It’s cheesecake time! Last week we celebrated Cheesecake Day – well the world did, I totally forgot about that day (shame on me). I could have posted this delicious Berry Cheesecake on that day since the recipe was done for some time already, but hey… every day can be Cheesecake Day! No matter if in spring, summer, fall or winter ;)) So let’s get the plates ready, I get a knife and we can start enjoying this beauty together…
I could eat cheesecakes all day long, every day. I love them and I think I am not the only one. A bad cheesecake is still better than a boring pound cake ;P Of course, we are not serving bad cheesecakes here – you will only find the best of the best here! With this Berry Cheesecake, I am extending my already big collection of cheesecakes with one that is made without any added sugar. It’s always a good idea to have one of those at hand if you need it, right?! ;)
I am baking more often without sugar these days… or with less sugar. Most of the time it is not a problem to reduce the amount of sugar in a bake. If you have recipes with sweet fruits or berries, it is normally easier to reduce sugar, cause the fruits and berries provide sweetness you want in a bake. In bakes, without a “natural source” for the sweetness, it’s a bit more difficult. I tend to replace sugar in those cases with less “problematic” ingredients like honey or coconut blossom sugar… or use artificial sugar replacements like Xylitol* or Erythritol*. This Berry Cheesecake here is made with Xylitol for example. The berries already provide some sweetness but a bit more through Xylitol made the cake even more enjoyable ;)
Skipping sugar and using artificial sugar replacements does not mean you are getting something without any calories… just so you know ;) Xylitol and Erythritol have both significantly fewer calories than sugar, but they are still providing you with energy. Xylitol has about 220 calories per 100 grams, Erythritol about 20 calories per 100 grams and regular sugar would be about 400 calories for the same amount. It is less, and in case of Erythritol much less, but still not free of calories. Xylitol can be used 1:1 in bakes, Erythritol needs a slightly higher dosage since it has only 70% of the sweetening power of regular sugar. If you take a look at the recipe you will see the differences – I mention both ingredients if you want to use any of them.
I hope this little excursion into the world of sugar replacements was not too much information ;) Well… back to the cheesecake. If you take a look at the recipe you might also notice, I am mentioning that you can use either fresh or frozen berries to make the cake. The season for fresh berries is quite short here in Germany, so using frozen ones is always an option. You can get fresh ones and freeze them yourself or just use stuff from the supermarket – no need to limit yourself – you can make this delicious cake all year round and not only in summer ;)
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
7 oz. (200g) all-purpose flour
3.5 oz. (100g) cold butter
pinch of salt
1/3 cup (80ml) milk
For the filling/topping:
17.6 oz. (500g) cream cheese, at room temperature
3 medium eggs
100g birch sugar (Xylitol*) or 120g Erythritol*
1 tsp. vanilla extract
7 oz. (200g) fresh or frozen berries, thawed (e.g. raspberries, blueberries, cherries)
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
2. Add the flour, cold butter, and salt to a large bowl and cut the butter with a pastry blender into pea-sized pieces. Gradually add the milk and mix until the dough comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.
3. Grease an 8 inches (20cm) springform tin lightly and set aside. Roll out the dough on a floured surface larger than the tin, transfer to the tin and press to the bottom and sides to form a nice crust – it should almost reach the edge of the tin. Prick several times with a fork and place in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Place a piece of baking parchment on top of the unbaked crust and fill up with baking beans and blind bake for 15 minutes, remove the baking beans and bake another 10 minutes until the crust has a nice golden color. Take out of the oven and let cool down a bit.
5. Reduce the heat of the oven to 320°F (160°C). Mix the cream cheese with eggs, birch sugar (or Erythritol) and vanilla extract until well combined. Pour into the pre-baked crust and sprinkle the thawed and drained on top and bake for about 60 minutes – the cheesecake should still wiggle a bit in the center but the edges should be set. In case it gets too dark, cover it with some aluminum foil while baking. Take out of the oven and let cool down completely on a wire rack. Serve with some whipped cream.
2. Mehl, kalte Butter und Salz in eine Schüssel geben und die Butter mit einem Teigmischer oder Messer in etwa erbsengroße Stücke zerteilen. Die Milch nach und nach dazugeben, bis der Teig langsam zusammenkommt – zu einer Kugel formen, plattdrücken und dann in Klarsichtfolie einschlagen und für etwa 30-60 Minuten in den Kühlschrank legen.
3. Eine 20cm Springform leicht einfetten und zur Seite stellen. Den Teig auf einer bemehlten Fläche etwas größer als die Form ausrollen, dann in die Form legen und am Boden und den Seiten festdrücken und einen Rand nach oben ziehen. Mehrmals mit einer Gabel einstechen. Für weitere 20 Minuten in den Kühlschrank stellen.
4. Den Ofen auf 200°C (390°F) vorheizen. Ein Stück Backpapier in die Form auf den Teig legen und mit Backbohnen auffüllen. Für 15 Minuten Blindbacken, Backbohnen entfernen und weitere 10 Minuten backen, bis der Teig eine schöne goldene Farbe bekommen hat. Aus dem Ofen holen und etwas abkühlen lassen.
5. Die Temperatur des Ofens auf 160°C (320°F) runterregeln. Für die Füllung den Frischkäse mit den Eiern, Birkenzucker und Vanille Extrakt verrühren. In die Form füllen und mit den aufgetauten und abgetropften Beeren bestreuen. Für etwa 60 Minuten backen – die Ränder des Käsekuchens sollten fest sein, die Mitte darf aber noch etwas wackeln, wenn man an die Form klopft. Sollte der Käsekuchen zu dunkel werden, mit etwas Alufolie abdecken. Aus dem Ofen holen und auf deinem Kuchengitter abkühlen lassen. Mit etwas Schlagsahne servieren.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Berry Cheesecake (sugar-free)
- Prep Time: 25m
- Cook Time: 1h 25m
- Total Time: 3h
- Yield: 1
- Category: Cheesecake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Delicious sugar-free cheesecake with a bunch of berries on top. A nice summer treat!
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Enjoy baking!
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
