Creamy Orange Dreamsicle Cheesecake with Sugared Cream Sauce
I love chocolate and cheesecake. When I go to a restaurant, the first thing I do is look at the menu and (1) see if there is chocolate on the dessert menu (2) see if there is chocolate in the form of cheesecake on the menu. I tell you this because if you are a chocolate addict like I am, you may not think creamy orange creamsicle cheesecake is for you since there is not one ounce of chocolate in here. But—this has become my favorite non-chocolate cheesecake. The recipe is from Cheesecake Extraordinaire by Mary H. Crownover. It is the very first cheesecake cookbook I purchased—back in the mid 90s. In the cookbook, the recipe is called Creamy Orange Swirl Cheesecake. The author describes it perfectly, “This citrus cheesecake tastes like a cross between orange sherbet and an orange julius beverage.“
I brought this to our family reunion on the evening of National Cheesecake Day and it was gone so quickly, I was glad I kept a piece at home. It’s a wonderful blend of vanilla and orange flavor. And oh, yes— you get to break out the vanilla liqueur while you are stirring up this cheesecake. What a great way to make dessert!
While you’ve got the bottle of vanilla liqueur out, you can make cheesecake shots and cocktails by mixing cranberry juice and Dr. McGillicuddy’s. And here are two cherry cheesecake cocktail recipes.
Based on some of the comments from my winning Chocolate Explosion Cheesecake photo on Kraft Foods Facebook page, there are people who cannot eat chocolate or simply don’t like it so this is a perfect dessert for them too!
The sugared cream sauce is part of what makes this cheesecake so delicious and memorable. Make it ahead of time and serve it alongside the cheesecake.
Sweet wishes,
Creamy Orange Dreamsicle Cheesecake with Sugared Cream Sauce
Equipment
- 1 9-inch springform pan
Ingredients
Crust
- 11 vanilla sandwich cookie, crushed, like Golden Oreos
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 24 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature , 3 (8 oz) packages
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2½ tablespoons heavy whipping cream, cold
- 5 teaspoons cornstarch
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- ⅓ cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ⅓ cup vanilla liqueur, such as Vanilla Dr. McGillicuddy’s
- 1¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Sugared Cream Sauce
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1½ tablespoons orange juice, not concentrate
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
- orange slices for garnish if desired
Instructions
Crust
- Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 9-inch springform pan.
- In a small bowl, stir together crushed cookies and melted butter until well combined. (I use a food processor.)
- Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom of pan. Place crust in the freezer while you prepare the cheesecake filling.
Cheesecake Filling
- In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium until smooth. Beat in the sugar.
- In a small bowl, combine the cold whipping cream and cornstarch and stir until dissolved. Add it to the cheesecake filling. Beat with electric mixer until smooth.
- Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, slowly beating after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl in-between.
- Pour half of the cheesecake filling into a small bowl. Into that small bowl, stir in the orange juice concentrate and orange peel.
- Into the remaining filling, stir in the vanilla liqueur and vanilla extract.
- Remove crust from the freezer. Pour the orange filling over the crust.
- Top with the vanilla mixture. Without disturbing the crust, swirl the blade of a knife through the cake to create a marbling effect. (There isn't much difference in color between the two mixtures.)
- Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 225°F and bake 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the center no longer looks wet or shiny but still has a "jiggle" to it.
- Remove from the oven and run a knife around the inside edge of the pan. Cool to room temperature. Chill in the refrigerator at least 12 hours for best flavor. Can be made 3 days ahead. For more than 3 days, place in the freezer.
Sugared Cream Sauce
- Stir together 1 cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon orange juice, 1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition
All text and images © Staci Mergenthal • Random Sweets
i love cheesecake !!
Oh YUM! I have been working on a dreamsicle cheesecake also :). Those flavors are pure bites of sunshine and happiness… just make you want to smile.
Very true Tickled Red–pure bites of sunshine! When you make your dreamsicle cheesecake, will you share the recipe on your blog?
OMG – this looks great. I love dreamsicles!
Dreamsicles are delicious! Thank you for the comment. I love your blog site http://www.plainchicken.blogspot.com/. I have now subscribed to it and I am your newest follower on Twitter. Can’t wait to read your Friday tailgating recipes…I live for that kind of food.