Last Updated on 22/06/2024 by Adina
Make this beautiful heart-shaped cheesecake for Valentine's Day. The crustless cheesecake is topped with fresh raspberries and whipped cream and is the perfect treat for your loved one.
This gorgeous heart-shaped cheesecake is the perfect recipe for this Valentine's or Mother's Day. It is one of my favorite cheesecake recipes, a recipe that I already posted last year: Crustless Cheesecake.
And what is the best about this Valentine's cheesecake recipe? You will only need one bowl; all the batter ingredients are mixed in one go. Really! This is probably the easiest cake recipe ever!
Try more of our delicious cheesecakes! The Strawberry Yogurt Cheesecake or the Maracuya Cheesecake are out of this world.
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📋Recipe ingredients and substitutions
Quark:
- A fresh dairy product, traditional in the cuisines of German-speaking, Scandinavian and Slavic countries. It is similar to Greek yogurt but less mild in taste and stiffer.
- When talking about consistency, strained yogurt is the most similar to quark. In terms of taste, cottage cheese is a good alternative, but quark has a slightly stronger flavor and a very smooth texture, whereas cottage cheese has small balls in it.
- Quark is protein-packed (½ cup has 11 g of protein in it) and is super healthy especially the low-fat kind.
- Quark is very cheap and very common in Germany, but maybe not that easy to find in other countries. However, most larger supermarkets probably sell quark nowadays.
Substitute for quark: Blended cottage cheese and cream cheese in a 1:1 ratio, so a total of 2 ½ cups/ 500 g dairy.
- Include quark in various recipes; its delightful taste works well in both sweet and savory dishes: Quark Muffins, Savory Cheese Pie with Quark, or Nalesniki - Polish Crepes filled with quark.
Crème fraiche or smetana. Alternatively, use sour cream. If you have some leftover smetana or creme fraiche, use it to make Nokedli and serve them with Chicken Paprikash with Dumplings or Pörkölt.
Equipment: You will need a heart-shaped springform (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab). Alternatively, use a regular springform (9-10 inches/ 24-26 cm).
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
👩🏻🍳How to make a heart-shaped cheesecake?
- Step 1: Mix all the ingredients, except for the raspberries and the heavy cream needed for decorating the cheesecake, in a large bowl. Pour the mixture into the prepared springform.
- Step 2: Bake for 1 hour; turn off the oven, but don't open it. Leave the heart cheesecake in the oven for another two hours. During this time, it will continue baking and setting without getting any creases or becoming too dry.
- Step 3: Remove the heart-shaped cheesecake from the oven and cool completely in the springform.
- Step 4: Once cooled, decorate the cheesecake with fresh raspberries and whipped cream.
🔊Expert Tips
Always use a digital kitchen scale (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab) to measure the ingredients; cup measuring can cause trouble in baking.
Place a piece of baking paper loosely on top of the heart-shaped cheesecake and bake for 1 hour without opening the oven during this time. The baking paper will prevent the cake from getting too much color. You should do this at the beginning of the baking process, as you should not open the oven during the baking and after-baking time.
❓Recipe FAQ
Like any other cheesecake, it is preferable to bake the Valentine's Day cheesecake one day in advance; the night spent in the fridge will only make it better. Only decorate with raspberries and whipped cream before serving.
Yes, you can use a round springform of about 9-10 inches/ 24-26 cm diameter.
I don't recommend it; defrosted and drained raspberries are still too wet, and they don't look anywhere near as nice as fresh raspberries.
Alternatively, use fresh strawberries, blueberries, or a mix of berries to top the heart-shaped cheesecake.
Refrigerate leftovers for about 2 days.
The cheesecake will keep longer (3-4 days) without the fresh raspberry topping.
💘More Valentine's Day baking ideas
Or have a look at these collections of Cheesecakes for Mother's Day or Mother's Day Recipes.
📖Recipe
Heart-Shaped Cheesecake – Valentine's Day Cake
Equipment
- Piping bat with a small star nozzle
Ingredients
Cheesecake (Notes 1, 2):
- 2½ cups low-fat quark 500 g, Note 3
- 1 cup heavy cream 250 g
- 1 cup creme fraiche or smetana or sour cream, 250 g
- 6 large eggs
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 100 g
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 200 g, very soft
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 g
- 1¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Topping:
- ½ cup heavy cream 125 ml
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 9 oz fresh raspberries 250 g, Note 4
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 340°F/ 170°C. Butter the springform and set it aside.
- Combine: Place the quark, heavy cream, Smetana/creme fraiche, eggs, very soft butter, sugar, vanilla sugar or extract, flour, baking powder, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Mix well. Pour the mixture into the prepared springform.2½ cups low-fat quark/ 500 g + 1 cup heavy cream/ 250 ml + 1 cup creme fraiche/ 250 g + 6 large eggs + ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter/ 200 g + ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour/ 100 g + 1¾ teaspoon baking powder + 1 cup granulated sugar/ 200 g + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract + 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Bake: Place a piece of baking paper loosely on top of the cheesecake and bake for 1 hour without opening the oven during this time.
- Rest heart cheesecake: After one hour, turn off the oven, still do not open it, and leave the cake in it for another two hours. Remove from the oven and cool completely before taking the cheesecake out of the springform.
- Decorate the cheesecake just before serving. Beat the whipping cream with the vanilla extract until stiff. Pipe it around the edges of the cake.½ cup heavy cream/ 125 ml + ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Arrange the raspberries on the cake inside the whipped cream frame. 9 oz fresh raspberries/ 250 g
Notes
- Measurements: I always recommend using a digital kitchen scale (the Amazon link opens in a new tab) in baking; it guarantees the best results.
- Bake one day in advance: Cheesecakes taste better one day after baking, so it is preferable to bake the cheesecake one day in advance but only decorate it shortly before serving.
- Quark substitutions: Blended cottage cheese and cream cheese in a 1:1 ratio (so 9 oz/ 250 g cottage cheese + 9 oz/ 250 g cream cheese).
- Berries: Alternatively, use other berries like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or a mix of berries. I don't recommend using frozen and defrosted berries; they are too wet and don't look pretty after being thawed.
Priya @priyascurrynation says
Stunning.. i am already in the celebration mood..
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
I wish my husband ate cheese....this looks stunning with fresh raspberries.
allie says
This is a GORGEOUS cheesecake Adina. I love the fresh raspberries. I make a chocolate tart that is topped with fresh raspberries. Nothing like fresh berries on a cake. I know your husband loved this for his birthday. I know I would! XO
Shashi at SavorySpin says
Adina, I don't celebrate Valentine's Day - but this GORGEOUS cheesecake is making me rethink my Valentine's Day shenanigans! What a stunner - those large raspberries look so good too!
Anca says
This cake sounds and looks delicious. And those fab raspberries... I would love to try it.