and yummy garnish and helps lower via the richness of the cheesecake, but it surely additionally isn’t 100% obligatory, and the cheesecake is scrumptious with or with out.

If this recipe appears a bit a lot (I get it! It’s form of intense!), you’ll be able to simply ditch these two parts for a extra approachable, however nonetheless show-stopping, dessert.

Greatest Vacation Cheesecake

Nonetheless, should you select to just accept this mission, I can assure that inside a number of hours (and after washing a bowl or two), you’ll be gazing one of the scrumptious vacation cheesecakes within the historical past of ever.

The rivers of candy and tart cranberry jam run via the gentle and creamy cheesecake batter for an extremely tasty distinction of flavors.

And the white chocolate mousse layer? It brings all of the consolation of a weighted blanket throughout a nap after a nerve-racking day. It settles in on high of the cheesecake with the arrogance of the singular part wanted to convey every part collectively into one astonishingly great cheesecake.

There may be a lot to like about this cranberry white chocolate mousse cheesecake.

It’s beautiful.

The vacation flavors are high notch.

It’s distinctive however not bizarre.

And it’s actually among the finest cheesecakes I’ve ever had.

If you’re searching for the proper vacation dessert, that is the one. Learn via the recipe completely, as a result of I feel you’ll discover that whereas it’s prolonged and there are lots of parts, it actually does come collectively faster and extra simply than you would possibly assume.

Seize that apron and get going! I promise it’ll be price it.

One 12 months In the past: No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeye Cookies
Two Years In the past: Samoas Chocolate Pudding Dessert {Coconut + Caramel} 
Three Years In the past: Gentle Gingerbread Swig Sugar Cookies {No Rolling or Slicing Out}
4 Years In the past: Creamy Tuscan Tortellini Soup {Fast and Straightforward} 
5 Years In the past: Gingerbread Cookie Butter Oatmeal Cookies 
Six Years In the past: Decadent Chocolate Caramel Tart
Seven Years In the past: One Pot Creamy White Lasagna Rooster Soup
Eight Years In the past: Chocolate Fudge Bitter Cream Bundt Cake 
9 Years In the past: Cinnamon Caramels {Chocolate Dipped If You Dare} 
Ten Years In the past: Chocolate Shortbread Fingers 

Cranberry White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake

Yield: 12 servings (9- or 10-inch cheesecake)

Prep Time: 2 hours hrs

Prepare dinner Time: 45 minutes minutes

Chilling/Cooling: 2 hours hrs

Complete Time: 4 hours hrs 45 minutes minutes

Sugared Cranberries:

• 1 cup recent cranberries (Four oz/113 g)
• ¾ cup water
• ¾ cup (159 g) granulated sugar

Fast Cranberry Jam:

• 4 cups recent cranberries (16 oz/454 g)
• 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon recent lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Crust:

• 1 ½ cups (150 g) finely crushed graham crackers, about 9 to 10 rectangle graham crackers
• ¼ cup (53 g) granulated sugar
• 1 giant egg yolk (see observe)
• 6 tablespoons (85 g) butter, melted

Cheesecake Batter:

• 24 ounces (680 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup (227 g) bitter cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

White Chocolate Mousse:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream (see observe)
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 ounces white chocolate (NOT almond bark, sweet wafers or white chocolate chips), melted (see observe)

Sweetened Whipped Cream:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• For the sugared cranberries, place the cranberries in a medium bowl. Warmth the water and sugar in a saucepan till simmering and the sugar is totally dissolved, 2 to three minutes. Pour the combination over the cranberries and stir them to coat. Let the cranberries sit within the easy syrup for five to 10 minutes.

• Take away the cranberries with a slotted spoon, draining extra syrup, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet with out touching (or they’ll stick collectively). Allow them to dry for one to 2 hours (it’s okay in the event that they’re nonetheless a bit moist on the underside however the high and sides must be sticky to the contact). Roll the cranberries in granulated sugar to coat and place in a bowl or on a tray. Put aside. The sugared cranberries may be made a number of days upfront. Cowl and hold at room temperature.

• For the cranberry jam, mix all of the substances besides the vanilla in a medium saucepan. Convey to a simmer over medium warmth and cook dinner, stirring typically, for 10-12 minutes till thick. Reasonable warmth so the jam would not burn. Stir within the vanilla. Scrape right into a bowl and let cool to room temperature. The jam may be made a number of days upfront.

