Rainbow Cheesecake

I recently saw a picture of a rainbow cheesecake and thought to myself,” I really love rainbows and cheesecake… I should make one of those!” So I did! Not only is this cheesecake delicious, it’s fun and beautiful. I may never be able to make a regular cheesecake again.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups graham crackers, crushed

• 1/2 cup toasted almonds

• 2 tbls sugar

• 6 tbls unsalted butter

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1 pinch salt

• 2 lbs cream cheese, room temp

• 1 1/3 cups sugar

• 2 tsp vanilla

• 4 large eggs

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1 pinch salt

• 1 container food coloring (blue, red, yellow, green)

Directions:

1. Get out your springform pan and make sure it’s water tight. Wrap a few layers of foil on the outside of the pan to ensure no water gets in. If you’re fortunate to be an owner of a cheesecake moat you can skip this step.

2. Get out your food processor (or blender). To make the crust, grind the graham crackers until they are very fine.

3. Mix crushed crackers, pinch of salt, 2 tbls sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl.

4. Add butter and mix together with your clean hands.

5. Press all but a few tbls of graham cracker mix into the springform pan. Press it down firmly into the pan. I like using a glass with a flat bottom to make sure it’s nice and even.

6. Bake the crust in a pre-heated oven at 350 F for 10 minutes on a low rack.

7. When it’s finished, allow it to cool completely before continuing. If there are any holes in your crust, use the extra mixture we saved to fill the holes. Turn the oven down to 325 F.

8. Get out your mixer. If you don’t have a standing one, you can use a handheld. It just won’t be as easy.

9. Cut cream cheese into pieces and put it in the bowl of the mixer. Whip until smooth, about 4 mins.

10. Add sugar and continue to beat until smooth again. About another 4 or 5 mins.

11. Add a pinch of salt, vanilla and one egg at a time, beating briefly between each egg.

12. Beat in the sour cream and heavy cream.

13. Once the mixture is well combined and very smooth, divide it evenly between six bowls.

14. Add food coloring to each bowl until you get your desired colors. (Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)

15. Pour colored mixtures into prepared dish with cooled crust. Start with red and pour right into the center of the crust. Continue to build the rainbow by pouring the filling directly in the center. The layers will push each other out and each piece should get some of each color when you cut into it.

16. Place cheesecake into a baking dish and fill with boiling water about 1 inch up the side of the springform pan. If you are using a cheesecake moat, follow the directions.

17. Bake at 325 for 1 hour 45 mins.

18. Turn off the oven, crack the oven door, and let the cake cool for 1 hour. This slow cooling will help with cracking.

19. Loosely wrap the dish in foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. I like to make this the night before and let it chill overnight.

20. When you’re ready to serve, run a clean narrow knife around the edge of the dish. Remove the foil, unlock the spring, and carefully lift off the outer ring.

21. Serve either alone or with a cheery/ raspberry sauce.

I hope this makes you as happy as it made me. Even if you don’t want to make a rainbow cheesecake every time, now you have an amazing cheesecake recipe you can do however you want.

#cheesecake #dessert