If you love Aperol Spritz and cheesecake then you’ll love this incredible cheesecake!
This cheesecake gives all of the spring and summer vibes. It consists of an orange cookie crust, a creamy Aperol and orange cheesecake cake and is topped with a delicious champagne ganache!
This Aperol Spritz Cheesecake is full of flavor. With its orange cookie crust, aperol spritz and orange cheesecake and champagne ganache it's perfect to serve for your friends and family for a spring or summer gathering.
Cheesecakes are simple to put together, you just need a good amount of time for it, as it needs 1h 20 min in the oven, and patience to wait for it to set in the fridge overnight, which is hard for most of us but it’s well worth the wait!
For more cupcake recipes, try Honey and Lemon Cheesecake, Fresh Raspberry Cheesecake and Espresso Chocolate Cheesecake.
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WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- If you love the delicious summer drink Aperol Spritz then this is it's cake version
- Aperol has a lovely dry grapefruit/ rhubarb notes to it and work incredible with the orange juice and champagne.
- It has a crispy orange cookie crust that really lifts the cheesecake to another level
INGREDIENTS
These are the key ingredients for this Aperol Spritz cheesecake:
- Aperol: Aperol can typically be found in most supermarkets or alcohol shops. The Aperol is quit a key components to this cheesecake. It gives a delicious dry note to the cheesecake and really makes it fresh and summery.
- Orange: I use an organic orange as you need the orange zest and juice from the orange. I used freshly squeezed orange juice, without pulp, but you can also easily use a store bought orange juice.
- Champagne/ sparkling wine: Use any sweet (not expensive) champagne or sparkling wine. I use a sweet Asti. It should be sweet as it complements the bitter notes of the Aperol. It shouldn't be expensive as you'll reduce down the champagne before adding the reduction to the white chocolate.
- Digestives cookies: We don't have graham crackers in Danmark, so I therefore use Digestive cookies. But if you can by graham crackers then you can definitely use those instead if you want.
- Cream cheese: It's important that it's full-fat cream cheese and it's at room. temperature when using it. So take them out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking.
- Sour cream: Measure and let the sour cream come to room temperature 1-2 hours before baking.
- Eggs: Take them out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking.
See recipe card for quantities.
INSTRUCTIONS - ORANGE COOKIE CRUST
Preheat the oven at 165ºC, conventional oven.
In a food processor, add the Digestive cookies or graham cracker, granulated sugar and orange zest and blend it all together until a fine sand-like texture. Melt the butter. Add the melted butter to the food processor and blend it together with the blended cookies.
In a 20 cm spring cake pan add parchment paper to the bottom. Add the cookie crumble and press the cookie crust down with the bottom of a glass, and up agains the side of the pan, so it’s well packed together and flattened out.
Bake it for 10 min. Then let it cool down so that it’s cool to touch.
Add a double layer of aluminum foil around the cake pan to safely seal it from the water when placing it in a water bath while it bakes. Set it aside.
INSTRUCTIONS - CHEESECAKE
With a hand mixer or in a stand mix using the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese for 1 min on low speed. Then gradually add the granulated sugar. Once all the granulated sugar is added, scrape down the sides of the bowl and let it mix for 1 min on low speed.
Now add the sour cream, vanilla extract, orange juice and Aperol let it mix until combined. Then add one egg at a time and let it mix on low speed until combined. Once all the eggs have mixed in, scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it a final mix to make sure all the ingredients have incorporated.
Pour the cheesecake batter into the cake pan and give it a few taps on the counter to let any air bubble out. Make sure to check that the aluminum foil hasn’t ripped anywhere.
Boil up water in a kettle. In a big metal tin that is at least 5 cm tall, add the boiling water and place the cheesecake in the water bath. The water should come up about ⅓ up the side of the cheesecake pan. Gently lift the pan into the oven so no water gets under the aluminum foil.
Bake for 1 hour and 20 min.
Once the time has passed, give the tray a very gentle shake. The cheesecake should still be a bit wobbly in the middle. Turn off the oven and have the oven door slightly open and let the cheesecake cool down in the oven for 1 hour.
Then take it out of the oven and remove it from the water bath. Take off the aluminum foil off and place the cheesecake on a cooling rack. Let it cool down fully for about 1 hour to room temperature.
Finally, once at room temperature, place it in the fridge and let it set for at least 6 hours, preferable overnight.
INSTRUCTIONS - GANACHE
Chop the white chocolate if you’re not using chocolate chips.
Heat the sweet sparkling wine to a boil and let it simmer down to ¼. Once reduced down pour 35 g of the sweet sparkling wine concentrate over the white chocolate. Let it sit for 1 min. Then stir it together with a rubber spatula until smooth. If the chocolate is not fully melted place the bowl in the microwave for 15 seconds or melt it over a bain-marie. Let it cool down slightly so it’s not too hot, around body temperature.
Take the cheesecake out of the fridge. Remove the cheesecake from the spring pan and onto your serving plate. Pour the ganache over it and cut some thin slices of an organic orange and cut them in half. Twist them and place them on around the cake. Decorate as well with small mint leaves and it’s ready to be served.
