This Spring Cheesecake Cake is guaranteed to make you happy! Layers of flavored cheesecake paired with a wonderful white cake. Layers of deliciousness! If you are looking for a classic Cheesecake Recipe, don’t miss that perfect recipe! (You might also enjoy this Piggy Pie Dessert!)
Cheesecake Cake
Spring is starting to happen here in Minnesota (and hopefully most places!) and I can’t help but be inspired by the light, joyful, and refreshing feeling it brings.
This cake is a reflection of my favorite flavors of spring with Raspberry, Lemon and Orange cheesecake nestled between two lovely layers of moist white cake. Covered in whipped cream of course!
For the outside decoration, I was inspired by Easter and the glorious little speckled eggs that are in abundance. I love those little suckers with a passion and thought it would be fun to add that little color and flare to my cake.
To Speckle This Cheesecake Cake
Place cake outside or on a table lined with newspaper. Place parchment strips around the bottom of the cake to protect your cake stand.
Dip brush into pink food color with about a tablespoon of water added. Hold it in your left hand near the cake. With your pointer finger of your right hand, run your finger along the bristles of the paintbrush. The first time you do this, try to be a little farther away just so you are able to gauge how much pressure you can use, how much liquid you need on your brush, and how close you need to be.
Do this all over the top and sides of the cake.
Tips for Cheesecake Cake
You will see that I baked a white sheet cake instead of two 8-inch rounds. This is purely for vanity purposes! I wanted the top, bottom and sides to not have any browned bits. You can certainly bake your white cake in 8-inch round pans to save yourself one step.
I loved the subtle flavors in this cake, but I encourage you to taste as you go. See if 1 teaspoon of raspberry (and lemon and orange) is enough for you and feel free to add more if it isn’t.
Food coloring is not essential in this recipe, but using just the tiniest amount helps add to the wonderful Spring theme!
Make sure everything is chilled before assembly. Working with an almost frozen white cake and very chilled cheesecakes is ideal.
You can make this over the course of 2 days if that is easier. Just make sure cheesecakes and cake are sealed in airtight containers/plastic wrap so they stay fresh before you assemble.
My husband, who is famous for not liking dessert, really really liked this cake. It really is light and flavorful and refreshing and a great way to enjoy the coming of Spring!
It was an absolute delight to create this Spring Cheesecake Cake with McCormick. Thank you so, so much for supporting the brands that support this blog. I only work with the best, and am thankful that McCormick is willing to partner with me! <3
Spring Cheesecake Cake (raspberry, lemon & orange)
Ingredients
Raspberry Cheesecake
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon (5g) Raspberry Extract
- 2 drops red food coloring
Lemon Cheesecake
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup (50g) sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon (5g) Pure Lemon Extract
Orange Cheesecake
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup (50g) sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. (5g) Pure Orange Extract
- 1 drop red food coloring
- 1 drop yellow food coloring
White Sheet Cake
- 1 cup (226g or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120g) sour cream, room temperature
- 2 ¼ cups (285g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoons confectioners sugar
- 1 tablespoon meringue powder optional
Instructions
Raspberry Cheesecake
- Place cream cheese into bowl of stand mixer fixed with paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed for 30 seconds. Add in sugar and egg and beat on medium speed until smooth, 3-5 minutes.
- Scrape down sides of mixer bowl.
- With mixer on low speed, add in extract and food coloring.
- Prepare an 8-inch cake pan (grease and/or butter pan then line with parchment paper) and then pour the filling into the pan.
- Bake until cheesecake is set, 18-24 minutes at 325°F in a convection oven or 350°F in a regular oven. (Cheesecake can be slightly golden but not brown)
- Set the cheesecake on a wire rack and let it cool completely. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before assembling cake.
Lemon Cheesecake
- Place cream cheese into bowl of stand mixer fixed with paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed for 30 seconds. Add in sugar and egg and beat on medium speed until smooth, 3-5 minutes.
- Scrape down sides of mixer bowl.
- With mixer on low speed, add in extract.
- Prepare an 8-inch cake pan (grease and/or butter pan then line with parchment paper) and then pour the filling into the pan.
- Bake until cheesecake is set, 18-24 minutes at 325°F in a convection oven or 350°F in a regular oven. (Cheesecake can be slightly golden but not brown)
- Set the cheesecake on a wire rack and let it cool completely. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before assembling cake.
Orange Cheesecake
- Place cream cheese into bowl of stand mixer fixed with paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed for 30 seconds. Add in sugar and egg and beat on medium speed until smooth, 3-5 minutes.
- Scrape down sides of mixer bowl.
- With mixer on low speed, add in extract and food coloring.
- Prepare an 8-inch cake pan (grease and/or butter pan then line with parchment paper) and then pour the filling into the pan.
