Very Berry Cheesecake

I found this recipe while looking for a dessert to enter in our company's annual blackberry contest featuring many entries of delectable blackberry treats and blind-judged by several different "higher-ups" in the company. This recipe was very easy to make in steps. I was able to whip this up while I also cooking dinner, caring for our demanding toddler, etc. Made crust first, put in the fridge. Then, the next time I had a breather, I whipped up the filling. Filling sat for a bit before I could put it all together and throw in the oven. I made a mistake on the crust and melted 8 tbsp (a whole cube) of butter instead of 6. I had already added the crushed wafers to the butter, so I just crushed up and added more wafers until the consistency was right. I ended up using a total of 53 wafers. It turned out very well. I used small-curd cottage cheese and it blended smooth easily. I substituted orange juice for the brandy. I also used frozen blackberries, which I would not recommend. It was a lot of extra work to get them dry enough to use. Plus, they were sour and not as big and juicy and sweet as the fresh ones I could have picked on our hill (I should have sent the kids out to pick them!). I used the 8" springform pan - but next time I would use the 9", because the cake did not get as done as I wanted it to in the center. I baked it at 375 deg. for 57 minutes! I'm pleased to say that this cheesecake was awarded the second place prize in the contest! Enjoy!

I have made this recipe at least a couple dozen times. It is my standby when bringing a dessert to a gathering, and is so popular with family and friends that it is requested often. The texture is amazingly silky and light! The flavor is lovely whether I use cherry brandy or kirsh. My favorite fruit choices for this are sour cherries or blackberries, and I often put a sour cream and sugar layer over the top just before the fruit topping, which tastes as great as it looks. I sometimes make it with a graham cracker crust just for variety. Fabulous!

Great recipe. I put the berries in a blender with some sugar then swirled it into the filling. Came out wonderful!

Cottage Cheese makes the flavor a little lighter than other cheesecakes I have made. My mother-in-law is from Germany and she loved it. I used blueberries in the cake & did not make the topping, i just used fresh blueberries to top the cake after baking. It was sweet enought without the glaze.

I love this cheesecake. I use a frozen berry blend (strawberries, blueberries, red raspberries, and blackberries), buying two bags. I thaw them, put one in the dessert, following the recipe, and mix the other with sugar for topping. Mmmmm.

Fluffy, creamy, & delicious! This cheesecake - made with blueberries, orange juice, & the syrup from a jar of meraschino cherries (instead of the brandy), was the most perfect cheesecake I have made yet!

Terrific cheesecake! I didn't have cherry brandy on hand and used raspberry liqueur but followed the instructions otherwise. Flavour is amazing and texture is perfect, even if I wasn't sure about cottage cheese at first.

Fabulous! I added another half to the recipe to fill my 9 inch pan. I also used frozen black raspberries. I baked it for 40 minutes in my convection oven (no water bath) and then just let it set there in the oven for another 2-3 hours. It was done perfectly and no cracks! I took it to a church function and everyone raved about how good it looked and tasted. I will definitely use this recipe again.

Nice refreshing cake and a nice presentation. I had to bake about 15 minutes longer than the recipe stated. Used mix of blueberries, mulberries, and raspberries which worked just fine. Cottage cheese seemed like an odd addition, but didn't notice any variation in the texture.

I have made this recipe six times now, and have had six huge successes! Family and friends alike rave over it ~ even the "cheesecake purists" are impressed. Now that the season for fresh berries is past, I am using those from my freezer with no problems. It works well with a graham cracker crust too.

Absolutely OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! I did add 8 more wafers and 1 more tablespoon of butter to the crust. And instead of Cherry Brandy I used Black Raspberry Liqueur in the cheesecake and in the topping recipe. I used about 3 tablespoons in the topping instead of 1.

Being my first attempt at a cooked Cheesecake... I decided on this one. I could have not asked for a better recipe. I added more types of Berries on the topping .... everything else was as is and it turned out SPECTACULAR

Good, easy to make cheesecake. Not as sweet as I expected. A little grainy. Everybody enjoyed it though!

This cheesecake turned out absolutely perfect! The only change I made was to substitute sour cream for the cottage cheese (I was worried about texture issues). It was my first attempt at cheesecake, and it was wonderful! Plus, I have a new use for all the blackberries in my back yard!

