Meet the hard-won blackberry swirl cheesecake tart. I call it hard-won because I learned a few things while developing it. In this post I’ll walk you through the process and the small problems I solved while creating the recipe.
If you enjoy cheesecake tarts, you might also like my Chai Apple Cheesecake Tart or a light lemon sabayon tart.
You can find all my cheesecake recipes and pie and tart recipes collected on the site. Enjoy!
Table of Contents
The Nitty Gritty of Recipe Development
Sometimes I have a story to tell and a recipe to match. Other times the story is the recipe development itself. Reading about the thought process and a few hiccups might inspire you to tell your own story—in dessert form.
If you understand basic baking techniques and what ingredients do, you can make them behave the way you want. Here’s how I applied that knowledge to craft a cheesecake tart I’m proud of.
It Started with Blackberries
I had a small handful of blackberries and wanted to stretch them. I considered two ideas: cook most down into syrup and use with soft bread for a summer pudding, or adapt a chocolate cheesecake pie into a summery tart. I chose the tart.
The tart is built from three filling components (besides the crust): cheesecake filling, a fruit layer (in place of ganache), and a sweetened sour cream topping. The blackberry layer would make it summery.
You Do What You Have To Do
This was an experiment. The cheesecake and sour cream topping were straightforward, but the berries were limited. I cooked them, strained and pressed the solids, and ended up with roughly 1/2 cup of puree—enough for only a very thin layer.
How to Thicken The Blackberry Puree
Starches like flour, cornstarch, or potato starch would thicken the puree but can leave a chalky texture and dull the color. To preserve the bright purple and a silky texture, I bloomed a scant 1/2 teaspoon of gelatin in a tablespoon of water and dissolved it into the hot puree. Chilled in an ice bath, the puree thickened enough to pour and spread.
One catch: spreading the puree on a hot tart risks melting it, so timing matters.
Consistency Issues with the Filling Layers
I tried to layer the berry puree under the sour cream topping, but because the sour cream was thicker it pushed the puree toward the edges, leaving the sour cream in the center. To rescue the look, I gently marbled the two with a fork, taking care not to disturb the cheesecake layer below.
Some puree and topping overflowed the pan onto the baking sheet. I baked the marbled tart for another 10 minutes to help the sour cream set and hoped the gelatin would finish the job after chilling.
Blackberry Swirl Cheesecake Tart Success!
The gelatin behaved as expected. Once chilled it produced a lovely gel with a texture close to the sour cream, which made the tart visually appealing and pleasant to eat.
How to Modify This Recipe
This tart is very tasty and flexible. If blackberries aren’t available, substitute strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or a mix. For the crust, any neutral crisp cookie works: graham crackers, vanilla wafers, shortbread, or chocolate cookies if you want to be bold.
If you like cheesecake but find it heavy in summer, this thinner tart gives all the flavor without the commitment of a thick slab. There are several steps, but none are difficult. It makes a lovely dessert for a summer party—or just because.
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I hope you love this blackberry swirl cheesecake. If you make it, please share a photo on social media and tag the account you follow for the recipe.
Blackberry Swirl Cheesecake Tart
Jennifer Field
Equipment
- 3.5 qt saucepan or similar
- 9″ tart pan with removable bottom
Ingredients
For the Crust
- About 20 crisp cookies (to make 1 1/2 cups crumbs; Italian shortbread or similar)
- Zest of 1/4 lemon
- Pinch of salt
- 2 oz butter, melted
For the Cheesecake
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 3/4–1 cup sugar (to taste)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 drops lemon extract
For the Berry Puree
- 3/4 cup fresh or frozen blackberries
- 1/4 cup Moscato
- Pinch of salt
- A couple scrapings of lemon zest
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- Sugar to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- Scant 1/2 teaspoon plain gelatin dissolved in 1 Tablespoon cold water
For the Sour Cream Topping
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
- Sugar to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- A couple scrapings of lemon zest
- 2 drops lemon extract
Instructions
For the Crust
- Pulse cookies, lemon zest and salt in a food processor until fine crumbs form.
- Drizzle melted butter and pulse until the mixture holds together when squeezed.
- Set a 9″ tart pan on a baking sheet. Press crumbs evenly on the bottom and up the sides. Bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
For the Cheesecake
- Combine all cheesecake ingredients in the food processor and pulse to a smooth batter, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Pour evenly into the tart crust and bake in the oven center for 30 minutes.
For the Berry Puree
- Place berries, Moscato, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, salt and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Taste and adjust sweetness, and reduce slightly.
- Press berries through a fine mesh strainer, scraping the back to collect the thicker puree; you should have about 1/2 cup.
- While the puree is hot, stir in the bloomed gelatin until dissolved. Chill if needed to thicken slightly.
For the Sour Cream Topping
- Whisk sour cream with sugar, salt, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon extract until smooth. Set aside to allow sugar to dissolve, whisking occasionally.
To Finish
- When the cheesecake is just barely jiggly in the center, carefully pull the oven rack out. Pour the berry puree over the surface as evenly as possible; it will be thin and may pool.
- Dot the sour cream topping over the puree and gently marble the two with a fork, avoiding penetrating the cheesecake layer.
- Bake another 10 minutes to set the topping. Remove and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until well chilled—at least 6–8 hours before slicing.
Notes
About the Fruit Puree:
If you have more berries you can cook the puree down to thicken it or make a compote. For a thicker puree, bake the tart without the puree, spread the cooled thick puree on the chilled tart, and refrigerate until set. Then swirl on some sour cream mixture without baking—the result is creamier and behaves more like a whipped topping.
If you begin with a thicker puree, spread the sour cream first, dot with puree, and carefully swirl with a knife or fork for a controlled pattern.
Nutrition
Calories: 399 kcal
Carbohydrates: 38 g
Protein: 6 g
Fat: 26 g
Sugar: 30 g
And there you have it: a successful, slightly experimental blackberry swirl cheesecake tart. Since I worked through the experiments, you can follow a tested method and enjoy the results.
Thanks for reading, and have a lovely day.