Rhubarb-Raspberry Cheesecake Squares Recipe

Rhubarb cheese bars — Credit:
Con Poulos

Prep Time:

45 mins

Cook Time:

1 hr 15 mins

Total Time:

4 hrs 30 mins

Servings:

For an eye-catching spring dessert that celebrates the rhubarb's short growing season, look no further than these sweet and tangy cheesecake squares. The tasty treats begin with a simple graham-cracker crust that you'll press into a rectangular baking dish—rather than a springform pan—for easy slicing and serving later on. The creamy cheesecake filling is made from basic ingredients like cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs and bakes without the need for the typical water bath. The bars are topped off with strips of bright-pink rhubarb and a glossy rhubarb-raspberry gelée, which firms up with a little help from powdered gelatin. The result is a stunning dessert that's full of bright yet balanced flavors and is perfect for all kinds of spring celebrations.

How to Shop for Fresh Rhubarb

Due to its short growing season—typically from April to late May or early June—you're likely to only find fresh rhubarb available at grocery stores and farmers markets for a limited time (so when you see it, grab it!). For this recipe, we recommend buying thinner, redder stalks rather than thicker green ones as their color is important, and they will be sweeter and more tender.

Most purveyors will have removed the leaves, which are toxic to humans, ahead of time, but if your rhubarb still has leaves attached, cut them off before proceeding with the recipe.

Equipment for Rhubarb Cheesecake Squares

Baking pan: Most cheesecake recipes bake in a springform pan, but not this one. For our rhubarb cheesecake squares you'll need a standard 9-by-13-inch baking pan for this recipe. Glass and metal will work equally well here. Buttering it and lining it with enough parchment to hang over the long sides will make it extra easy to remove the cheesecake from the pan before slicing.

Food processor: Using a food processor makes quick work of pulsing the graham crackers into fine crumbs to form the crust. If you don't have one, break the crackers into smaller pieces, then pop them in a resealable bag and press out as much air as possible; use a rolling pin to crush the crackers into fine crumbs.

Electric mixer: We strongly recommend using an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and sour cream together and incorporate the remaining cheesecake filling ingredients. If you don't have a mixer, you can whisk the ingredients by hand, though it will take a bit of extra time and elbow grease. Be sure your cream cheese is thoroughly softened and the other ingredients are at room temperature to make blending by hand as easy as possible.

Fine-mesh sieve: A fine-mesh sieve is used to strain the solids from the cooked raspberry-rhubarb mixture, leaving you with a smooth, bright-pink syrup for the gelée. If you don't have a fine-mesh sieve, you can line a colander with a double-layer of cheesecloth instead.

Directions

Preheat oven and prepare pan; make crumb mixture:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan; line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on long sides. Pulse graham crackers and 2 tablespoons sugar in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a bowl; stir in melted butter.
Press crumbs into pan, then bake and let cool; reduce oven temperature:

Press crumbs into bottom of pan. Bake crust until firm, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven to 325°F.
Make filling, pour into crust:

Beat cream cheese and sour cream on medium until smooth. Beat in 3/4 cup sugar, then beat in vanilla and salt. Add eggs and beat until smooth, scraping down bowl as needed. Pour mixture into crust; smooth top.
Bake; let cool, then chill:

Bake until just set, 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool completely. Chill until firm, 1 hour.
Cook fruit syrup mixture:

Meanwhile, bring chopped rhubarb, raspberries, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup water to a simmer, covered, in a small pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until rhubarb is softened, about 10 minutes.
Strain out solids and skim off foam:

Pass mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing gently on solids. Skim foam from top of liquid (you should have a little more than 1 cup; add water, if needed).
Cook rhubarb strips in sugar-water mixture:

Bring 4 cups water and remaining 1 cup sugar to a boil in a large straight-sided skillet, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to low; add rhubarb stalks (in 2 batches, if necessary). Simmer until slightly soft, 2 to 3 minutes. With 2 spatulas, carefully transfer stalks to a paper-towel-lined rimmed baking sheet; let drain.
Arrange rhubarb strips over chilled cheesecake:

Arrange 4 rhubarb strips in a parallel fashion on cooled cheesecake, spacing evenly. Cut remaining strips in half lengthwise and fit in empty spaces.
Make gelée; pour over rhubarb strips, then chill:

Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup water; let soften 1 minute. Reheat raspberry syrup until simmering. Stir in gelatin until dissolved; gently pour over rhubarb strips. Refrigerate cake until set, at least 2 hours and preferably overnight.
Cut cheesecake into pieces before serving:

Lift cheesecake out of pan using parchment overhang. Cut into pieces, using a sawing motion to slice through rhubarb layer; wipe knife between cuts.

How to Store Rhubarb Cheesecake Squares

Leftover cheesecake squares can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days. Be sure to not leave cheesecake sitting at room temperature for longer than two hours, or in a warm environment for more than one hour.