I hope everyone had a nice weekend! Brandon and I had a pretty laid back Christmas, we stayed in and watched movies and played video games all weekend. It even snowed a little bit on Saturday so we got the proverbial white Christmas. After going all out for Thanksgiving last month, I really wasn’t in the mood to kill myself making a big dinner again so instead we had a small ham and I made my favorite Pineapple Stuff to go with it. But it is Christmas, so I couldn’t resist having fun with dessert.
One of my presents this year was a set of mini springform pans
When I was deciding which flavors I wanted to make, Peppermint Bark was at the top of my list because I’ve already had a bunch of questions from readers about making one. I’ve never eaten peppermint bark cheesecake before and I didn’t really look for a recipe, I just decided to have fun with it and come up with something that sounded good to me. It’s a white chocolate cheesecake marbled with white chocolate-peppermint flavored cheesecake (dyed pink for fun) and then topped with a peppermint-chocolate ganache and sprinkled with crushed peppermints. Let me tell you…it’s as good as it sounds. I was worried peppermint and cream cheese might be kind of weird together but adding the white chocolate makes it work perfectly. It honestly wasn’t even as minty as it you would think. I preferred keeping it subtle because I didn’t want to cover up the white chocolate flavor but you may want to increase the peppermint extract if you really like peppermint.
Red Velvet is another cheesecake I’ve never had before, but it sounded good and I thought the beautiful red color would compliment the red of the peppermint and the red of the cherries in the other cheesecakes. It’s flavored with cocoa and topped with a layer of cream cheese frosting because why not add some more cream cheese to your cheesecake? It’s Christmas, go all out!!
If you’re like Brandon and you prefer to keep your cheesecake simple, the other two are just as good as those crazy cheesecakes. The Oreo cheesecake has an Oreo crust, Oreos mixed in and more sprinkled on top. It’s pretty much your ultimate Oreo cheesecake.
Last but not least there’s the good ol’ basic cheesecake with a sweet cherry topping. And it’s not those weird fake looking cherries in a jar either, you can use fresh or frozen dark sweet cherries. Brandon said it was exactly what he wanted, so it will surely become a staple every time I make cheesecakes in the future.
I realize the most people won’t have these mini springform pans, so there are directions for making each of these cheesecakes full size and in smaller pans. But since it’s Christmas and these pans are so awesome I decided I want to give a set of four 4.5″ pans
All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post. Next Monday, January 3rd, I will pick a winner at random and announce it on this post as well as on the Back to the Cutting Board Facebook page.
To get extra entries for the giveaway:
“Like” Back to the Cutting Board on Facebook (it counts if you’re already a fan, too).Tweet a link to this post about the giveaway or the recipes in this post.
Just come back here and add a new comment after you’ve “liked” me to get another entry. If you tweet a link to this post, it should automatically appear here as a comment, but if not, then add a comment with a link to your tweet.
Good Luck!
UPDATE 1-3-11: The contest is now closed. The winner is Intisar:
Those look great! I would love to have a set of mini springform pans, I love cheesecake, but DH doesn’t so this would be perfect!!!
Thanks so much to everyone who commented and tweeted and liked Back to the Cutting Board on Facebook! I will definitely be doing more of these kinds of giveaways in the future!
Skip down to the cheesecake recipe you want:
- Cherry-topped Cheesecake Supreme
- Peppermint Bark Cheesecake Supreme
- Oreo Cheesecake Supreme
- Red Velvet Cheesecake Supreme
You might also like my previous cheesecake recipes:
Each recipe makes enough for a full-size 10-inch cheesecake or six 4.5 inch cheesecakes. If you want to half the recipe, use 3 blocks of cream cheese and 3 whole eggs instead of a combo of eggs and egg yolks.
If you have leftover cheesecake batter or you want to make even smaller cheesecakes, you can also make this recipe in cupcake tins with foil cupcake liners. Follow the small size baking instructions, but bake for only 30 minutes at 200 degrees (F) instead of 1 hour. Immediately remove from oven to cool. You don’t need to bake the crust for cupcake-sized cheesecakes.
Cherry-topped Cheesecake Supreme
from Back to the Cutting Board
Dessert | Servings: 10″ cheesecake (10-12 servings)
Prep time: 20 min | Cook time: 3 hour 15 min | Total time: 4 hour 35 min
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2-3 cups finely ground graham crackers*
- 6-8 tbsp. of butter
- 1/3 cup of sugar
- 1/8 tsp. salt
*Note: 2 cups is fine if you only want crust on the bottom, but no sides. Use 2 1/2 – 3 cups if you want sides.
