Anna Louise Raspberry and white chocolate is one of those combinations that sounds like it might be too sweet and turns out to be perfectly balanced. The white chocolate is rich and creamy.
The raspberry is sharp and vivid. Together they complement each other in a way that makes both taste better than they would alone.
I have made this cheesecake for more birthdays, dinner parties, and special occasions than I can count. It never fails to impress.
The swirl of raspberry through the white chocolate filling — vivid pink against the pale cream — looks genuinely spectacular when the cheesecake is sliced at the table and the colours are revealed. People always stop the conversation to look at it.
Mary Berry’s raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake combines the white chocolate cheesecake filling from the white chocolate cheesecake recipe on this site with a sharp, vibrant raspberry swirl made from blended fresh raspberries.
The two are swirled together before setting — giving that beautiful marbled effect — and the whole thing is decorated with fresh raspberries and a drizzle of white chocolate.
If you are going to make one impressive cheesecake this summer, make this one.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Raspberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake
For the Biscuit Base
- 300g digestive biscuits, crushed to fine crumbs
- 150g unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
For the White Chocolate Filling
- 250g good quality white chocolate, finely chopped and melted
- 600g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 100g icing sugar, sifted
- 300ml double cream, cold
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Juice of ½ lemon
For the Raspberry Swirl
- 200g fresh raspberries
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- Juice of ½ lemon
To Decorate
- 150g fresh raspberries
- 50g white chocolate, melted, for drizzling
- A dusting of icing sugar
- A few freeze-dried raspberries (optional — they add beautiful colour and intensity)
How to Make Mary Berry Raspberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake
Step 1 — Make the Base
Combine the crushed digestive biscuits, melted butter, and caster sugar. Press very firmly into a 23cm round loose-bottomed springform tin using the base of a flat glass. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 2 — Melt the White Chocolate
Melt the finely chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water — stir gently. White chocolate is delicate and needs gentle heat. Remove and leave to cool for fifteen minutes. The chocolate must be completely cool before it goes into the cream cheese.
Step 3 — Make the Raspberry Purée
Blend the fresh raspberries, icing sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve to remove all the seeds — press with the back of a spoon to get every drop of vivid purée through. You should have about 100ml of intensely pink, sharp raspberry purée. Set aside.
Step 4 — Make the White Chocolate Filling
Beat the room-temperature cream cheese and icing sugar together until smooth. Add the completely cooled melted white chocolate, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Beat until completely combined and smooth.
Whip the cold double cream to soft peaks. Fold into the white chocolate cream cheese mixture in two additions until just combined.
Step 5 — Swirl the Raspberry
Spoon the white chocolate filling onto the chilled biscuit base and spread roughly — do not smooth it completely yet.
Drizzle the raspberry purée over the surface in a random pattern — use most of it but keep two tablespoons back for the decoration. Using a skewer, the handle of a teaspoon, or a toothpick, drag it through the filling in figure-of-eight movements or random swirling patterns. Four to five movements. Stop before the swirl becomes muddy.
Smooth the surface very gently — try to preserve the swirl pattern visible on top.
Step 6 — Set Overnight
Cover loosely with cling film. Refrigerate overnight — eight hours minimum.
Step 7 — Decorate
Release the springform tin. Slide onto a serving plate. Arrange fresh raspberries over the top. Drizzle melted white chocolate over the raspberries. Drizzle the reserved raspberry purée in thin lines across the white chocolate for a dramatic two-tone drizzle. Scatter freeze-dried raspberries if using. Dust the edges lightly with icing sugar.
Tips For Perfect Raspberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake
Cool the white chocolate completely before adding. White chocolate melted and added while still warm to the cream cheese can melt the whipped cream in the filling and give a soft, runny result. Fifteen minutes of cooling after melting is the minimum — test it on the back of your wrist.
Sieve the raspberry purée completely. Raspberry seeds in a smooth cheesecake filling are genuinely unpleasant. Pass the purée through a fine sieve and press every drop through. The seeds stay behind and the purée is completely smooth.
Four to five swirling movements — then stop. I say this in the lemon curd cheesecake too. The temptation is to keep swirling. Resist it. Four to five broad movements gives a beautiful, distinct marble. Ten gives a uniform pink filling with no visible pattern.
Use good quality white chocolate. The white chocolate is the primary flavour of this cheesecake. Cheap white chocolate compound has a waxy, flat taste. Good white chocolate — Lindt, Green and Black’s, or similar — has a rich, vanilla, milky character that is genuinely wonderful against the sharp raspberry.
The two-tone drizzle is easy and looks magnificent. Alternate drizzles of melted white chocolate and raspberry purée over the fresh raspberry topping gives a striking finish that makes this cheesecake look like it came from a patisserie.
Serving Suggestions
Cold from the fridge at a dinner party — it gets the reaction you want the moment it arrives at the table. As a summer birthday cake — the combination of raspberry and white chocolate is universally loved.
With extra fresh raspberries served alongside in a bowl. As a dessert for any occasion where you want to make a genuinely beautiful impression.
How to Store Raspberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake
In the fridge: Store covered for up to 3 days. The white chocolate filling stays firm and the raspberry purée swirl remains vivid.
In the freezer: Freeze without the fresh raspberry decoration and drizzles for up to 2 months. Wrap tightly. Defrost overnight in the fridge and decorate fresh.
Mary Berry Raspberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Press biscuit base very firmly into a 23cm springform tin. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Melt white chocolate over barely simmering water — stir gently. Cool completely — 15 minutes minimum.
- Blend raspberries, icing sugar, and lemon juice. Sieve completely — press every drop through. Set aside.
- Beat room-temperature cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth. Beat in cooled white chocolate, vanilla, and lemon juice. Whip cold cream to soft peaks — fold in two additions.
- Spoon filling onto base — spread roughly. Drizzle most of the raspberry purée over the surface. Swirl with a skewer in 4–5 broad movements. Smooth surface gently.
- Cover loosely. Refrigerate overnight.
- Release tin. Arrange fresh raspberries on top. Drizzle melted white chocolate and reserved raspberry purée. Scatter freeze-dried raspberries if using. Dust edges with icing sugar.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen raspberries for the swirl?
Yes — frozen raspberries give a slightly more intensely coloured purée than fresh. Defrost completely before blending. For the fresh raspberry topping, use fresh only — defrosted frozen raspberries collapse and are not attractive as a garnish.
Can I use strawberries instead of raspberries?
Yes — a strawberry and white chocolate cheesecake made with exactly the same method is completely wonderful. Blend and sieve the strawberries for the swirl in the same way.
What if my swirl sinks to the bottom?
The cream cheese filling was too warm or too soft when the raspberry purée was added, so the purée sank through it. Make sure the filling is properly made with cold double cream whipped to soft peaks before swirling.
Can I use milk chocolate instead of white?
Yes — milk chocolate and raspberry is a classic combination. Use 200g of milk chocolate in place of white, and reduce the icing sugar to 75g as milk chocolate is sweeter than white. The colour of the filling will be brown with pink swirls rather than cream with pink swirls — equally beautiful in its own way.
How do I get a clean slice?
A sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped completely dry between every cut gives perfectly clean slices that show the swirl beautifully. Do not skip the hot water — even a slightly warm blade smears the filling.
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