See how easy it is to make a striped cheesecake with this recipe for peppermint cheesecake. Festive and unique, it is the perfect party food!
Surprise Inside
I love to make desserts with decorative stripes! There is something special about cutting into a dessert and finding a surprise design inside. This peppermint cheesecake lends itself to a look called zebra stripes. Although it is a beautiful dessert to serve at Christmas, it gets a chance for an encore on Valentineโs Day. The stripes are easy to execute and only require measurement of the batter to achieve this effect. If you are not quite into zebra stripes like me, you can make an all-pink or white cheesecake instead. This recipe not only makes a pretty pink dessert but also is a great way to use up leftover Christmas candy canes!
Zebra Stripes
The outside of this cheesecake looks like layers of stripes. However, inside, the pattern looks like zebra stripes. There is an easy technique to get this effect which I explain below.
Making the Crust
Use dark chocolate cookies for this crust. I used sandwich cookies (Oreos). I used to think you should separate the cookies and remove the sweet filling when baking with sandwich cookies. Then I discovered that it was not necessary. Just place whole sandwich cookies into a food processor and crush them. If you don’t have a food processor, you can put the cookies into a large plastic zipper bag, squeeze out the air, and use a rolling pin to crush them.
Measuring the Cookies
Measure the cookies after you crush them. If you measure the cookies before, you will not have enough crust. Add butter to the crushed cookies and stir to mix well. Since I used sandwich cookies with a sweet filling, I did not use sugar in the crust because the cookies were sweet enough. However, if you use dark chocolate cookies without a sweet filling, you can add 1/4 cup of sugar to the crust if you want it sweeter. Add the sugar when you add the melted butter; then mix well.
Preparing the Pan
If you add grease and then parchment paper to the bottom of the springform pan, you can remove the metal bottom from the cheesecake if you desire. This will let you place the cake on a cardboard base or a cake pedestal. The parchment paper also helps ensure that the cheesecake is easy to remove from the pan after slicing.
Coloring the Batter
The pleasing stripes in this cheesecake are easy to make. However, you will need to divide the batter evenly between two bowls with a food scale or a measuring cup. Add pink or red food coloring to one bowl of batter. Do not color the other bowl of batter.
Add as much or as little coloring as you choose. The recipe suggests how much to use. However, if you want subtle stripes, use less food coloring. For bold stripes, use more food coloring.
Add the Batter to the Pan
The trick to making the stripes in this cheesecake is to measure the batter carefully. Starting with the pink batter, add 1/2 cup of batter to the middle of the prepared crust. Do not spread it out or shake the pan. Then using a different measuring cup (so that you do not have to wash and dry it as you alternate between colors), measure 1/2 cup of white batter. Pour it on top of the pink batter in the middle of the pan.
Repeat the process, alternating the colors until all the batter is used. Always measure the batter carefully so that the stripes will be even. Do not tap the pan after filling it. If there are air bubbles in the batter, as shown in the photo below, leave them because they usually disappear during cooking.
Bake the cheesecake as directed in the recipe. Let it cool, and then place it in the refrigerator for six to eight hours or overnight. If decorating the cheesecake, do it the next day.
Decorating the Cooked Cheesecake
You can decorate the top of the cheesecake with whipped cream if you choose (as shown below). Use a piping bag and star tip to pipe star ruffles around the cake. To evenly space them, place one star on the edge of the cheesecake. Then place another one directly across from it on the opposite edge of the cheesecake. Repeat the order as shown in the above photo.
Cut Perfect Slices
There are a couple of tricks to cutting perfect cheesecake slices. The main trick is to freeze the finished cheesecake. Then set out the cheesecake to thaw for 20-30 minutes or until it is only partially frozen. Use a large smooth-edged knife to cut it. First, heat the knife in hot water. Then make a cut to the center of the cake. Wipe the crumbs off the knife and heat it again in hot water. Cut the other side of the cheesecake slice. Wipe off the knife and repeat the procedure until all cake slices are cut. Use this procedure to get clean, perfect cheesecake slices, as shown in the photo below.
Extra Step
Removing the Springform Bottom
You can serve the cheesecake on the flat bottom of the cake pan, which is the easiest way to present it. But for special occasions, you might want to place the cake directly onto a pedestal, cardboard, or plate. Two things make this possible: using parchment paper under the crust (as explained in Preparing the Pan above) and freezing the cheesecake.
How to Remove the Pan Bottom
Place a cardboard circle (or flat plate) on top of a frozen cheesecake while it is in the pan. Invert the cheesecake. Use a hairdryer to heat the bottom and sides of the pan. Tap the pan on the counter edge while holding the cardboard in place. Remove the pan ring. Then carefully remove the pan bottom from the cake. The parchment paper will stick to the cheesecake. Carefully peel it off. Then place your chosen serving vessel on top of the inverted cake. Flip it over. The cake is now ready for serving or adding decorations to the top.
