Unicorn Cheesecakern

a close up shot of Unicorn Cheesecake with multiple slices taken out on a plate

Jump aboard the unicorn dessert trend with this colorful unicorn cheesecake with magical swirls that are so much fun to create and enjoy.

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Table of Contents

Unicorn Cheesecake Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Unicorn Cheesecake Recipe
How To Serve
Storage
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Heavy on sparkle and whimsy, this adorable unicorn cheesecake is equal parts magical and delicious. The delightful dessert is a lovely mix of pink, purple, green, and blue cheesecake with a creamy, dreamy texture that will enchant everyone, both young and old.

a close up shot of a slice of Unicorn Cheesecake with a piece taken out by a spoon

Unicorn Cheesecake Ingredients

Unicorn Cheesecake raw ingredients that are labeled

The pastel colors of this whimsical cheesecake will leave you feeling like you’ve just stepped out of a fairytale.

From the first bite, you’ll be met with a creamy, luscious texture and a flavor that’s not too sweet or overpowering.

You’ll need:

For The Crust:

2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons of granulated sugar
½ cup of unsalted butter, melted

For The Cheesecake Filling:

32 ounces (four 8-ounce blocks) of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1½ cups of granulated sugar
1 tablespoon of clear vanilla extract (also known as vanilla flavoring)
6 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup of sour cream, room temperature
1 to 3 drops (up to ¾ teaspoon) of pink gel food coloring (Americolor brand – Electric pink #164)
2 to 3 drops (up to ¾ teaspoon) of light purple gel food coloring (Americolor brand – Lilac #169)
2 to 3 drops (up to ¾ teaspoon) of light green gel food coloring (Americolor brand – Pistachio #186)
2 to 3 drops (up to ¾ teaspoon) of light blue gel food coloring (Americolor brand – Robin’s Egg #187) *See tip
2 cups boiling water for the water bath

PRO TIP:

Note that the pale Robin’s Egg blue turned the cheesecake batter a beautiful teal color due to the yellow pigment of the egg yolks in the batter.

For The Garnish:

8-ounce tub of extra creamy Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed
Unicorn sprinkles that coordinate with the colors used for the cheesecake

Substitutions And Additions

VANILLA: You can use traditional vanilla extract in this rainbow unicorn cheesecake recipe, but it may alter the colors of your unicorn cheesecake batter. The clear vanilla helps to keep your colors as true as possible.

GRAHAM CRACKERS: I bought a box of pre-ground graham cracker crumbs to save a step in the recipe. You can certainly use a food processor to create your own graham cracker crumbs. You will need about 14-16 full-sized graham crackers to make 2 cups of crumbs.

CREAM CHEESE: Full-fat cream cheese is the best choice for this unicorn rainbow cheesecake to ensure the texture is as creamy as possible.

TOPPING: There are plenty of ways you can take this fun recipe over the top. In addition to the unicorn sprinkles, edible glitter or other sweet toppings would make your cheesecake extra fancy.

How To Make This Unicorn Cheesecake Recipe

This delightful cheesecake requires a few steps to create the colorful swirls, but we promise that you will be rewarded with a beautiful, eye-catching dessert.

Here’s how you make it.

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F.

STEP TWO: Tear two large pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Using a 9-inch springform pan, set the pan onto the foil and bring the foil up around the sides of the pan. Repeat with the second piece of foil. Tightly seal the layers of aluminum foil around the springform pan to ensure no leakage into the cheesecake crust from the water bath.

STEP THREE: Generously spray the inside of the springform pan with baker’s spray.

STEP FOUR: In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted butter to form your crust mixture. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of your springform pan. Be sure that it is packed in well.

graham crumbs, sugar, and butter combined together in a pan

STEP FIVE: Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while making the cheesecake filling.

STEP SIX: Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

STEP SEVEN: In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream the softened cream cheese and granulated sugar until no lumps remain and the cream cheese is very smooth.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature to ensure you don’t have lumps in your cream cheese mixture.

STEP EIGHT: Add the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time. Mix on low speed until each egg has been incorporated. You will need to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl between egg additions to ensure that all the ingredients are fully incorporated.

PRO TIP:

Do not over-mix your cheesecake batter. You do not want to incorporate a lot of air in the batter as this can cause cracks in your baked cheesecake from the air bubbles.

STEP NINE: Stir in the sour cream just until the cheesecake batter is smooth and evenly mixed.

STEP TEN: Divide the batter evenly into four separate bowls.

PRO TIP:

To ensure that you have equal amounts of each color of batter, you can weigh your four bowls of batter on a digital kitchen scale and adjust the amounts of batter accordingly to make sure that each of the bowls weighs the same.

STEP ELEVEN: Stir in 1 to 3 drops of the pink gel food coloring in the first bowl, adding more drops as needed to reach the desired color until the batter has no pink streaks remaining.

