Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake (Cheesecake Factory Copycat)
Photos edited by my gf.
Edit:
Here's the recipe.
For the vanilla cake layer, I used this recipe by Nagi for a 9 inch pan, but please feel free to use your favorite vanilla cake recipe. I would suggest that you can change this to a 10 inch pan and cut out a 9 inch diameter circle for the cheesecake as the vanilla cake will shrink as it cools. Level the cake to about 3/4 inch in height (I can't remember exactly the height I leveled it to, but keep in mind the cheesecake will compress this layer a bit).
For the raspberry coulis, I used the ratios in Sally's recipe here, but used the nappe test to determine when it's ready (when the sauce coats the back of a spoon and swiping a finger through it creates a line that holds).
For the ladyfingers, I used Aya's recipe here, but you can use any other recipe or store-bought. I would bake them a little longer so they are a bit drier/crispier since you'll be soaking them in the raspberry coulis.
For the cheesecake batter, you can use basically any New York cheesecake recipe (I tried Aya's recipe this time because I wanted egg whites for macarons) using ratios for 3 blocks of cream cheese, but add lemon zest from 1 lemon and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. This should give you enough space on top for you to add the lemon mousse so that it is level with the top of the springform pan (assuming 3-inch tall pan). When adding the lemon zest, add it to the sugar first and either blend in a food processor rub them together with your hands to release the oils. If I were to make this again, I would experiment with adding lemon extract/paste/oil or more lemon zest for a stronger lemon flavor.
For the lemon mousse, I used the recipe from Makinze's version of this cheesecake. The swirls were whipped cream stabilized with some gelatin.
To assemble the cheesecake:
- Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter with a layer of parchment paper on the bottom.
- Place the leveled vanilla cake on the bottom.
- Place the ladyfingers on top to figure out the arrangement first, then take them out. Cut the ladyfingers as necessary to make them fit. Pour a thin layer of the raspberry coulis on top (I poured a bit too much in my case). Then dip and cover the ladyfingers in the raspberry coulis from the bowl and place them on top of the cake. It should look like this.
- Pour the cheesecake batter on top. Bake in a water bath at 325 degrees F for about an hour or until the edges are set and the middle wobbles slightly like Jell-O.
- After the cheesecake cools completely and is chilled in the fridge, layer the lemon mousse on top. Put it back in the fridge until set or overnight.
- Finally, pipe whipped cream on top (Wilton 1M) and serve.
Hopefully that helps!