Okay friends, it has been a HOT MINUTE since I made a blog post, but I am coming back with a BANG. Today, I present to you this Festive Gluten Free White Chocolate Cheesecake with Cranberry Compote. FYI, it is divine.
I think that if I did a poll, a lot of you would say that cheesecake is one of the most divine things on this earth.. Maybe I’m wrong, but I know some die hard cheesecake fans out there. Like DIE HARD fans. My best friend being one of them, who’s son who was 5 at the time called her out by saying “Mommy eats her cheesecake at 10pm when I’m in bed” LOL. Kids are brutally honest.. But you know what? She’s not alone.
I’m not saying it’s necessarily a healthy choice, but a bedtime snack of cheesecake is probably one of the most tastiest options out there.. Just saying.
As mentioned earlier in this post, this cheesecake is seriously DIVINE.
DIVINE I TELL YOU.
I don’t make cheesecake often as I am sensitive to lactose, but when I do, I go all out baby.
The combination of sour cream and melted white chocolate provides flavour depth that’s contrasts yet compliments each other perfectly. I like using sour cream in my cheesecakes (and my cream cheese icings too!) because I find it brings more flavour balance to the dish. The orange infused crust that the cheesecake lays on is simple and subtle, but is definitely a star plater in this cake. Finally, the cranberry compote really makes this cake festive for the holidays, but not so much so that it would be weird to make it in the middle of summer or fall.
Reasons why you will love this Festive Gluten Free White Chocolate Cheesecake with Cranberry Compote:
- It is an easy to prepare recipe and there isn’t too much precision or technique required
- It is a delicious gluten free treat that your gluten free friends can enjoy!
- Your whole family will love you a million times more after you feed them this cake
- It will satisfy your sweet tooth
- It is the most perfect addition to your Christmas dessert buffet!
- It is rich and filling, so can easily feed 12 people at your holiday gathering
If you are looking to do some holiday baking, here are some delicious recipes to choose from on Wholistic Foodie!
Goji Berry & Salty Pistachio Chocolate Bark
Dairy Free Eggnog
Paleo Eggnog Pound Cake
recipe notes:
- Use all purpose flour instead of gluten free flour if you do not require it to be gluten free
- The crust has a subtle orange flavour, and if you wish to add more orange zest, feel free to do so! The zest will not negatively affect the result of the pie crust.
- Similarly to the pie crust, you can also use the juice from that additional orange in the cranberry compote if you desire.
- Allow the cranberry compote to cool before garnishing the cheesecake with it, but if you let it cool completely in the fridge it will become thick. It will still taste delicious, but will look less appetizing, so just add it to a small sauce pan and gently reheat (potentially adding 1 tbsp of water to it).
Festive Gluten Free White Chocolate Cheesecake with Cranberry Compote
- December 11, 2020
- 8+
- 10 hr
- Print this
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- ½ C butter, room temperature
- ¼ C sugar
- 1 C gluten free 1:1 flour (I used Bobs Red Mill)
- Zest from 1 orange
- For the cheesecake:
- 500g cream cheese, room temperature
- ¾ C sugar
- ½ C sour cream
- 2 tbsp arrowroot starch (or corn starch)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- ¾ C white chocolate chips, melted but not hot
- For the compote:
- 2 C cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- ⅔ C sugar
- Juice of 1 orange
- ⅓ C water
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ginger
Directions
- Step 1
- Preheat oven to 400° and grease a 9 inch springform pan with butter (I also like to use parchment paper on the bottom of the pan to ensure there is no sticking or problem removing the cheesecake when it’s finished)
- Step 2
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, gluten free flour and orange zest. I like to use an electric mixer until the ingredients come together and start to get crumbly, then I switch to using a wooden spoon until it forms into a dough. Transfer to the springform pan and press dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Poke crust with a fork a few times, then bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool and reduce the oven temperature to 300°.
- Step 3
- While the crust is cooling, begin to prepare the filling by adding the cream cheese and sugar to a large mixing bowl and beating on high speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sour cream, vanilla and arrowroot starch and blend well. With the mixer on low speed, add in the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, waiting for the egg to be fully incorporated into the batter before adding the next egg/yolk. Next, mix in the melted white chocolate on low speed. Pour batter onto the cooled shortbread crust and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the center of the cheesecake slightly jiggles when moved. Let the cheesecake cool for at least 1 ½ – 2 hours at room temperature, then chill for 8 hours or overnight in the fridge.
- Step 4
- To make the cranberry compote, place all ingredients into a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer for about 15 minutes or until the cranberries have “popped” (you can also pop or mash the cranberries with a fork). Set aside to cool.
- Step 5
- When you are ready to enjoy your cheesecake, take it out of the pan by running a butter knife along the edges of the springform pan. If you used a piece of parchment paper on the bottom, just gently lift the cheesecake from the bottom of the pan. If you didn’t use parchment paper, gently lift the cheesecake with a palette knife or pie knife and gently lift from the pan and slide it to a pie plate or serving platter. Top the cheesecake with cranberry compote and additional orange zest if you please! Cut into 8 (or more) pieces and serve.
Absolutely beautiful photos if I do say so myself!
Thank you!
This cheesecake is melt-in-your-mouth good… Literally what dreams are made of. Can not recommend it enough.