Cheesecake:
- 5 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 5 eggs, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1/8 cup flour
- 1/4 cup heavy cream, room temperature
Topping:
adapted from Cooking Light
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 20 oz. pitted dark sweet cherries, frozen (not thawed) or fresh**
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 4 tsp. cornstarch
- 4 tsp. water
**Note: If using fresh, unfrozen cherries, add 1/4 cup water in with the cherries and sugar.
Process
- Get out cream cheese, eggs, and cream ahead of time and let come to room temperature. If your cream cheese is really cold this can take 6+ hours. When you’re ready to start baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).
- Grind up crackers in a blender or food processor if necessary. Mix crumbs, sugar, salt and butter in a bowl until combined and press into the bottom and if you want, about an inch or two up the sides of a 10″ springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Take out and cool completely. Turn off the oven.
- In a mixer bowl with the whisk attachment, whisk together cream cheese, eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until smooth, about 3-5 minutes. (It’s okay if you still have some very small lumps.)
- Add in the sugar, flour, and heavy cream and mix on low speed until fully incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Do not over-mix as this will create more air bubbles which can contribute to your cake cracking.
- Pour into the prepared crust. Gently tap the pan against your counter a few times to help get any possible air bubbles out of the batter.
- Place in the oven and turn it on to 400 degrees (F). Full size: Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 200 degrees (F). Bake for 3 hours. Then turn the oven off, prop open the door slightly and let cool for 1 hour. Finally, place in your refrigerator and chill for a full 24 hours.
Small size: Bake for 5 minutes. Turn the oven down to 200 degrees (F). Bake for 45 minutes. Then turn the oven off, prop open the door slightly and let cool for 15 minutes. Finally, cover the top with plastic wrap, place in your refrigerator and chill for at least 12 hours. - To make topping, combine 1/2 cup sugar and cherries in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until cherries are thawed and mixture is syrupy.
- In small bowl, whisk together juice, cornstarch, and water, until well blended.
- Stir cornstarch mixture into cherry mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened and shiny. If it becomes too thick, add a bit more water. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Remove springform pan and spoon room temperature or chilled cherry mixture over the cheesecake.
Peppermint Bark Cheesecake Supreme
from Back to the Cutting Board
Dessert | Servings: 10″ cheesecake (10-12 servings)
Prep time: 30 min | Cook time: 3 hour 15 min | Total time: 4 hour 45 min
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 – 3 cups finely ground chocolate graham crackers*
- 6 – 8 tbsp. of butter
- 1/3 cup of sugar
- 1/8 tsp. salt
*Note: 2 cups is fine if you only want crust on the bottom, but no sides. Use 2 1/2 – 3 cups if you want sides.
Cheesecake:
- 5 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 5 eggs, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1/8 cup flour
- 1/4 cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 10 oz. white chocolate
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. (to taste) peppermint extract
- Red food coloring
Chocolate Ganache:
adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours
- 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 tbsp. powdered sugar, sifted
- 4 tbsp. cold (important!), unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/8 – 1/4 tsp. (to taste) peppermint extract
- Crushedpeppermints
Process
- Get out cream cheese, eggs, and cream ahead of time and let come to room temperature. If your cream cheese is really cold this can take 6+ hours. When you’re ready to start baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).
- Grind up crackers in a blender or food processor if necessary. Mix crumbs, sugar, salt and butter in a bowl until combined and press into the bottom and if you want, about an inch or two up the sides of a 10″ springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Take out and cool completely. Turn off the oven.
- In a mixer bowl with the whisk attachment, whisk together cream cheese, eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until smooth, about 3-5 minutes. (It’s okay if you still have some very small lumps.)
- Add in the sugar, flour, and heavy cream and mix on low speed until fully incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Do not over-mix as this will create more air bubbles which can contribute to your cake cracking.
- Melt white chocolate on the stove over low heat or in the microwave. Mix into cheesecake batter.
- Transfer 1/3 cheesecake batter into another bowl. Stir in peppermint extract and a few drops of food coloring.
- Pour 1/3 of the original batter into the prepared crust. Drop in spoonfuls of the peppermint mixture on top. Pour in the rest of the original batter over that. Finally, drop in spoonfuls of the rest of peppermint mixture and swirl it all around with a knife, but don’t overmix. Gently tap the pan against your counter a few times to help get any possible air bubbles out of the batter.
- Place in the oven and then turn it on to 400 degrees (F). Full size: Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 200 degrees (F). Bake for 3 hours. Then turn the oven off, prop open the door slightly and let cool for 1 hour. Finally, place in your refrigerator and chill for a full 24 hours. Remove springform pan.
