Cherry cheesecake is the most rewarding dessert there is. Little technique, a jaw-dropping result, and no one will ever ask if it was difficult. Let’s go.
Ingredients :
- Philadelphia (or St Môret type cream cheese) — Philadelphia remains the gold standard. Must be at room temperature — taken out of the fridge an hour before. Cold cream cheese gives a lumpy batter, and there’s nothing you can do to fix that once the eggs are added.
- Petit-beurre or speculoos — Both work. Petit-beurre biscuits provide a neutral base that lets the cherries dominate. Speculoos add a cinnamon-caramel note that completely changes the dessert’s profile. Neither better, nor worse — it’s a matter of what you want.
- Jarred or canned cherries — Out of season, use canned sour cherries in syrup or Amarena cherries in a jar. In summer, fresh pitted cherries with a little sugar and lemon juice make a version that is equally good. Avoid ready-made industrial toppings: they taste like candy.
- Eggs — Their role is to bind the mixture and give it its hold. Incorporate them one by one, slowly, without whisking. If you incorporate too much air, the cheesecake puffs up during baking and then collapses while cooling — and then, it’s impossible to fix.
