Raspberry Ribbon Cheesecake

I love this recipe because it combines two of my favorite foods, raspberries and cheesecake. I don't make it often because it's time consuming, but it's definitely worth the hassle. I found this recipe in Taste of Home magazine.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Serves: 12-16

Ingredients

• Crust

• 2  cups  chocolate wafer crumbs
• 1⁄3 cup butter, melted
• 3  tablespoons sugar

• Raspberry Sauce

• 2 1⁄2 cups unsweetened raspberries, fresh or frozen thawed
• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 2  tablespoons cornstarch
• 2  teaspoons lemon juice

• Filling or Topping

• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 2  tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 2  egg whites
• 1  cup  whipping cream

• Raspberry Topping

• 2 -3  tablespoons  orange juice
• 1 1⁄2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen thawed

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients for crust and press into the bottom and 1- 1/2 inches up the sides of a greased 9- inch springform pan.
2. Chill crust for one hour or until firm.
3. To make raspberry sauce, puree 2- 1/2 cups of raspberries in a blender.
4. Press pureed raspberries through a sieve in order to remove seeds; discard seeds.
5. Add water to pureed raspberries, if necessary, to measure 1 cup.
6. In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch.
7. Stir in pureed raspberries; allow mixture to come to a boil.
8. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
9. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in lemon juice and set aside.
10. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar,flour, and vanilla until fluffy.
11. Add egg whites; beat on low speed until just blended.
12. Stir in whipping cream.
13. Pour half of the cream cheese mixture in to the crust.
14. Top cream cheese with 3/4 cup of the raspberry sauce.
15. (Cover and refrigerate remaining sauce) Spoon the remainder of the cream cheese mixture over the top of the raspberry sauce.
16. Bake at 375 degrees for 35- 40 minutes or until center of the cheesecake is almost set.
17. Remove from oven; immediately run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen crust.
18. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack for 1 hour.
19. Refrigerate cheesecake overnight.
20. To make topping, add orange juice to the refrigerated raspberry sauce.
21. Gently fold in raspberries.
22. Spoon over cheesecake.