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Copycat Junior’s Apricot and Raspberry Cheesecake

This cheesecake is a beautiful and delicious labor of love. It is as much work as you might guess, but it is even more delicious than it looks.

Yes, the recipe has a long list of ingredients and an equally long list of steps, but it is worth it for a special occasion.

Notes:
-I would not suggest using any other size pan but a 9-inch. We used an 8-inch pan in the past and the filling did not set up properly.
-For high altitude bakers, I would suggest using our substitution of 1/2 cup of sour cream and 1/4 cup of heavy cream in place of the 3/4 cup of heavy cream. We had more success with the cheesecake setting up this way. This would also be a good substitution if you enjoy the flavor of sour cream, which is quite good in cheesecakes.

Apricot and Raspberry Junior’s Cheesecake
Makes one 9-inch cheesecake

Ingredients:

  • Sponge Cake Layer:
  • 1/2 cup sifted cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 3 large eggs, separated
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 drops lemon extract (alternatively you can use Fiori di Sicilia, which is what we used)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • Cream Cheese Filling:
  • 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
  • 1 2/3 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream (See notes above for an alternative)
  • For garnish:
  • 1 can of solo apricot pastry filling (alternatively, use a small jar of apricot preserves)
  • 3 cups fresh raspberries, rinsed and dried (I didn’t measure, it is probably between 2-3 cups)
  • Frosting:
  • 4 cups of your favorite buttercream frosting (We don’t use a recipe for this part, it is just by eye, so I don’t have a recipe for you for this step.)

Directions:

  1. Sponge cake: Preheat the oven to 350-f degrees and generously butter a 9-inch springform pan. (Do NOT substitute an 8-inch pan)
  2. Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
  3. Beat the egg yolks together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high for 3 minutes.
  4. Then, with the mixer still running, gradually add the 1/3 cup of sugar and continue beating until thick light-yellow ribbons form in the bowl, about 5 minutes more.
  5. Beat in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
  6. Sift the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in by hand until mo more white flecks appear.
  7. Then blend in the butter.
  8. In a clean bowl, using clean dry beaters, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on high until frothy.
  9. Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the whites should stand up in stiff peaks, but not be dry).
  10. Stir about 1/3 cup of the whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining whites (don’t worry if a few white specks remain).
  11. Gently spoon the batter into the pan.
  12. Bake the cake just until the center of the cake springs back when lightly touched, only about 10 minutes (watch carefully.) Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack while you continue making the cheesecake filling.
  13. Do not remove the cake from the pan.
  14. For the Cream Cheese Filling:
  15. Place one 8-ounce package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl.
  16. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, then beat in the remaining 3 packages of the cream cheese.
  17. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat in the remaining 1 1/3 cups of the sugar, then beat in the vanilla.
  18. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating the batter well after each one.
  19. Blend in heavy cream.
  20. At this point mix the filling only until completely blended. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
  21. Gently spoon the cheese filling on top of the baked sponge cake layer.
  22. Place the springform pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the side of the pan.
  23. Bake the cheesecake until the center barely jiggles when you shake the pan, about 1 hour.
  24. Cool the cake on a wire rack for 1 hour.
  25. Then cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until it’s completely cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.
  26. Prepare the buttercream frosting and set aside.
  27. Remove the sides of the springform pan.
  28. Spread a layer of the apricot filling over the chilled cheesecake. Add the raspberries on top of the apricot filling in a neat, uniform pattern.
  29. Slide the cake off of the bottom of the pan onto a serving plate. Pipe with prepared buttercream frosting in any design you prefer, going along the base and around the top.
  30. Store any leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator.

Adapted from Food.com

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2 Comments

  1. My hubsands birthday is coming up in May and as he loves raspberries I shall make this for him It look delicious and I am sure he will enjoy it Thank you
    Deirdre