Raspberry Cheesecake

This recipe was created to help celebrate Cinnamon Toast Crunch's 30th Birthday. I had the brilliant idea of using the cereal as the crust to my cheesecake, and well...the rest is history!

This cheesecake is creamy and not overly sweet, and the slight tang from the raspberry topping gives it the perfect balance of sweet and tang.


FOR THE CRUST:
3 cups of Cinnamon Toast Crunch

4 Tbsp of melted butter

1 tsp of sugar

FOR THE FILLING:
2 (8 ounce) packages of softened cream cheese

3/4 cup of caster sugar

2 Tbsp of sour cream

2 large egg yolks

1 tsp of vanilla extract

2 Tbsp of prepared gelatin (see below)

FOR THE GELATIN MIX:
1 1/2 tsp of unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup of hot water

FOR THE RASPBERRY TOPPING:
4 ounces of raspberries

1/4 cup of sugar

2 Tbsp of prepared gelatin



INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

1. Grease a 6 inch pan with a removable bottom (or spring form pan) with baking spray. Set aside.
2. Place your cinnamon toast crunch and sugar into a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Add in your melted butter and pulse until combined.
3. Press mixture firmly onto the bottom of your pan.
4. Bake crust for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and allow it to cool slightly.
5. In a small bowl, mix your gelatin with hot water and stir until fully dissolved. Set aside.
6. Using a paddle attachment, beat your cream cheese and sugar until smooth and free of lumps. Add in your egg yolks, vanilla extract, sour cream, and 2 Tbsp of your prepared gelatin, and mix just until incorporated. DO NOT OVER MIX.
7. Pour the filling into your pan.
8. Set your cheesecake pan on top of a large piece of foil, and fold up the sides around it. Repeat steps with 2 more pieces of foil. (Using good foil is key)
9. Place your cheesecake pan in an oven safe roasting pan, and place it in your oven. Pour some boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about half way up the sides of the cheesecake pan.
10. Bake for about 55 minutes, or until the center has a slight jiggle.
11. Turn off oven, crack the door open, and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another hour.
12. Into a mini food processor, add in your raspberries, sugar, and your remaining gelatin mixture. Pulse until smooth. Strain. Place into fridge to thicken slightly.
13. Carefully remove your cheesecake from the roasting pan, discard water, and allow the cheesecake to cool down slightly before topping with your raspberry sauce.
14. Once cooled, top with your raspberry sauce, cover with saran wrap, and allow it to chill overnight (or at least 6 hours). Chilling sets the cheesecake and the raspberry layer.
15. Loosen the cake from the sides of the pan using a thin metal spatula around the inside of the rim. Transfer to a cake plate and serve!

NOTES: Check for any leakage after your cheesecake is done baking. If any water has seeped into the foil, carefully discard foil, remove and wipe down excess water, replace with new 3 layers of foil, and then place the pan back into the oven so it can finish cooling in the oven.

*This recipe was created in partnership with Cinnamon Toast Crunch.