I hope you enjoy this recipe for Peppermint Cheesecake!
Other Cheesecake Recipes
If you like this recipe, here are some other recipes you might like:
- New York Cheesecake
- Purple Sweet Potato Cheesecake
- Salted Caramel Apple Bars
- Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
- Dog Cheesecake Treats
- Rainbow Cheesecake
- How to Make Apple Cheesecake Dip
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 92 minutes |
| Passive Time | 10 hours |
| Servings |
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- 2 cups dark chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed (Oreos used; measure after crushing cookies)
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- cooking spray
- (4) 8-ounce blocks full fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons peppermint extract
- 4 eggs + 2 egg yolks, room temperature and lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup cream, room temperature
- 6-10 drops Red gel food coloring
- (1) 9-inch springform pan (3 inches deep)
- 1 large pan for water bath
- parchment paper
- 2 medium mixing bowls
Ingredients
Crust
Cheesecake
Equipment
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- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the springform pan with cooking spray. Cut a round out of parchment paper that is the size of the inside bottom of the pan. Then add the parchment paper to the bottom of the sprayed pan.
- Crush the cookies in a food processor or chopper until finely crushed.
- Stir in the melted butter until well combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the springform pan until smooth. Use a flat cup bottom to tamp down the cookie crumbs.
- Bake for 12 minutes. Let cool.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Scrape the bowl on the sides and bottom 2 or 3 times and then beat any lumps until they dissolve.
- Add the peppermint and beat.
- Add the eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating just until blended.
- Stir in the cream until mixed.
- Divide the batter between two bowls, using a measuring cup to evenly divide the batter.
- To one bowl of batter, add 6-10 drops of red food coloring. Use fewer drops to make a pink batter and more for a red batter. Stir to mix well.
- Measure ยฝ cup of white batter and pour it into the center of the cooled crust. Measure the batter carefully so that the stripes are pleasingly proportioned.
- Use another measuring cup and pour ยฝ cup of the pink batter into the center of the crust on top of the white batter.
- Measure ยฝ cup white batter again and pour it over the pink batter. Continue alternating colors until both of the batters are used, pouring the batter into the center of the pan each time.
- Fill a large flat pan with hot water and place it in the preheated oven on the lowest rack.
- Place the cheesecake on the rack above the hot water. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. If the cheesecake starts browning on top before the cooking time is over, spray a piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray and place it gently on top of the cheesecake.
- At the end of the cooking time, remove the cheesecake from the oven. It will jiggle slightly in the middle when you move it. If it seems liquid in the middle, bake it for an additional 10-15 minutes.
- Let the cheesecake cool for 2 hours. Then refrigerate it for 6-8 hours.
- Decorate the cake with finely crushed peppermint candies and whipped cream if desired. To serve, remove the pan ring and slice.
Room Temperature Ingredients
Cold ingredients can affect the baking time of the cheesecake.ย Have all cold ingredients at room temperature.ย This can take at least 1 hour out of the refrigerator.ย To speed up the process for cream cheese, follow any of the methods below.
Cut Into Blocks
Open the packages and cut the cream cheese into small blocks, spreading out the blocks.ย The cream cheese will come to room temperature quicker than if left in the packages.
Water Bath
Use a warm water bath.ย Take the cream cheese out of the cardboard packaging, but leave it in the foil wrapper. Do not unseal the foil.ย Place the cream cheese into a bowl of warm water.ย Flip the cream cheese every few minutes.ย Change the water when it becomes cool if the cream cheese does not feel room temperature.
Microwave
You can bring the cream cheese to room temperature quickly in a microwave.ย This is the quickest method, but you have to be careful not to overheat the cream cheese.ย Remove all the packaging and place the cream cheese on a microwaveable plate.ย Cut the cream cheese into 6 or 8 pieces and separate them a little. Microwave on high for 10-seconds.ย Touch the cream cheese to see if it is ready. If not, turn over the cream cheese pieces and heat for another 10 seconds.ย Repeat until the cream cheese is at room temperature.
Smooth Slices
Freezing the cheesecake helps with slicing later. For smooth slices, cut the cheesecake while it is still partially frozen. You can heat a knife in a glass of hot water or under hot tap water. Wipe off the water and slice. After cutting each cheesecake slice, clean the knife, heat it in hot water, and repeat.
Hot Water Pan
A pan of hot water helps keep the cheesecake from drying out and cracking on top. Place the pan of water on the bottom oven rack while cooking the cheesecake.