Lemon Berry Cheesecake

90 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Intermediate

Crust

• 1 3/4 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs (about 15 full crackers)
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Cheesecake

• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 2 large lemons

Topping

• 2 pints of blueberries
• 2 pints of raspberries
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. In a large bowl mix the graham cracker crumbs, butter, granulated sugar, and salt together evenly. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of 9-inch spring form pan.
3. Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly golden. Set aside while you make the cheesecake.
4. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed, until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
5. Turn the mixer to low and add the sour cream and vanilla; mix well, scraping sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the juice and zest of 2 lemons. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until mixed. Don’t over mix. Pour the filling over crust and spread evenly.
6. Double wrap the bottom of the spring form pan with foil, sealing it tightly to prevent water from getting into the pan.
7. Place the spring form pan into a larger pan and pour hot water into the pan, until it’s 3/4- inch deep, careful to make sure the water level doesn’t come up higher than the foil.
8. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until the center is almost set. The center will still jiggle while the edges will be set.
9. While the cheesecake is baking, in a medium sized pot, pour in all of the fresh fruit, 1/2 cup of sugar, and the juice of half a lemon. Let this simmer on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until its a chunky jelly like consistency. Remove from heat and let cool. Refrigerate until you are going to eat the cheesecake.
10. Carefully run a knife around the rim of pan to loosen cake. Allow the cheesecake to cool at room temperature for at least an hour, then cover and transfer into the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.
11. Release the sides of the spring form pan, top the cheesecake with berries compote, slice, and enjoy!