Mary Berry Cherry Cheesecake

Mary Berry’s cherry cheesecake is a baked vanilla cheesecake topped with black cherries glazed in kirsch. It bakes at 180°C (350°F) for 25–30 minutes on a biscuit crumb base in a 23cm (9 in) springform tin. It serves 8.

Berry publishes this in Baking with Mary Berry (2015) with a simple five-ingredient filling. The cherry topping is thickened with arrowroot and laced with kirsch, which lifts tinned cherries into something that tastes intentional.

The higher baking temperature sets this apart from Berry’s other cheesecakes. Most bake at 160°C, but this one uses 180°C for a shorter time. That gives a firmer set with a golden top.

Mary Berry Cherry Cheesecake

Recipe by Pinch PerfectCourse: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

355

kcal

From Baking with Mary Berry (2015), a quick baked cheesecake with a tinned cherry and kirsch topping. The higher-than-usual baking temperature gives a firmer set in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients

• For the base:

• 155g (5½ oz) digestive biscuits, crushed
  

• 90g (3 oz) butter, melted
  

• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
  

• For the filling:

• 375g (12 oz) full-fat cream cheese
  

• 100g (3½ oz) granulated sugar
  

• 2 large eggs, beaten
  

• A few drops of vanilla extract
  

• 1 tbsp lemon juice
  

• For the topping:

• 1 tsp arrowroot
  

• 1 x 400g (14 oz) tin pitted black cherries
  

• 1 tbsp kirsch

Directions

• Preheat: Set the oven to 180°C (350°F).
  
• Make the base: Mix together the crushed biscuits, melted butter, and sugar. Press evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the cake tin.
  
• Make the filling: Put the cream cheese into a bowl and beat until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and beat until well blended. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Mix until smooth and creamy.
  
• Bake: Pour the filling into the biscuit base. Bake for 25–30 minutes until just set. Let cool completely, then transfer to the fridge and chill.
  
• Make the topping: Dissolve the arrowroot in a little of the cherry juice. Put the cherries and their juice into a small pan and add the arrowroot mixture with the kirsch. Bring to a boil, stirring, until thick. Let cool completely.
  
• Serve: Spoon the cherries on top of the cheese filling. Chill. Use a knife to loosen the side of the cheesecake from the tin, then remove. Serve chilled.
  

FAQs

Why does Berry use arrowroot instead of cornflour for the topping?

Arrowroot sets clear when cooked, which keeps the cherry juice glossy and jewel-like on top of the cheesecake. Cornflour would thicken the liquid just as well but turns it cloudy, dulling the deep red colour of the cherries. Berry’s choice is about appearance as much as function.

You only need 1 teaspoon dissolved in a splash of cherry juice. Stir it into the pan with the cherries and kirsch, then bring everything to the boil. The mixture thickens within seconds, so keep stirring and take it off the heat as soon as it coats the back of a spoon.

Can I use fresh cherries instead of tinned?

You can, but you’ll need to adjust the method. Fresh cherries need pitting, then poaching in a light sugar syrup (about 50g sugar to 100ml water) for 5–10 minutes until tender. You’ll then thicken the syrup with arrowroot as Berry does with the tinned version.

Berry uses tinned because they’re consistent and available year-round. Fresh cherries are seasonal and vary in sweetness, so you’d need to taste the syrup and adjust the sugar. The kirsch works with both, adding an almond-like warmth that complements cherry in any form.

What does the kirsch actually do?

Kirsch is a clear cherry brandy that intensifies the cherry flavour without adding colour. Berry uses just 1 tablespoon, which is enough to give the topping a warm, slightly almondy depth without making it boozy. The alcohol cooks off when you boil the topping mixture, so only the flavour remains.

If you don’t have kirsch, amaretto works as a substitute since both share that stone-fruit warmth. You could also skip the alcohol entirely and add ½ teaspoon of almond extract to the cherry mixture instead.

How does this compare to Berry’s other baked cheesecakes?

This is Berry’s simplest baked cheesecake recipe. The filling has just five ingredients (cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon) with no flour, no soured cream, and no chocolate. Her chocolate ripple cheesecake uses the same base technique but adds melted dark chocolate. Her vanilla version adds flour and soured cream for a silkier texture.

The simplicity makes this a faster bake. From start to oven, you can have this ready in 15 minutes. The topping takes another 5 minutes while the cheesecake cools. It’s the Berry cheesecake I reach for when time is short.

How long does the cherry cheesecake keep?

The baked cheesecake without the topping keeps in the fridge for 2–3 days, covered loosely. Once you add the cherry topping, eat it within 24 hours because the juice gradually softens the surface of the filling and the base underneath.

Make the cheesecake and topping separately and store them in the fridge. Spoon the cherries over just before serving. This way you get the best texture from both components: a firm, clean-slicing cheesecake with a glossy, fresh-tasting topping.