Small size: Bake for 5 minutes. Turn the oven down to 200 degrees (F). Bake for 45 minutes. Then turn the oven off, prop open the door slightly and let cool for 15 minutes. Finally, cover the top with plastic wrap, place in your refrigerator and chill for at least 12 hours. - To make the topping, melt chocolate on the stove over low heat or in the microwave. Remove from heat and let stand for 3 minutes.
- Using a small whisk, stir in powdered sugar, followed by the pieces of butter. Stir in peppermint extract. If the mixture is too thin to spread, place the bowl over ice water and stir for a few seconds or until it thickens.
- Quickly spread a thin layer of chocolate on top of the cheesecake (if it gets too firm, put it back on the stove over low heat for a minute or so). Sprinkle with crushed peppermints and gently press them into the chocolate. Let set at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.
- Remove springform pan and serve.
Oreo Cheesecake Supreme
from Back to the Cutting Board
Dessert | Servings: 10″ cheesecake (10-12 servings)
Prep time: 20 min | Cook time: 3 hour 15 min | Total time: 4 hour 35 min
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 – 3 cups finely ground Oreo cookies, cream centers removed*
- 6 – 8 tbsp. of butter
- 1/3 cup of sugar
- 1/8 tsp. salt
*Note: 2 cups is fine if you only want crust on the bottom, but no sides. Use 2 1/2 – 3 cups if you want sides.
Cheesecake:
- 5 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 5 eggs, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1/8 cup flour
- 1/4 cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups chopped Oreo cookies*
*Note – Feel free to add more or less Oreos, depending on how cookie-y you want it to be, but be careful not to go overboard. Brandon said mine was more Oreo than cheesecake, so I’ve reduced the amount I put in there originally. You may also want to remove the cream centers.
Process
- Get out cream cheese, eggs, and cream ahead of time and let come to room temperature. If your cream cheese is really cold this can take 6+ hours.
- Grind up cookies in a blender or food processor. Mix crumbs, sugar, salt and butter in a bowl until combined and press into the bottom and if you want, about an inch or two up the sides of a 10″ springform pan. Place in refrigerator to chill while you make the cheesecake.
- In a mixer bowl with the whisk attachment, whisk together cream cheese, eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until smooth, about 3-5 minutes. (It’s okay if you still have some very small lumps.)
- Add in the sugar, flour, and heavy cream and mix on low speed until fully incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Do not over-mix as this will create more air bubbles which can contribute to your cake cracking.
- Gently fold about 2/3 of chopped Oreos into the cheesecake batter.
- Pour batter into your prepared Oreo crust. Sprinkle with remaining Oreos. Gently tap the pan against your counter a few times to help get any possible air bubbles out of the batter.
- Place in the oven and then turn it on to 400 degrees (F). Full size: Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 200 degrees (F). Bake for 3 hours. Then turn the oven off, prop open the door slightly and let cool for 1 hour. Finally, place in your refrigerator and chill for a full 24 hours.
Small size: Bake for 5 minutes. Turn the oven down to 200 degrees (F). Bake for 45 minutes. Then turn the oven off, prop open the door slightly and let cool for 15 minutes. Finally, cover the top with plastic wrap, place in your refrigerator and chill for at least 12 hours. - Remove springform pan and serve.
Red Velvet Cheesecake Supreme
from Back to the Cutting Board
Dessert | Servings: 10″ cheesecake (10-12 servings)
Prep time: 30 min | Cook time: 3 hour 15 min | Total time: 4 hour 45 min
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 – 3 cups finely ground chocolate graham crackers*
- 6 – 8 tbsp. butter
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/8 tsp. salt
*Note: 2 cups is fine if you only want crust on the bottom, but no sides. Use 2 1/2 – 3 cups if you want sides.
Cheesecake:
- 5 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 5 eggs, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1/8 cup flour
- 1/4 cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
- Bottle of red food coloring
Cream Cheese Frosting:
adapted from Southern Living
- 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Process
- Get out cream cheese, eggs, and cream ahead of time and let come to room temperature. If your cream cheese is really cold this can take 6+ hours. When you’re ready to start baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).
- Grind up crackers in a blender or food processor if necessary. Mix crumbs, sugar, salt and butter in a bowl until combined and press into the bottom and if you want, about an inch or two up the sides of a 10″ springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Take out and cool completely. Turn off the oven.