This recipe was great. My springform pan is larger than it called for so I ended up having to double the crust. I think I used too much so next time I would just increase it by 50%. I did not change the amount of the filling and that part was awesome. This cheesecake tasted really good. I used blackberries and really enjoying the simple topping. I was a little bit unsure about it being used to a more syrupy topping on cheesecakes but it was sooooo good.

I have used this recipe for years and it is such a lovely cheesecake, in both flavour and presentation. I have always used frozen mixed berries and have never had any problems. This is my favourite cheesecake recipe of all time!

I wasn't sure about this one, but people LOVED it. I have never gotten that many compliments for a cheesecake - and that was even though I had baked it too long. The vanilla wafer crust is wonderful and nicely compliments the tartness of the berries.

EXCELLENT!!!! I didn't have any cherry brandy on hand so I used chambord instead. I have a great white chocolate strawberry cheesecake that is very popular with my family. They unanimously voted this as the best one they had ever had. This is definitely a keeper.

This was very good. One person that ate it said he didn't like cheesecake but that it was very good. The smallest springform pan I have is 10" so I doubled the ingredients and it filled the pan very well, it had to cook a bit longer. I was just using raspberries and didn't have any fresh ones so I thawed a bag of frozen ones and let them drain for about a day (used the juice and another bag of frozen raspberries to make a raspberry sauce that was drizzled over when served) then added them in the center of the cheesecake. They didn't hold up too well but still had a good flavor in the middle. I don't have a food processor and was running the cottage cheese through my blender. It was too thick and wouldn't blend well so I added the orange juice (I don't use alcohol in cooking) to the cottage cheese and it blended up very smooth.

This was the middle layer for a wedding cake. I made it with frozen blueberries in the batter and fresh blueberries on top. I didn't have cherry brandy, so I used a mixture of Kirsch and orange juice.

This recipe is very delicious. The whole family loved it. I wouldn't change a thing about it. Thanks for adding it!

my first time baking a cheesecake. it was AWESOME!!!!! I didn't follow the recipe exactly as I didn't have any cherry brandy (I used white rum instead) and fresh blackberries were very expensive(they were imported), so I used organic mixed berries from our local grocery store. I threw three boxes of them into the cake and served it without topping. I still can't believe that my very first cheesecake for my fiance's birthday was a huge success. Thanks JJOHN32.

I bought a springform pan as a house warming gift and I thought that I should fill it with something. This recipe worked great. The only thing that I changed was to use frozen mixed berries (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry & blackberry). Turned out great and everyone at the party loved it.

As many modifications as I made, I probably shouldn't even review this recipe! I used vanilla yogurt instead of cottage cheese (I was really afraid of it being chunky--yuck); I used a splash of almond liquour and the rest sour cherry concentrate in place of the cherry brandy (didn't have any)---so my cheesecake was a pretty pink! I didn't have vanilla wafers, so I crushed up some animal crackers and added the butter with a little sugar. I used wild black raspberries--yummy, but seedy. I like this recipe because I only have an 8" springform pan, and this is a recipe that will work! I think I cooked it too high for too short of a time, because the edges browned while the middle was still a little goopy, but the flavor was great and the texture ( of what cooked) was smooth and creamy, and light but not too fluffy. I think this could be a great cheesecake, if I made it the right way! As it was, I was happy with the results, and I am encouraged to keep trying with my cheesecake making skills.

This was excellent. I have made many cheesecakes with the Raspberry bush in the backyard...but this was probably the best. The only think I changed was using sour cream instead of cottage cheese. I did not have any on hand. It turned out very delicious!! Will definately make again!

the only thing i didnt enjoy about this was the crust made of vanilla wafers- i thought the texture was funny after i baked it and it was also incredibly sticky. i used thawed frozen berries and substituted orange juice for the cherry brandy. overall0 it was quite yummy!

Delicious! Nice and light - a good compliment to summer fruits. I used orange juice instead of brandy and fresh peaches instead of the berries. Mine took about 20 min longer to cook. I only had a 9 inch springform pan, but mine was full! I don't know how it would have fit into an 8 inch pan. Brought the cheesecake into work and everyone raved about it. I also loved how easy this was to put together.

The cheesecake was great! My only modification was using blackberry brandy instead of cherry. Very good!

