Blood Orange Cheesecake

This blood orange cheesecake is perfectly smooth and luscious. It’s filled with the zest and juice of blood oranges. This easy cheesecake recipe is made extra special with a hint of earthy rosemary in the crust and blood orange curd on top!

This blood orange cheesecake is citrusy, refreshing, rich, creamy, and slightly sweet all at the same time. It sits atop a rosemary graham cracker crust. It’s topped with luscious blood orange curd!

If you are looking for more recipes with blood oranges, try my Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake or my Blood Orange Cookies.

Why you will love this Blood Orange Cheesecake

• Rosemary graham cracker crust: This crust is flavored with a hint of rosemary. It doesn’t overpower the crust, but it does provide a nice depth of flavor.
• Blood orange cheesecake: This cheesecake is creamy, smooth, and so delicious!
• Blood orange curd: The baked cheesecake has blood orange curd on top. It adds an additional sweet, citrusy and flavorful layer.

Ingredient notes:

Below is some useful information about some of the ingredients. See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients.

• Rosemary: The rosemary in the crust is optional but highly recommended!
• Cream cheese: Use full fat, room temperature cream cheese. Use the blocks, not tubs of cream cheese. Take cream cheese out of the refrigerator at least least two hours before using.
• Sour cream: Use full fat, room temperature sour cream.
• Eggs: Use large, room temperature eggs.
• Graham crackers: Any graham crackers work, but I recommend using a good brand. To save time, use a box of graham cracker crumbs.

Step by step instructions

Please see the recipe card for more detailed recipe.

Step One: Using a food processor, pulse the graham crackers and rosemary to fine crumbs. Pour mixture in a bowl. Stir in the sugar followed by the melted butter. Press into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350 Fahrenheit 8 minutes. Remove from oven. Once cool enough to handle, wrap the bottom and outer sides of the pan tightly with two sheets of aluminum foil.

Step Two: Beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar til creamy and smooth. Add the sour cream, blood orange zest, blood orange juice and vanilla extract. Beat til combined. Add the eggs one at a time. Be careful not to overmix.

Step Three: Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the crust. Place the pan in a large roasting pan. Pour the hot water inside the roasting pan and carefully place the pan in the oven. 

Step Four: Bake 55-70 minutes or until the center is almost set. Turn off oven. Crack the oven door open slightly. Leave the cheesecake in the oven in the water bath for 1 hour as it cools. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and water bath. Allow cheesecake to cool completely uncovered at room temperature. Once cooled, cover and refrigerate the cheesecake for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight. 

Step Five: Make the blood orange curd. Spread it on top of the cheesecake. Slice and enjoy!

Frequently asked questions

Tips for making

• USE ROOM TEMPERATURE INGREDIENTS: Take cream cheese, sour cream and eggs out of the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. Room temperature ingredients make it possible to for ingredients to get fully incorporated and makes your cheesecake nice and creamy.
• SCRAPE THE SIDES OF THE BOWL: Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl as you make the filling. This will make sure all the ingredients are incorporated.
• AVOID OVER BEATING: Beat the cheesecake mixture til the ingredients are just incorporated and the mixture is creamy! Over beating creates air bubbles which can result in cracks in the baked cheesecake.
• PACK GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST WELL: Use the bottom of a clean one cup measuring cup to press the crumbs into the pan.
• WRAP YOUR PAN WELL: Use a double layer of aluminum foil and tightly wrap your springform pan. This is important because it prevents leakage. It also serves as a double insulation for the cheesecake.

How to store

Cover or place leftover cheesecake in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Blood Orange Cheesecake

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Natalie
• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Yield: 12-16 slices
• Category: Cakes
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

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Description

This luscious blood orange cheesecake is filled with the zest and juice of blood oranges. It’s an easy cheesecake recipe made extra special with a hint of earthy rosemary in the crust and blood orange curd on top!

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Ingredients

Units USM

FOR THE ROSEMARY GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 10 full sheets)
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

FOR THE BLOOD ORANGE CHEESECAKE

• 4 8–ounce blocks full fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup full fat sour cream, room temperature
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons blood orange juice
• 2 tablespoons blood orange zest

FOR THE BLOOD ORANGE CURD

• 1 tablespoon blood orange zest
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup blood orange juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

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Instructions

FOR THE ROSEMARY GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST

1. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Lightly spray the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with baking non stick spray. Place a round of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan. In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers to finely ground crumbs. Add the chopped rosemary and pulse a 2-3 times until combined. Pour mixture into a medium sized bowl. Stir in the sugar followed by the melted butter and stir til combined. Mixture will be sandy. 
2. Spoon crust mixture into a 9-inch springform pan. Use the bottom of a one-cup measuring cup to firmly pack the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and gently press up the sides. 
3. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool. Once cool enough to handle, wrap the bottom and outer sides of the pan tightly with two sheets of aluminum foil.
4. Set crust aside as you prepare the filling. 

FOR THE BLOOD ORANGE CHEESECAKE FILLING

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand held mixer, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Add the sour cream, blood orange zest, blood orange juice and vanilla extract. Beat til combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition and beat only to combine Stop mixing as soon as the last egg has been mixed into the batter. DO NOT OVERMIX as mixing too much may cause the cheesecake to crack while it cools. 
2. Boil some water. You’ll need 1 inch of water in your roasting pan for the water bath, so you will probably need an entire kettle of water. Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the crust. Use an offset spatula, a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth the top of the cheesecake. Place the pan in a large roasting pan. Pour the hot water inside of the roasting pan and carefully place the pan in the oven. 
3. Bake cheesecake for 55-70 minutes* or until the center is almost set. When it’s done, the center of the cheesecake will slightly wobble if you gently shake the pan. Turn off the oven. Crack the oven door open slightly. Leave the cheesecake in the oven in the water bath for 1 hour as it cools. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and water bath. Allow cheesecake to cool completely uncovered at room temperature. Once cooled, cover and refrigerate the cheesecake for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight. 
4. Before serving and while the cheesecake is in the refrigerator, prepare the blood orange curd. Allow curd to cool then use an offset spatula, a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it on top of the cheesecake. Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan, then remove the rim. Press the knife against the side of the pan as you go around the pan. Use a clean sharp knife to cut the slices.**
5. Cover or place leftover cheesecake in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

FOR THE BLOOD ORANGE CURD

1. Separate the yolks from the whites. Zest and juice the blood oranges.
2. Use a wire whisk to whisk together the sugar and egg yolks in a medium saucepan. Stir in the blood orange zest then gradually stir in the blood orange juice and salt.
3. Place pan on low heat and stirring constantly with a wire whisk (or use a rubber spatula) until  mixture thickens (it should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon) and has reached 170 F. Turn heat up to medium and continue to whisk or stir constantly if mixture has not thickened enough after about ten minutes. 
4. Remove pot from heat, then add the cold, cubed butter. Stir until the butter has melted.
5. Pour curd into a sealable, heat safe container such as a jar with a lid or a bowl. If you’ve poured it into a bowl, place some plastic wrap directly on top to prevent a skin from forming.

 

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Notes

*If the cheesecake starts to brown too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil about halfway through baking.

**If you’d like your slices to look extra clean and neat, wipe the knife clean with a paper towel and dip into a glass of warm water or run it under warm water and wipe it dry between each slice. 

Keywords: cheesecake, blood oranges, blood orange, blood orange cheesecake, blood orange curd, rosemary, graham cracker crust