- In a mixer bowl with the whisk attachment, whisk together cream cheese, eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until smooth, about 3-5 minutes. (It’s okay if you still have some very small lumps.)
- Add in the sugar, flour, and heavy cream and mix on low speed until fully incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Do not over-mix as this will create more air bubbles which can contribute to your cake cracking.
- Mix in cocoa and red food coloring.
- Pour batter into your prepared chocolate graham cracker crust. Gently tap the pan against your counter a few times to help get any possible air bubbles out of the batter.
- Place in the oven and then turn it on to 400 degrees (F). Full size: Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 200 degrees (F). Bake for 3 hours. Then turn the oven off, prop open the door slightly and let cool for 1 hour. Finally, place in your refrigerator and chill for a full 24 hours.
Small size: Bake for 5 minutes. Turn the oven down to 200 degrees (F). Bake for 45 minutes. Then turn the oven off, prop open the door slightly and let cool for 15 minutes. Finally, cover the top with plastic wrap, place in your refrigerator and chill for at least 12 hours. - To make topping, beat together cream cheese and butter. Add in powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until smooth. Spread on top of cheesecake.
- Remove springform pan and serve.
YAY! Gotta love cheesecake…never met one I didn’t like! What a great giveaway!!!! 🙂
So cute, and sooo yummy looking. I will have to try these for sure. Thanks!at
facebook = liked!
Those look great! I would love to have a set of mini springform pans, I love cheesecake, but DH doesn’t so this would be perfect!!!
How can one not like cheese cake? These look amazing, I love the oreo one, although I think I might be tempted to make a normal size version myself.
and tweeted…thanks again
I love these pans. I would love to experiment with all sorts of recipes.
I “liked” you on fb!
Thanks so much for sharing these recipes! I’m always looking for smaller versions of things to make over the holidays! Can’t wait to try them all!
Oooh, want those!! They’re so adorable!
Entered to win mini cheesecake pans at Back to the Cutting Board. So cute! https://bit.ly/hhSHhy
Annnnd of course I already like you on FB 🙂
I don’t even have a regular size springform pan, but those mini ones are absolutely adorable!
love little cheesecakes!
Very happy to have found your blog! I love these little cheesecakes, and your pictures are perfect!
Holiday Cheesecake Sampler (A Giveaway!) https://t.co/Ys3keaG
I liked you on facebook. Courtney I L
These pans are adorable! Thanks for the chance at winning them!
These could do some damage in our house!
I love cheesecake! They all look fabulous!
I’m a fan on Facebook!
All of the cheesecakes are beautiful! I want a taste of each:)
Thanks for the giveaway! Love to try the recipe, my mom’s is really similar.
check out this adorable springform pans giveaway at back to the cutting board https://bit.ly/gncrfa
Wow those look awesome! I love the mini springform pans. I know what I’m going to be asking for my birthday 🙂
How adorable! I would love to win these! Oh the desserts I could make! Thanks for the chance!
I just happened to stumble upon your blog………..LOVE IT!!!!
I’ve signed up so I can continue receiving it by email. Keep up the good work and Happy New Year to you and Brandon.
I would to have these to bake up a batch and then have them in the freezer for another day. I love experimenting with new cheesecakes too so that is perfect.
OH WOW! I don’t eat a lot of cheesecake because I am allergic to milk, but I do love it. And making a small one (or three) would be perfect!! Gotta say I am intrigued by the peppermint bark!! I have always wanted to make a red velvet cheesecake, though!!!
Mini Pans are always adorable! Thanks for the giveaway! Liked u on FB! and retwitted this! Happy baking!
LeeYong [email protected]
OMG!!! Mini Cheesescake recipes – and a mini springform pan giveaway. What could be better? https://bit.ly/dXYQnk
And I definitely ‘liked” your post on FB. I am already a HUGE fan. 🙂
RT @julieruble Entered to win mini cheesecake pans at Back to the Cutting Board. So cute! https://bit.ly/hhSHhy
I’d love to have these in my baking collection. Happy New Year!
Omg, those lil cheesecakes (and the mini springforms) are just about the cutest thing I’ve EVER seen! I’d love to win them 🙂
How cute are these???
Oh, this is great! Those cakes really looks delicious, and what a giveaway! 🙂
Liked the Facebook page! 🙂
These were on my Christmas list but I didn’t get them. : ( I still really want them!
Maybe the mini springform pans will help me overcome my cheesecake phobia! Thank you for your recipes, and for the giveaway! Happy New Year!
these are adorable! I love cheesecake but only make it if there’s a special occasion coming up, as an entire cake with just me in the house would probably kill me. This seems like the perfect solution!
peppermint bark cheesecake is INSPIRED! i’ve never seen the mini springforms, but man, could i have a blast experimenting with ’em!