This recipe was easy to make. I used ricotta cheese which is a dry cottage cheese, with fresh raspberries and fresh blackberries. I cut the berries in half for the inside layer because they were quite big. I did not like using the crushed vanilla cookies because I found they did not crush up very finely. Next time I will use crushed graham wafer crumbs instead. My problem with baking cheesecake is I always think it is wobbly and underdone in the middle so I bake it an extra 15 minutes longer, but that is when it cracks. The idea is to not bake it longer and not worry about it, it will still be done to consistency. I also cooked the berry sauce on low on the stove top so it would be thinner to pour on the cheesecake. I did not have brandy so I used a guava liquour in the cake and grand marnier liquor (orange) in the sauce. It was a very light cheesecake because of the ricotta. I will make this again it was great at the dinner party, everyone loved it!

This was fantastic. It is soooo delicous. I needed to cook this for 55 mins. We went blackberry picking in the morning & made this late afternoon. It was so good with fresh blackberries. I highly recommend that everyone tries it. Thanks Eleanor for the great recipe!

A great, light cheesecake. I made 2 pies instead of a cake and swirled in the berries...yummy!

I didn't enjoy this very much. I'm not understanding why you would use cottage cheese in a cheesecake. I put it in the blender and had to add milk to it just to make it blend. Sour cream would have been much easier. Not to mention that the cottage cheese didn't cream very well and the cheesecake was kind of chunky. I'm not a big fan of chunky cheesecakes. Sour cream would help this recipe a whole lot.

Deliciously "light" cheesecake. I used chopped pitted cherries that I had frozen earlier this summer. Didn't have cherry brandy, so I infused a few cherries in regular brandy. I assume it would give the same flavour. Everyone loved it as it didn't feel too heavy.

I substituted a bag of frozen mixed fruit and it worked great.... everyone absolutely LOVED this cake and it isn't overpoweringly 'cheesecakey'!

Tasted so good and everyone loved it. I used OJ in place of the cherry brandy, used a combination of 4 cups of blueberries, blackberries and strawberries, 2 cups in each layer. Also used calorie free sugar and whole wheat white flour and reduced fat cream cheese. Used a 9" pan because I don't have an 8", but 9" turned out to be perfect because I added more fruits. Thanks to the author for sharing!

This was so light and creamy! It was one of my best cheesecakes yet! I didn't put the blackberries in whole, but pureed them with some sugar and swirled that into batter after it was in the pan to give it a swirly pattern. So, so good!!

This is a great recipe. Easy to make and very tasty. Everyone who shared this cheescake with us wanted the recipe, too! It's wonderful. Liesa

A very nice and light summer dessert! I have actually used mixed frozen berries (thawed an patted dry) and did just one berry layer. I've also processed cottage cheese until very, very smooth. Also I had only 9" springform, so 40 wafers were just right for the bottom-only crust, which I actually prefer.

I baked this cake in a 9-inch heart shaped springform pan and it turned out perfect. I could not find all the fresh berries and have to substitute with some frozen berries, the taste is still great.

Wonderful recipe. I used black berry brandy instead and did not add a topping. It was a hit for Thanksgiving. I might add more black berries in the middle next time or much them up a bit.

Swapped my 9in spring form pan for three smaller 4in pans; otherwise, followed the recipe to the T. Amazing berry flavor!

yummy! instead of using a springform pan I put graham cracker crust in a 9x13 inch pan. added one more egg and another dab of cottage cheese. Left out the liquor. will definately make again!

Put a chocolate crumble crust on mine and it turned out really good. Had to cook it about 20 min longer than called for but turned out great!

This is such a great recipe. I make it for tons of special occasions and always get great reviews. I've never had any issues with the cottage cheese, it makes it really light and nice. I use frozen mixed berries, which means its not too expensive to make. Also I usually make lots of extra berry sauce. I use wine instead of the brandy, which adds a really nice flavour. Mmmmmmm.

First time ever making cheesecake and it turned out great!

Delicious ... i used fresh fruit mixed with tinned fruit and digestive biscuits instead of wafers :) It came great as in photos ....

Graham crackers are not available here in Thailand, so I substituted Australian Malted Milk Biscuits which were the closest thing I could find. I also omitted the Cherry Brandy for 2 reasons, Not easily available, and I choose to live alcohol free as much as possible.

I absolutely love it! This isn’t as heavy as all other cheesecakes out there. It’s light and yummy. I substituted cherry brandy with raspberry liqueur and loved it

went a little off recipe with this one ,but it turned out great. my family loved it and i will be making it again

Prep time is inaccurate. it actually takes me 5 1/2 hrs.

It's was good.