A light and fluffy vanilla cake topped with a layer of mixed berries and creamy cheesecake. Far less complicated than a regular cheesecake, this Mixed Berry Cream Cheese Cake is extremely light, and packed with juicy berries. In every mouthful you get cake, cheesecake and berries. Perfect for your next picnic or dessert table!
This recipe is inspired by picnic-suitable desserts. A while back I was invited to a picnic, and as always, my job was to bring the dessert. I wanted something that wasn’t going to be messy to eat and would hold up well for the hour-long commute. Enter this Mixed Berry Cream Cheese Cake. It has all the wonderful flavour of a cheesecake but has a vanilla cake on the bottom instead of a crust. The cake layer gets pre-baked first for around 10 minutes, then the berries and cheesecake layer is added and then baked again. It couldn’t be more easy to put together, and it always impresses.
Ingredients needed for Mixed Berry Cream Cheese Cake:
- Cream cheese
- Mixed berries (fresh or frozen)
- Baking powder
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter at room temperature
- Granulated sugar
- 3 eggs (1 for the cake layer and 2 for the cheesecake layer)
- Milk
- Lemon zest
- Vanilla extract
- Cornstarch
- Salt
How to make Mixed Berry Cream Cheese Cake:
- First, you need to grease a 9 inch springform pan. Then you’ll prepare the cake layer. In a medium bowl, you’ll combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Next, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg.
- On low speed, beat in the dry ingredients, then stir in the milk and vanilla. Then, using a rubber spatula, finish mixing by hand, until everything is just incorporated.
- Spread batter into springform pan and bake for 10-12 minutes. Since we’re only pre-baking the cake, it will not be cooked all the way through.
- While the cake layer is baking, prepare the berry cream cheese layer: In a large bowl beat the cream cheese and lemon zest until smooth. Add the vanilla and half a cup of sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Make sure mixture is well blended and smooth.
- Prepare the berries: In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining tablespoon of sugar and cornstarch. Add the berries and toss to coat them evenly. Place the berries in an even layer over the prepared cake layer.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture evenly over the berries. Bake cake for 45-50 minutes until lightly browned. Cool completely (at least 2 hours) before dusting with confectioners sugar. Then cut and serve.
The Berries:
You can use whichever berries you like for this cake. I used a frozen mixture of blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and boysenberries. You can also use fresh berries in this recipe. It’s currently Wintertime here in New Zealand, but once we’re in Summer again, I really want to make this recipe with fresh raspberries. So heavenly!
Tips for making Mixed Berry Cream Cheese Cake:
- Have your butter, eggs and cream cheese at room temperature. This will prevent any lumps from forming.
- Be careful not to overmix the cake layer batter. This will ensure it stays light and fluffy.
- Cool the cake completely before cutting into slices, at least 2 hours.
- If you plan to sprinkle the top of the cake with confectioners sugar, do not refrigerate it beforehand. The reason for this is, chilling the cake causes condensation. This makes the top of the cake ‘wet’ and confectioners sugar will just disappear soon after you put it on. So once the cake has cooled completely at room temperature, then it is safe to dust it with the confectioners sugar.
Mixed Berry Cream Cheese Cake
Equipment
- 9 inch springform pan
Ingredients
For the cake layer:
- ¾ cup, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the berry cream cheese layer:
- 1 8 oz (225g) cream cheese full-fat, room temperature
- zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup, plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2½ cups frozen mixed berries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Make the cake layer:
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg.
- Reduce the speed to low and beat in the dry ingredients. Stir in the milk and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, finish mixing the batter by hand, being careful not to over-mix. Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges of the cake are just set. The center will still be very soft and not done. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes. While the cake is baking make the cheesecake layer.
Make the cheesecake layer:
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and lemon zest until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract. Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat on high-speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary and make sure everything is well incorporated.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining tablespoon of sugar and cornstarch. Add the berries and toss gently to coat. Place the berries in an even layer over the pre-baked cake layer. Pour the cheesecake layer evenly over the top of the berries.
- Bake until cake is lightly golden, and the center is set, 45-50 minutes. Let cool completely, at least 2 hours, before cutting and serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature with a dusting of confectioners sugar.
Notes
- Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Cake can be frozen for up to 2 months.
I am very lucky to have tried this delicious and scrumptious cheesecake .The berries make this such a moist cake . I love traditional cheesecakes but after sampling this one it will become one of my favourites .Yum……..