Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake

By AzWench

This cheesecake is light tasting even after a big meal. Wonderful flavor combination, very creamy! It's a bit of work but worth the trouble!

Ingredients

• CRUST
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter -- cut up, softened
• FILLING
• 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries or frozen unsweetened raspberries -- thawed
• 4 8 ounce packages cream cheese -- softened
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 4 eggs -- at room temperature
• 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oven to 325. Wrap bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan with wide heavy-duty foil. In large bowl, stir together 1 1/4 cups flour, 1 Tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon lemon peel. Add butter; beat at low speed until pea-sized crumbs form. Press mixture evenly into bottom and 1 inch up sides of pan. Bake 20 minutes or until edges are slightly brown. Cool on wire rack

Place 1 1/2 cups of raspberries in food processor or blender; process until pureed. Strain into small bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup puree; save remaining puree for another use.

In another large bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 1/3 cups sugar at low speed until smooth. Beat in 2 tablespoons flour. Beat in 2 eggs just until combined; repeat with remaining 2 eggs. Scrape down sides of bowl. Beat in cream, vanilla and almond extract just until blended.

Reserve 2 cups of batter in medium bowl; stir in lemon juice and 2 teaspoons lemon peel.

Stir in 1/2 cup raspberry puree into batter in large bowl until completely blended; pour into crust. Place pan in large shallow roasting or broiler pan. Fill with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

Bake 35 minutes. Carefully slide out oven rack several inches. Pour reserved lemon batter evenly over cheesecake. Bake 25 minutes or until edges are puffed and top is dry to the touch. Center should move slightly when pan is tapped but should not ripple as if liquid. Remove cake from water bath; remove foil. Place on wire rack; cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving.