Eggnog Cheesecake
This Eggnog Cheesecake features a creamy, spiced filling atop a gingersnap crust, perfect for holiday celebrations.
Servings 12 servings
Calories 537kcal
Ingredients
Gingernsap Crust
- 2 cups gingersnap crumbs 292 grams
- ¼ cup brown sugar 55 grams
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake Batter
- ¾ cup white chocolate chopped (127 grams)
- 680 grams cream cheese softened (3 packages of 8 oz.)
- ¾ cup brown sugar 165 grams
- ⅓ cup sour cream 80 grams
- 1 cup eggnog 240 ml
- 3 large eggs room temp
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp rum or brandy (optional)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
Eggnog Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp eggnog
Instructions
Gingersnap Crust
- Pre-heat the oven to 325ºF.
- Place the gingersnap cookies in a food processor and process to obtain fine crumbs.
- Add the brown sugar, nutmeg powder, and mix to combine.
- Melt the butter and mix with the crumbs and sugar.
- Press the mixture on the bottom of an 8” or 9” cheesecake pan. If using an 8” springform pan, it must be deep.
- Bake the crust in the oven for 12 minutes.
- Remove it from the oven and let it cool down completely before filling with the cheesecake batter.
Cheesecake Batter
- Once the crust has cooled, grease the exposed sides of the cheesecake pan. (Read notes)
- Melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl for 20 seconds intervals, stirring in between, until all the chocolate is melted and smooth. Set it aside to cool down for at least 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese for 3 minutes with a hand mixer at medium speed, until creamy.
- Add the brown sugar to the bowl and beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.
- Scrape the bowl and beat for another 30 seconds.
- Add the sour cream and cooled and melted white chocolate and mix to combine. Scrape the bowl.
- Add the eggnog and mix on low to combine.
- Add the slightly cooled white chocolate into the bowl and mix until combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time to the bowl, mixing until incorporated before adding the next one.
- Along the yolk along with the vanilla, the rum (if using), the salt, and the nutmeg. Mix to combine.
- Pour the batter over the baked and cooled crust.
- Wrap the bottom of the pan with a few layers of foil.
- Place the pan in a large roasting pan and add hot water to the roasting pan, to form a water bath. This is a crucial step to achieve the perfect texture and prevent the cake from cracking.
- Bake the cheesecake in the pre-heated 325ºF oven for 60 to 75 minutes. Baking time can vary depending on the pan you are using, and depending on your oven. Don’t go by time, go by the jiggle test.
- To check if the cheesecake is done baking, give the pan a little wiggle, it should jiggle slightly in the center, but the edges should look set.
- Turn the oven off, and leave the cheesecake in there for 1 hour.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven, let it cool down. Don’t remove the ring of the pan yet, place the cheesecake in the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours.
Eggnog Whipped Cream
- Right before serving the cheesecake, beat the cold whipping cream and eggnog in the bowl of a mixer for about 3 minutes, or until stiff peaks form.
- Place it in a piping bag lined with the tip of your choice, I used tip 1M.
To Decorate
- To serve, pipe the whipped cream on top of the cheesecake, sprinkle some nutmeg on top, and decorate with sugared cranberries if desired.
Notes
Best Cheesecake Tips: Read these tips for the best cheesecake tips!
Greasing the Cheesecake Pan: I don't grease the cheesecake pan when I'm baking the crust because it tends to slide off. Instead I bake the crust, then I grease the exposed sides of the pan (after the crust is baked) so that the cheesecake batter doesn't stick.
Crust: you can use the crust from this recipe if you want to use a Graham Cracker crust instead. You can use digestive biscuits instead of graham crackers.
Cheesecake Pan: I use the Fat Daddio 8″ springform pan. You can also use a 9″ springform pan with this recipe.
Mini Cheesecake: You can bake the batter in cupcake tins to make mini cheesecakes. This recipe will yield 24 mini cheesecakes. Only bake for 25 minutes. No water bath needed.
Greasing the Cheesecake Pan: I like to grease the exposed sides of the pan after baking the crust, because if I grease the cheesecake pan before adding the crust the crust has a hard time sticking and it can get soggy.
Oven Temperature: If using a convection oven, you may have to use a lower baking temperature, around 300ºF. Baking time may also vary. Bake until the cheesecake is slightly jiggly in the center, and set around the edges.
Oven Thermometer: It’s best to have an oven thermometer to ensure the oven temperature is accurately measured. Often times, ovens are not accurate, and if the oven is off and the actual temperature is too low, the cheesecake can take way longer to bake. And if the temperature tends to be higher than what you actually set it to, the cheesecake can crack because of being baked at too high of a temperature.
White Chocolate: I prefer using white chocolate bars, or good quality white chocolate chips from brands such as Callebaut, or Valrhona. This is important especially when making ganache. White chocolate chips from the store from brands such as Ghirardelli or Nestle are not actually white chocolate, and may cause the ganache to split and not have the proper consistency. They can also disrupt the consistency of the cheesecake. Opt for brands of white chocolate chips with over 20% cocoa butter like the ones mentioned above. Callebaut and Valrhona can be ordered online, but if you can find them, buy bars of white chocolate (Lindt, Ghirardelli bars – not chips) at the store and chop them to use in the recipe.
Ganache Troubleshooting: Ganache can be finicky. If the ganache splits, just add one teaspoon of heavy cream at a time and whisk it together with the ganache until it becomes smooth again.
Sugared Cranberries: Here is the recipe for the Sugared Cranberries.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 537kcal