Cheesecake Swirl How-To

Give homemade cheesecakes a beautiful berry swirl in just four simple steps.

Don't let big-city bakeries fool you—creating a cheesecake with a pretty swirled top doesn't take years of expertise. In fact, anyone can do it—and in four simple steps. Here's how:

Start by making an easy, stovetop berry sauce, cooking the berries down into a thick, syrupy reduction. Cool the sauce before using for your cheesecake.

Spoon the sour cream topping over the cheesecake filling and smooth with a spatula or the back of a spoon.

Dollop berry sauce in spoonfuls over the top of the cheesecake batter.

Using a large butter knife, create feathery rounded swirls, inserting the knife just tip-deep into the batter. Bake and voila, your berry-swirl cheesecake is ready to be admired (then devoured).