• For the crust, preheat the oven to 350 levels F. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add the egg yolk and melted butter and blend till evenly mixed.

• Press the graham cracker combination into the underside and simply barely up the edges of a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan (will likely be very full if utilizing 9-inch pan, be certain sides are at the least three inches tall). In case your pan is vulnerable to leaking, place foil across the backside and up the facet on the skin of the pan earlier than baking.

• Bake the crust for Eight minutes. Take away and let cool utterly. Maintain the oven on at 350 levels F for the cheesecake.

• For the cheesecake layer, in a medium bowl with a handheld electrical mixer or within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the cream cheese till tremendous gentle and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and cornstarch and blend till well-combined, scraping down the edges of the bowl as wanted. Add the bitter cream and vanilla and blend till easy and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.

• Unfold HALF of the cheesecake batter over the crust. Dollop HALF of the cooled cranberry jam over the cheesecake batter and gently unfold round. If it has been chilled, will probably be a bit tougher to unfold over the gentle cheesecake batter, but it surely would not should be excellent. Unfold the remaining cheesecake batter excessive.

• Bake for 45 to 60 minutes (extra time for a full 9-inch pan, probably a bit much less time for a 10-inch pan), till the sides are set however the middle nonetheless jiggles barely. Take away from the oven and let cool utterly.

• When cool, dollop the remainder of the cranberry jam excessive and unfold evenly. It could not totally cowl the cheesecake – it is okay if it’s a bit patchy right here and there.

• For the white chocolate mousse, in a medium bowl, beat the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla with an electrical mixer (handheld or stand mixer) till peaks type.

• In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese till fluffy. Add the melted white chocolate and blend till easy and creamy. Fold within the whipped cream mixing gently with a rubber spatula till evenly mixed (see observe). Unfold the white chocolate mousse over the cranberry jam. Chill for 1 to 2 hours so the mousse layer can arrange a bit.

• For the sweetened whipped cream, beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla collectively till peaks type. Unfold the whipped cream evenly over the white chocolate mousse OR pipe across the edges.

• Garnish cheesecake or particular person servings with sugared and/or recent cranberries.

• The cheesecake may be made 1 to 2 days upfront. Add the sweetened whipped cream inside 2 to three hours of serving and add sugared cranberries proper earlier than serving as each of these parts can get liquidy (and the cranberries will lose their crackly sugar coating) if added to the cheesecake too far upfront.

Non-obligatory: whereas lovely, the sugared cranberries are utterly non-obligatory for this cheesecake. They’re solely used for garnish (and for consuming if folks need to), however they aren’t integral to the recipe. The sweetened whipped cream additionally makes a tasty garnish and praise to the wealthy cheesecake, but it surely isn’t obligatory, and the cheesecake is scrumptious with or with out.
Heavy Whipping Cream: the recipe states to whip the heavy cream individually when making the white chocolate mousse layer. I take advantage of 40% fats heavy cream (Darigold model from Costco), and skip this step. As a substitute, I soften the white chocolate, add the softened cream cheese and whip till creamy. Then I add the heavy cream and vanilla and blend till tremendous thick and creamy. The rationale the recipe isn’t written this manner is as a result of not everybody makes use of the identical heavy cream as I do, and if you’re utilizing a heavy cream with much less fats (completely different manufacturers will differ in fats share), it could not thicken added as liquid to the white chocolate/cream cheese with out whipping it to peaks first. 
White Chocolate: it’s actually vital to make use of *actual* white chocolate for the mousse layer and never almond bark or melting wafers. White chocolate chips typically don’t soften properly, both, so they aren’t really helpful because the white chocolate must be melted alone earlier than being blended with the cream cheese. I take advantage of the Ghirardelli white chocolate bars (often discovered within the baking aisle by the chocolate chips). 
Egg Yolk: because the cheesecake batter is egg-free, this can be a fashionable recipe for those who want an egg-free dessert. For that cause (and others), the egg yolk may be eradicated from the crust, if wanted. 

Serving: 1 serving, Energy: 601kcal, Carbohydrates: 72g, Protein: 8g, Fats: 33g, Saturated Fats: 19g, Ldl cholesterol: 106mg, Sodium: 381mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 59g

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Recipe Supply: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe