This is the best raspberry apricot cheesecake with chocolate crust I've ever made, or tried. It's creamy, decadent and will excite your taste buds.

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Raspberries, Chocolate and Apricots are a winning combination! This is the best cheesecake I’ve ever made, or tried. #ForReals. It’s creamy, decadent and will excite your taste buds.

The cheesecake portion was modified from the brilliant Ina Garten’s Classic Cheesecake. I’ve made the base of this cheesecake so many times, I’ve lost count and it always wins a crowd. Make sure it’s completely chilled in the fridge before serving it. I like to make it the night before so it can chill completely in the fridge.

The raspberries, chocolate crust, apricot and chocolate shavings take it over the top. This one’s a keeper and if you’ve never made a cheesecake before; it’s easier than you think!

 Cheesecake Chocolate Crust Ingredients:

1 ½  cups graham cracker crumbs (about 12-14 graham crackers crackers or half of a 14 oz box)
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) melted, unsalted butter

The Cheesecake:

2 ½ lb cream cheese (5 blocks – 8oz each) at room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup sour cream
7 whole large eggs (at room temp)
1/2 Tbsp real vanilla extract

Decoration/topping:

Raspberries (about 1 1/4 cups)
Apricot preserves
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream with 1 Tbsp granulated sugar

What You Will Need:

9″ springform mold

Chocolate Raspberry Apricot Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust @NatashasKitchen

How to Make the Chocolate Crust:

Preheat oven to 350˚F
1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse 12 graham crackers with 1 Tbsp sugar and 2 Tbsp cocoa until you have fine crumbs. Melt butter and pour it into the chocolate cookie mixture. Pulse a few more times or until crumbs are evenly moistened with butter.

2. Press cookie mixture evenly over the bottom of a 9″ springform mold going 1″ up the sides. Bake at 350˚ F for 8 min. Remove from oven and cool to room temp.

Chocolate Cheesecake 4

Chocolate Cheesecake 5

How to Make the Cheesecake Portion:

Preheat Oven to 450˚F.

1. Beat together 5 softened sticks cream cheese with 1 1/2 cups sugar on medium/high speed for 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through.

2. Turn mixer down to medium speed and add eggs, one by one letting them incorporate fully before adding the next egg. Scrape down the bowl well and continue mixing on medium speed another minute or until well blended.

Chocolate Cheesecake 6

3. Turn mixer down to low speed and add 1/4 cup sour cream and 1/2 Tbsp vanilla. Mix until well incorporated. Pour the cheesecake mixture over your cookie crust and smooth out the top.

Chocolate Cheesecake 7

4. Place the middle oven rack one level lower so it is in the bottom 1/3rd of the oven (In my oven, it’s on the third shelf). Bake at 450˚F for 15 minutes then (without opening the oven door), reduce oven to 225˚F and continue baking another 1 hour and 5-10 minutes or until the center is almost set (it should barely wiggle on top when you give the pan a little jolt).

Cool the cheesecake to room temperature then refrigerate until fully chilled; at least 4 hours in the fridge or overnight. I love making my cheesecake the night before an event and decorate the next day. Cheesecakes are best served cold

Chocolate Cheesecake_-2

Tips for success:

I’ve had the best results when I did not open the oven door to look at the cheesecake in the baking process. About 90% of my cheesecakes are crack-free (I mean they don’t crack on top, not that I put crack in my cheesecake; just wanted to clarify that you shouldn’t put crack in your cake,.. never mind).

Anyways, occasionally I’ll still get a tiny crack but it doesn’t matter since you’ll be covering the top with the apricot preserves and raspberries. It will be delicious either way so even if you get a solid crack on top; it’s all good. #KeepCalmAndEatCheeseCake <— did I just hashtag my own blog? #HopelessHashtagger P.S. What’s your all-time best #hashtag ever?

How to Decorate the Top:

1. Warm up 3/4 cup of apricot preserves in a small saucepan just until it loosens up a little. You don’t want it to get hot. Let it cool down until it’s just warm then spread it over the top of your cheesecake leaving a 1-inch border.

2. Arrange Raspberries over the surface of the apricot preserves.

Raspberry Apricot Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust @NatashasKitchen

Chocolate Cheesecake 9

3. Beat 1/2 cup heavy cream together with 1 Tbsp sugar on high speed until stiff. I did this in my Blendtec blender. So quick & easy! Pipe the frosting around the top border of the cheesecake. I used a large closed-flower tip and just pulled straight up to make it look like carnations. I also sprinkled with shaved chocolate to pull it all together.

Raspberry Apricot Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust @NatashasKitchen

Raspberry Apricot Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust @NatashasKitchen

Raspberry Apricot Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust @NatashasKitchen

Raspberry Apricot Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust @NatashasKitchen

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Raspberry Apricot Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust

4.86 from 35 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 8 -12

Chocolate Crust Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs, about 12-14 graham crackers crackers or half of a 14 oz box
  • 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 6 Tbsp 3/4 stick melted, unsalted butter

Ingredients for the Cheesecake:

  • 2 ½ lb cream cheese, 5 blocks – 8oz each at room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 7 whole large eggs, at room temp
  • 1/2 Tbsp real vanilla extract

Decoration/topping:

  • Raspberries
  • Apricot preserves
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream with 1 Tbsp granulated sugar

Instructions

How to Make the Chocolate Crust: Preheat oven to 350˚F

  • In the bowl of a food processor, pulse 10 graham crackers with 1 Tbsp sugar and 2 Tbsp cocoa until you have fine crumbs. Melt butter and pour it into the chocolate cookie mixture. Pulse a few more times or until crumbs are evenly moistened.
  • *Press cookie mixture evenly over the bottom of a 9" springform mold going 1" up the sides. Bake at 350˚F for 8 min. Remove from oven and cool to room temp.

How to Make the Cheesecake Portion: Preheat Oven to 450˚F.

  • Beat together 5 softened sticks cream cheese with 1 1/2 cups sugar on medium/high speed for 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through.
  • Turn mixer down to medium speed and add eggs, one by one letting them incorporate fully before adding the next egg. Scrape down the bowl well and continue mixing on medium speed another minute or until well blended.
  • Turn mixer down to low speed and add 1/4 cup sour cream and 1/2 Tbsp vanilla. Mix until well incorporated. Pour the cheesecake mixture over your cookie crust.**
  • Place the middle oven rack one level lower so it is in the bottom 1/3rd of the oven (In my oven, it's on the third shelf). Bake at 450˚F for 15 minutes then (without opening the oven door), reduce oven to 225˚F and continue baking another 1 hour and 5-10 minutes or until the center is almost set (it should barely wiggle on top when you give the pan a little jolt). Cool cheesecake to room temp then refrigerate until fully chilled; at least 4 hours or overnight.

How to Decorate the Top:

  • Warm up 3/4 cup of apricot preserves in a small saucepan just until it loosens up a little. You don't want it to get hot. Let it cool down until it's just warm then spread it over the top of your cheesecake leaving a 1-inch border.
  • Arrange Raspberries over the surface of the apricot preserves.
  • Beat 1/2 cup cream together with 1 Tbsp sugar on high speed until stiff. Pipe frosting around the top border of the cheesecake. I also sprinkled shaved chocolate over the frosting.

Notes

Tips for Success: 
  • I've had the best results when I did not open the oven door to look at the cheesecake in the baking process. About 90% of my cheesecakes are crack-free. Occasionally I'll still get a tiny crack but it doesn't matter since you'll be covering the top with the apricot preserves and raspberries. It will be delicious either way.
  • I love making my cheesecake the night before an event and decorating the next day. Cheesecakes are best served cold.
  • *If you want to remove the cake from the springform pan, you can place a ring of parchment paper on the bottom. 
  • **To prevent leaks from the springform pan while baking, wrap a piece of foil under the outside of the pan. 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Raspberry Apricot Cheesecake
Skill Level: Medium
Cost to Make: $$

Final Final Picmonkey Hashtag banner

Raspberry Apricot Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust @NatashasKitchen

My top 2 holidays are: Christmas and Easter so this Sunday’s a-gonna-be a pretty big deal! We’re going to church for the first part of the day followed by lunch and treats for the littles at Mom’s. I bought two books for my son on Amazon to help teach him what Easter is all about:
1. The Berenstain Bears and the Easter Story (Berenstain Bears/Living Lights)
2.God Gave Us Easter

I’m hoping I picked well! 🙂
How are you teaching your family about why Easter is such a BIG DEAL?
Do you have any fun traditions or plans for Sunday?

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

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Comments

  • Alina
    May 6, 2014

    I was really excited to try this recipe cause it differs from the one I usually make and I love your recipes! But it didn’t turn out the way I expected it 🙁 mine cracked! Big time! I baked it exactly how the recipe said so I don’t know what went wrong.. The way I usually bake it is at 350 degrees on the middle rack for about 40-50 min.Then I turn off the oven and without taking out the cheesecake, leave the oven door halfway open for an hour or so until the pan cools enough to take out with your bare hands. This works 99% of the time for me. Hope it helps if anybody had the same problem as me 🙂 btw the cheesecake was scrumptious!!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 6, 2014

      You have me stumped but I’d love to try to figure it out. Did you open up the oven at all during baking? Also, what kind of pan did you use?

      Reply

      • Alina
        May 7, 2014

        The oven was closed the whole time. But I did use a glass pan. I always use a glass pan for my cheesecakes though and it never cracks so idk if that was the problem or not.. It doesn’t matter because once I covered it with jam and raspberries, nobody even suspected any crack, let alone see one 🙂 And it was really really delish!

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          May 7, 2014

          It might have been the type of pan; was it round? or rectangular? In a rectangular pan, or wider pan, it would need less baking time so that could have been the cause of a crack. Anyway, I’m so glad you liked the cheesecake 🙂

          Reply

  • Irina
    May 3, 2014

    The cheesecake was delicious! My only problem was it rose too high : ( should I use bigger cake pan next or use less batter?! Or I did something wrong? Thanks for great recipe!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 3, 2014

      The cake rises 1-1.5 inches over the rim while it’s baking and then settles back down into the pan as it cools. That is perfectly normal and a good thing. Is this the kind of rising you are talking about? What size was your pan? Mine was 9″ wide by 3″ tall.

      Reply

  • Masha V
    May 2, 2014

    hi Natasha!
    I made the cake and it overflowed and the side was burned…..I was wondering what I did wrong….I followed the recipe word to word….. kinda sad since tomorrow is my son’s b-day party 🙁

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 2, 2014

      Oh no!! That’s so sad :(. I hope we can figure out what went wrong. I’ve made this cheesecake so many times and it’s never overflowed before. My first thought is the size of your springform mold. I used a 9-inch wide springform mold with 3-inch tall sides. Was your’s smaller? Also, what was the pan made of? I’ve gotten the top too dark by putting it up too high in my oven but the sides burning is very unusual. How full was your mold when you filled it with the cheesecake batter? Did you use a standard sized oven (Not a counter top oven- I only ask because some of them seem big enough to fit a cheesecake but it would be too close to the heating elements).

      Reply

  • Esther Moseichuk
    April 30, 2014

    Hey Natasha! So wanna make this recipe asap! I made a cheesecake a few weeks ago but it was the plain recipe from a while back and it was amazing. But is there a way I can make this “healthier”? Perhaps use coconut oil instead of butter? Or use nonfat cream cheese? Or will it change the flavor? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 30, 2014

      To be honest, I haven’t tried making this cheesecake with low fat cream cheese so I’m not sure how that will change things. I think you could probably use coconut oil in leu of butter but again I haven’t tasted it so I can’t guarantee it will taste as good as the butter 🙂

      Reply

  • Lilly
    April 28, 2014

    The cake is delicious!!! One of the best cheesecake recipes. I made it for Easter and everyone loved it. Thanks Natasha!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 28, 2014

      That’s so awesome that it was part of your Easter celebration. Thank you so much for sharing that with me 🙂 I’m all smiles 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Reply

  • Juliya
    April 22, 2014

    I made one last week! It was absolutely delicious and everyone loved it! Thanks for the recipe!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 22, 2014

      That’s fantastic! Thanks so much Juliya!

      Reply

  • Debbie Pipkins
    April 22, 2014

    Thank you for the recipe! We have a cheesecake recipe that has been a favorite in our family for years. I was looking for a cheesecake that is just as delicious, but easier to make. Yours is soooo easy. I used my mom’s graham cracker crust and your filling! My husband and I think yours tastes better! The recipe has now been replaced! In fact, I am making one for our school secretary for Thursday. I did not do the toppings or chocolate crust, we like ours simple and plain. Just wanted to pass this thank you along! Debbie

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 22, 2014

      Thank you so much for such a thoughtful review 🙂 I’m so happy you and your hubby both enjoyed the cheesecake. That’s very sweet of you to make it for your school secretary 🙂

      Reply

  • Ella Lane
    April 22, 2014

    I love following your baking recipes! They bring me as close to home as possible. Living so far away I get homesick but then bake something you’ve posted and I’m suddenly back home!

    I do have an interesting question Natasha. I have an 8″ spring form pan which is more than enough cake for just my husband son and I; what would be the cake batter proportions with an 8″ pan? Sorry if this seems like a bizzare question. Made the cheesecake following the recipe in a 9″ pan. (except fruit toppings and flavor of jam) It was a big enough cake to feed 12 adults and 2 kids. I would love to make this for my family again but would love the help in scaling it down to a small cake for just us 3. THANKS!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 22, 2014

      The toppings and crust would stay the same, well maybe a few Tbsp less of the crust. But the filling you should probably scale down by 20%-25%
      (4 blocks cream cheese – 8oz each) at room temperature
      1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
      3 Tbsp sour cream
      6 whole large eggs (at room temp)
      1 tsp real vanilla extract
      Now, in theory this should work, although I haven’t tested these exact proportions so I can’t guarantee the results will be the same. That is just the best answer I have for you 🙂 Although this will still make a pretty large cake: 10 servings. The baking time will a little bit shorter also and without testing it, I’d only be guessing.

      Reply

  • Anna
    April 21, 2014

    I’ve made your other cheesecake… the one with blueberry topping many times already, because and boy oh boy was it delicious! Haven’t made a different cheesecake since, but I guess that’s gonna have to change because these pictures are so promising! I can already taste the heaven:)

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 21, 2014

      Anna I have some very very very very very good news! 🙂 The center cheesecake part is the same. The only changes were the crust, the glaze and the toppings.

      Reply

  • Valentina
    April 21, 2014

    Made this for Easter and it came out amazing! I’ve tried many cheesecake recipes before but this one came out so creamy and it was beautiful.. no cracks at all! I put raspberry jam on mine. Will definitely make again! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 21, 2014

      Oooh Raspberry jam sounds amazing! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂 It’s my go-to cheesecake recipe.

      Reply

  • Inna
    April 21, 2014

    I made this cheesecake for yesterday’s Easter lunch. Everyone loved it! IT was great, but I did run into 2 problems. 1. The cheesecake cracked big time about 10 min before done baking. 2.the crust burned a little on the bottom. Not sure what were my problems. I made your cheese cake before, never ran into these problems. Anyways the crack was fixed with some extra frosting. I just love cheasecakes. Thanks Natasha! I am planning to make one more this week for my husband he didn’t get to try it because it was all gone. Lol will fix that!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 21, 2014

      The oven is the most likely culprit. Did you turn down the temperature at the right time? Cheesecake cracks are very forgiving with the topping. But I suspect your oven either got too hot or it was too hot for too long. I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake anyway 🙂

      Reply

  • Victoria
    April 19, 2014

    Making this cheesecake right now for tomorrow! 2 of them actually for both families. My pan is pretty high but I filled it up to almost the rim. Hope it won’t all end up overfilling if it rises :-/

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 19, 2014

      I’ve had that happen before when I used a giant block of cream cheese from Costco and the slices were bigger than normal sot it ended up really full. It was still ok in the end. Was your pan a 9″ or smaller?

      Reply

  • Julia @Vikalinka
    April 19, 2014

    Studying the no-crack technique as I am getting ready to make my own cheesecake for Easter and the next post. 😉 Looks gorgeous, and the cheese filling looks so creaaaamy! Happy Easter! 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 19, 2014

      Happy Easter to you also! I’m looking forward to seeing your cheesecake! I’m sure it will be stunning 🙂

      Reply

  • Tanya
    April 18, 2014

    Looks amazing!
    What size baking dish did you use?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 18, 2014

      It was a 9″ springform 🙂 make sure you have tall walls like the one in the picture.

      Reply

  • Lisa
    April 18, 2014

    Have all the ingredients out on the kitchen table….can hardly wait to surprise everyone on Easter!!! Thanks so much for posting this springlike cheesecake! You’re the best,Natasha! Happy Easter!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 18, 2014

      Happy Easter Lisa! I hope you and your family love the cheesecake!

      Reply

  • Cherelle
    April 17, 2014

    Hi Natasha,
    I love your recipes! All the ones I have made so far have been delicious. Lately I have not been receiving the new posts in my email. I even tried subscribing again and it said my email was already subscribed . Help! 🙂 thank you!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 17, 2014

      I noticed that today too! I’ve been trying to figure it out all day long! I’m looking into upgrading to a paid subscription service that should be more reliable! I’ll try to get it fixed by the end of the week 🙂

      Reply

  • Inna
    April 17, 2014

    This looks amazing, I want to make it today..but I do not own a food processor:/ is there a work around?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 17, 2014

      Yes, you can put the graham crackers in a large ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin. It takes a little longer but it’s totally do-able. You can also buy graham cracker crumbs and save a step 🙂

      Reply

      • Inna
        April 17, 2014

        Thank you:) doing it right now! Yummm

        Reply

  • Kristine @ Kristine's Kitchen
    April 16, 2014

    That cheesecake looks amazing!! My favorite cheesecake is plain because I love the cheesecake flavor without chocolate or something else mixed in, but this- classic plain cheesecake with apricot, raspberries, and a chocolate crust? It looks like it could totally become my new favorite. Must make soon!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 16, 2014

      I am exactly the same way! I love plain, unadulterated cheesecake ;). I’ll take that over marbled or chocolate cheesecake any day! This is the best of both worlds though. The topping and crust are the cherry on top!

      Reply

  • Chichi
    April 16, 2014

    This looks amazing

    Reply

  • Shinee
    April 16, 2014

    Natasha, this cheesecake looks amazing! I love cheesecake, but haven’t had any lately! I’m drooling right now. 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 16, 2014

      I hope you have a keyboard protector. We have one for that very reason! lol.

      Reply

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