PRO TIP:

Different brands of gel food color will pigment the cheesecake batter differently. Always start with a couple of drops, mix it in, then add more as needed to reach the desired color. I used a brand that created pastel pigments, so they required almost ¾ teaspoon of gel food coloring for all the colors except the electric pink.

STEP TWELVE: Repeat with each additional color of the cheesecake mixture until all four colors are mixed and smooth.

STEP THIRTEEN: Using a large spoon (a separate spoon for each color), randomly place dollops of each color onto the cooled graham cracker crust until all the colors have been added. You will end up layering the colors, so try not to layer the same color in the same places. This will help to ensure you have a beautiful marbled unicorn look when swirled.

colors added randomly onto the graham crust

STEP FOURTEEN: Using a butter knife, very gently swirl the bright colors of the cheesecake batter around. Be sure not to scrape the bottom or the sides of the graham cracker crust.

swirl the colors of cheesecake batter using knife

STEP FIFTEEN: Tap the pan on the counter a couple of times to remove any air bubbles.

STEP SIXTEEN: Place the pan into a large roasting pan or any oven-safe dish that has deep sides, then place the roasting pan into the oven on the middle rack.

STEP SEVENTEEN: Carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting pan, being careful not to get any of the hot water into the cheesecake batter until the water comes up about 1 inch on the sides of the springform pan. You may need more or less than 2 cups of boiling water, depending on the size of your roasting pan.

STEP EIGHTEEN: Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or just until the center is set. The cake should have the slightest wobble in the center when tapped on the side of the pan.

PRO TIP:

Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your cheesecake as the suggested baking time approaches.

STEP NINETEEN: Turn off the oven, crack the oven door open about 1 to 2 inches, and allow the unicorn cheesecake to cool (and finish baking) for an additional 1 hour.

STEP TWENTY: Remove the unicorn cheesecake from the oven and from the water bath, and remove the foil from around the springform pan.

STEP TWENTY-ONE: Run a knife with a thin blade around the sides of the cheesecake to make sure it is not sticking to the sides of the pan.

STEP TWENTY-TWO: Allow the unicorn cheesecake to cool on the counter for an additional hour before placing it into the refrigerator to chill completely for at least 8 hours up to overnight.

STEP TWENTY-THREE: Once the unicorn cheesecake has chilled and set up completely, you can garnish the cheesecake with the thawed whipped topping that has been transferred to a piping bag fitted with a large decorative tip, and pipe dollops around the entire edge of the cheesecake.

whipped topping dollops around the edges of the cheesecake

STEP TWENTY-FOUR: Sprinkle the whipped topping with the unicorn sprinkles.

whipped topping and unicorn sprinkles sprinkled

How To Serve

What an adorable option this sweet treat would make to serve at birthday parties for kids instead of a traditional birthday cake. Of course, a cake is never complete without a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

You could also serve your cheesecake with a side of fresh fruit, such as strawberries or raspberries. The tanginess of the fruit will complement the sweetness of the cheesecake, making for a perfectly well-rounded dessert experience.

Our unicorn cheesecake bites are tiny bites of delectable confections. We think our lemon cheesecake is also pretty special.

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Storage

This cheesecake can be made ahead of time so that you aren’t rushed trying to make it during a special event.

IN THE FRIDGE: You can store this baked unicorn cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I suggest waiting until you are ready to serve the cheesecake before adding the garnishes.

IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze this unicorn cheesecake tightly wrapped and without the garnish for up to 2 months. You need to thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before adding the garnish and serving.

overhead shot of Unicorn Cheesecake with a slice taken out

This magical confection features a creamy cheesecake filling studded with swirls of vibrant colors and topped with fluffy whipped cream and a rainbow of sprinkles. Our unicorn cheesecake is perfect for a unicorn party or to surprise the unicorn fan in your life.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do you prevent your cheesecake from cracking?

To prevent your cheesecake from cracking, don’t overmix your batter, as it will cause bubbles that will burst during baking, potentially causing cracks on top. Also, don’t overbake your cheesecake and once your cheesecake is finished baking, let it sit cooling in the oven for an hour. This also helps prevent cracking on the top.

How to bake a cheesecake in a water bath?

Using a water bath will give you a moist, perfectly baked cheesecake. The water creates a moist cooking environment for the dairy and eggs to produce the creamy cheesecake texture. Place the wrapped cheesecake pan in a large roasting pan, fill the pan with 1 inch of water, and place it in the oven. You don’t want any higher than 1 inch, or you risk water getting into the cheesecake.

How do I prevent the cheesecake water bath from leaking?

To prevent the cheesecake water bath from leaking, either wrap the pan in two layers of aluminum foil or place the springform pan in an oven-safe turkey bag or slow cooker liner bag and roll down the top of the bag. Place the wrapped pan inside the roasting pan and fill it with water.

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