WHY BAKE THE CHEESECAKE IN A WATER BATH
So why is baking a cheesecake in a water bath so important? What the water bath does, is that it makes the cheesecake bake more gentle. It can be baked without the water bath but you'll more likely over bake it, which will give a curdled texture, a cracked and lopsided top. The hot water protects your cheesecake while it's baking in the oven. It makes sure your cheesecake comes out smooth and creamy.
EQIPMENT
For the best result, use a aluminium spring pan with baking paper in the bottom.
After the cookie base has be baked, and slightly cooled down so you're able to touch the pan, it's important to cover the pan in the 2-3 layers of aliminium foil to make sure no water enters the cheesecake, which will give a wet cookie crust.
STORAGE
Store the Aperol Spritz cheesecake in the fridge in an airtight container. It's best enjoyed within a few days.
MY TOP TIPS
Don't over mix your batter. I always use a rubber spatula, after everything has mixed together, and give it one final gently fold together, to make sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
Other Cheesecake Recipes To Try
Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats and leave me a review below if you made this cake. I hope you loved it! To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Aperol Spritz Cheesecake
Equipment
- 20 cm spring baking pan
Ingredients
ORANGE COOKIE CRUST
- 200 g digestive cookies or graham cracker
- 1,5 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Zest of an organic orange
- 45 g butter melted
CHEESECAKE
- 600 g cream cheese full fat, room temperature
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 75 g sour cream 18% room temperature
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 2 tablespoon Aperol
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs room temperature
CHAMPAGNE WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- 100 g white chocolate
- 165 g any sweet sparkling wine
Instructions
ORANGE COOKIE CRUST
- Preheat the oven at 165ºC, conventional oven.
- In a food processor, add the Digestive cookies or graham cracker, granulated sugar and orange zest and blend it all together until a fine sand-like texture. Melt the butter. Add the melted butter to the food processor and blend it together with the blended cookies.200 g digestive cookies or graham cracker, 1,5 tablespoon granulated sugar, 45 g butter, Zest of an organic orange
- In a 20 cm spring cake pan add parchment paper to the bottom. Add the cookie crumble and press the cookie crust down with the bottom of a glass, and up agains the side of the pan, so it’s well packed together and flattened out.
- Bake it for 10 min. Then let it cool down so that it’s cool to touch.
- Add a double layer of aluminum foil around the cake pan to safely seal it from the water when placing it in a water bath while it bakes. Set it aside.
CHEESECAKE
- With a hand mixer or in a stand mix using the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese for 1 min on low speed. Then gradually add the granulated sugar. Once all the granulated sugar is added, scrape down the sides of the bowl and let it mix for 1 min on low speed.600 g cream cheese, 150 g granulated sugar
- Now add the sour cream, vanilla extract, orange juice and Aperol let it mix until combined. Then add one egg at a time and let it mix on low speed until combined. Once all the eggs have mixed in, scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it a final mix to make sure all the ingredients have incorporated.75 g sour cream 18%, 1 tablespoon orange juice, 2 tablespoon Aperol, 3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the cake pan and give it a few taps on the counter to let any air bubble out. Make sure to check that the aluminum foil hasn’t ripped anywhere.
- Boil up water in a kettle. In a big metal tin that is at least 5 cm tall, add the boiling water and place the cheesecake in the water bath. The water should come up about ⅓ up the side of the cheesecake pan. Gently lift the pan into the oven so no water gets under the aluminum foil.
- Bake for 1 hour and 20 min.
- Once the time has passed, give the tray a very gentle shake. The cheesecake should still be a bit wobbly in the middle. Turn off the oven and have the oven door slightly open and let the cheesecake cool down in the oven for 1 hour.
- Then take it out of the oven and remove it from the water bath. Take off the aluminum foil off and place the cheesecake on a cooling rack. Let it cool down fully for about 1 hour to room temperature.
- Finally, once at room temperature, place it in the fridge and let it set for at least 6 hours, preferable overnight.
GANACHE
- Chop the white chocolate if you’re not using chocolate chips.100 g white chocolate
- Heat the sweet sparkling wine to a boil and let it simmer down to ¼. Once reduced down pour 35 g of the sweet sparkling wine concentrate over the white chocolate. Let it sit for 1 min. Then stir it together with a rubber spatula until smooth. If the chocolate is not fully melted place the bowl in the microwave for 15 seconds or melt it over a bain-marie. Let it cool down slightly so it’s not too hot, around body temperature.165 g any sweet sparkling wine
- Take the cheesecake out of the fridge. Remove the cheesecake from the spring pan and onto your serving plate. Pour the ganache over it and cut some thin slices of an organic orange and cut them in half. Twist them and place them on around the cake. Decorate as well with small mint leaves and it’s ready to be served.
- How to store it, keep it in the fridge, covered under a lid.
- Best enjoyed within a few days.
- Hope you love this recipe and much as I do!
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