I’m always looking for an excuse to make cheesecake but the thought of having a whole cheesecake lying unattended in my house is scary for waistline ;P
These pans will do the trick for the New Year!
and of course, posted the link to your recipes on my twitter to spread the love:
Dying to make these scrumptious cheesecakes, especially peppermint bark! https://backtothecuttingboard.com/dessert/holiday-cheesecake-sampler
Dying to make these scrumptious cheesecakes, especially peppermint bark! https://backtothecuttingboard.com/dessert/holiday-cheesecake-sampler
you are LIKE-d on facebook!
I’ve been wanting mini springform pans! I agree…a regular-size cheesecake is just soooo much!
They look delicious. I know what I want to get for “Dia de Reyes”. Yay for new toys in the kitchen.
mmmmm I love cheesecake! I can’t help it, I’ll always go for the plain ol kind if its available. But with these mini pans I would be tempted to get a little more adventurous!
Everything looks delicious. Thanks for a wonderful year of good ideas. Keep ’em coming!
I loved the cheesecake photos and the ideas. In fact, I added them to my ever-growing amazon cart. I’m going to try out your idea one day soon.
Those cheesecakes look adorable and delicious! Red Velvet Cheesecake looks perfect for New Years Eve.
-Vallie
I did ‘like’ you on Facebook, I do like you!
Mmm. Those look good! I’ve never made cheesecake but I’d love to try.
I would love these pans!! how cute and cheesecake is my hubby’s favorite too!! I should make it more often!! these all look super yummy!!
I liked you on facebook!! ( I also made your pineapple stuff for christmas this year, it was good!! yummy with ham..pretty sweet!!)
What a fun idea!
I would love to win those!! I love making minis of anything and everything 😉
I ‘like’ you on FB
I would love these! Too cute!!!
Wow, these look absolutely scrumptious. I love the creativity behind each of the flavors!
Yummy! How nice of you to have a giveaway !
I would love to have these “mini” pans! I’ve been searching for cookbooks for one to two people and these would be a big help in cooking for one/two people. Thanks for your generosity!
Awesome! Those are so cute! We too are cheesecake lovers.
i love all of these recipes and what a cute a idea! i love anything peppermint!
and those little guys would be great to add to my collection. i got two minis for christmas, but two is just never enough.
Just what I need to satisfy my sweet tooth and comply with my New Year’s Resolution of smaller portions. Thanks for the giveaway!
susitravl(at)gmail(dot)com
Like you on Facebook (SusanBenegas)
susitravl(at)gmail(dot)com
Since joining weight watchers, smaller portions is what i have been struggling with! Especially with sweets!!!! These are so cute!
Mini cheesecake pans would be awesome! I love making cheesecake, but with only one other adult in the house and a four year old, an entire cheesecake isn’t always worth the effort. That peppermint bark cheesecake sounds fantastic!
Also liked you in facebook (alannasosenko)!
God, this is like srs bsns food porn jfc :Q______ https://t.co/F5Z4q3kf
I made the red velvet cheesecake for my MIL’s birthday a few weeks ago and everyone loved it – especially my MIL. I’m not normally a fan of red velvet, but I thought that this was incredible :)@
How many servings of the small size does this make?
It depends on how big a piece you want! I’d say 3-4 “normal sized” (aka kinda small) servings or 2 big servings.
I’d like to do what you did and make a variety. I don’t see a recipe that shows the ingredients for the mini’s Help please
Hi Kathy,
All ingredients are the same for the mini versions. Each recipe makes enough for a full-size 10 inch cheesecake or six 4.5 inch cheesecakes. If you want to half a recipe and make 3 small cheesecakes, use 3 blocks of cream cheese and 3 whole eggs instead of a combo of eggs and egg yolks. It’s pretty simple to just make the full size base cheesecake recipe and then divide it up into 6 and add the extras ingredients for the Oreo and/or Peppermint Bark versions. I have included instructions for making the Small Size version in each recipe.
If you have leftover cheesecake batter or you want to make even smaller cheesecakes, you can also make these recipes in cupcake tins with foil cupcake liners. Follow the small size baking instructions, but bake for only 30 minutes at 200 degrees (F) instead of 1 hour. Immediately remove from oven to cool instead of leaving them in there for an hour. You don’t need to bake the crust for cupcake-sized cheesecakes.
Emily, thank you for sharing this Cheesecake recipe. I’ll try this recipe next weekend.