- Bake until cheesecake is set, 18-24 minutes at 325°F in a convection oven or 350°F in a regular oven. (Cheesecake can be slightly golden but not brown)
- Set the cheesecake on a wire rack and let it cool completely. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before assembling cake.
White Sheet Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Prepare a 12×17 inch half sheet/jelly roll pan by spraying with non-stick spray then lining with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.
- In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter for about 1 minute on medium speed.
- Add the sugar on medium speed and beat until fluffy and light in color, about 2 minutes.
- Add in egg whites and mix until incorporated.
- With mixer on low speed, slowly pour in vanilla and then sour cream. (scrape bowl if necessary)
- Mix for 1-2 minutes on medium speed or until ingredients are fully incorporated.
- With mixer on low speed, pour half of the flour mixture into the creamed butter mixture.
- Now pour in half of the milk.
- Repeat with the rest of the flour and milk and mix until combined and smooth, about 30 seconds. Spread the cake batter into the prepared pan using a small offset spatula. (be sure it is nice and level!)
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Place in freezer until ready to assemble the cake.
Whipped Cream
- Place your mixing bowl and wire whisk in the freezer for about 15-30 minutes.
- In stand mixer, whisk whipped cream for 1-2 minutes. Add in remaining ingredients and beat just until stiff peaks form. (If you need a more stable whipped cream add in meringue powder. If using immediately,
- you can omit the meringue powder.) Chill until ready to use. Makes about 2 cups (480 ml) whipped cream.
To Assemble Cake
- Make sure cheesecakes and white sheet cake are chilled. Place clean 8-inch pan on top of sheet cake and run a sharp paring knife around the edge. You now have a perfect 8-inch round white cake disc. Do this again so you have 2 total.
- Remove chilled orange cheesecake from pan and set on cake stand. (this is a thin cheesecake and when very chilled, can be easily popped out of the lined cake pan. You can also use a spring-form pan)
- Place one 8-inch white cake on top.
- Remove lemon cheesecake from pan and gently place on top of white cake.
- Place other 8-inch white cake on top of lemon cheesecake.
- Remove raspberry cheesecake from pan and gentle place on top of white cake.
- Cover cake in chilled whipped cream and serve. (You can refrigerate for up to 24 hours before serving.)
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
This looks amazing! I was wondering though, could you sub fresh lemon/orange juice and zest for the extracts, and maybe a little fresh rasp. puree for that one? I don’t have these extracts but always have the fresh fruit. I think it should work? Just wondering if you’d tried it… thanks so much! 🙂
Hi Stacy- I have not made this recipe with those changes so I can’t say for sure. But if you are adding more liquid and other ingredients it just may throw the recipe off a bit. I would search for a recipe that is already containing those ingredients and then just use that for the cake! 🙂
Great recipe! How did you create the pink speckled effect on the outside of the cake?
Made this today with only the raspberry layer of cheesecake and it was divine! I love the idea to use the cookie sheet then cutting the rounds it leaves you with a good amoint of cake to eat leftover which my daughter greedily ate up. Also, this is the best white cake I have made. Light and not too sweet. Perfection. You are amazing!
I love your adaptations Joanna! Sounds like a perfectly wonderful cake you made!
This is beautiful! Do you think using two 8 in rounds for the cake would mess up the cheesecake to cake ratio?
I havent tried that method so cannot speak to it’s effectiveness. Sorry!
Would love to make this for Easter. Did Amanda answer any of the questions about how to get the speckled effect on the frosting? I looked through quickly and didn’t see it. Any help here would be greatly appreciated. Thanx!
I Love the look of this cake & would like to give it a go for Easter… however you’ve yet to address this, how do you get the speckled look on the outside? It looks like food colouring, but how did you apply it? Thanks!
This looks absolutely delicious. On my short list of cakes to make. Lovely to hear from Judy who posted earlier how light, flavorful and refreshing this it. Perfect spring colors and flavors.
My quick observation… Your white cake recipe calls for whole eggs. Even with the whole eggs your white cake is so beautifully white. I would’ve thought you had used egg whites only, not the full egg. Nice to know that the cake doesn’t yellow from the yolks. I prefer full eggs in my cakes if possible. I believe that they are moister. (My un-scientific opinion)
Hi Debbie! One thing I have observed (also un-scientifically) is that when you remove the browned edges the cake seems to appear less yellow. It may be a silly and unnecessary step, but I love how a white cakes looks!
You can get the speckle effect by dipping a toothbrush’s bristles into the food coloring and then running a dowel across the bristles. Make sure to put a drop cloth around as it will spatter all over. Practice on a piece of paper first to get a feel of how fast or hard to move the dowel to achieve your desired affect.
Could you send me the recipe. I could not print on my smartphone.
i would like your recipe for your cream cheese cake cake! I love the fruit flavor!