Twelve ingredients, an hour of baking and at least five hours of cooling and chilling.
This is a baked cheesecake, not a set one. The white chocolate disappears into the filling; the peanut butter does the opposite and stays visible as a thin tan band and a drizzle on top.
Why the Filling Goes In Twice
Each slice has a thin tan line running through it, and that line is only possible if the filling goes into the pan in two halves with the peanut butter spread between them. The recipe fixes both placements: WHITE CHOCOLATE IS MELTED INTO THE FILLING; PEANUT BUTTER FORMS A VISIBLE BAND AND DRIZZLE.
The CRUST - baked first
2 cups GRAHAM-CRACKER CRUMBS with 6 tbsp MELTED UNSALTED BUTTER and 2 tbsp SUGAR, PRESSED INTO THE BOTTOM OF A 9-INCH SPRINGFORM PAN and BAKED 8 MINUTES at 325°F. Eight minutes is what keeps it from going sandy under the filling.
The FILLING - white chocolate inside it
24 oz CREAM CHEESE beaten with 3/4 cup SUGAR, then 6 oz MELTED AND SLIGHTLY COOLED WHITE CHOCOLATE, 1/2 cup SOUR CREAM and 1 tsp VANILLA, with 3 EGGS ADDED ONE AT A TIME ON LOW SPEED. This is where the white chocolate goes; it is not visible in the finished slice, and that is deliberate.
The first HALF, then the PEANUT BUTTER BAND
HALF THE FILLING SPREAD OVER THE CRUST, then 1/4 cup PEANUT BUTTER WARMED UNTIL FLUID AND SPREAD IN A THIN BAND. Warming is what makes it thin enough to stay a band rather than a lump.
The second HALF, then the bake
THE REMAINING FILLING spread over the band, then BAKED 50 TO 57 MINUTES UNTIL THE EDGES ARE SET AND THE CENTER STILL HAS A SLIGHT WOBBLE, COOLED 1 HOUR and REFRIGERATED AT LEAST 4 HOURS.
Finished with THE REMAINING PEANUT BUTTER DRIZZLED over the top, WHIPPED-CREAM ROSETTES from 1/2 cup HEAVY CREAM, and 2 tbsp CHOPPED ROASTED PEANUTS. For safety, the baked filling must be fully set before chilling, and the cheesecake is held at 40°F or below.
Why This Recipe Works
- Baking the crust for eight minutes firms it before any wet filling touches it.
- Adding the eggs last and on low speed keeps air out, which is what cracks a cheesecake.
- Cooled melted white chocolate blends in smoothly instead of seizing into flecks.
- Warming the peanut butter makes it fluid enough to spread in a thin, even band.
- Pulling the cheesecake while the centre still wobbles leaves it creamy once chilled.
How to Make It
Crust pressed into a springform pan and baked 8 minutes
Heat the oven to 325°F. Mix the graham crumbs, melted butter and 2 tablespoons sugar, press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and bake 8 minutes.
Filling beaten smooth, white chocolate in, eggs last
Beat the cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar smooth. Beat in the melted white chocolate, sour cream and vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time on low speed.
Half the filling, a thin peanut butter band, then the rest
Spread half the filling over the crust. Warm 1/4 cup of the peanut butter until fluid, spread it in a thin band, then cover with the remaining cheesecake filling.
Baked until set at the edges, cooled, then chilled
Bake 50 to 57 minutes, until the edges are set and the centre still has a slight wobble. Cool 1 hour, then refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Drizzled, piped and finished with chopped peanuts
Drizzle with the remaining peanut butter, add whipped-cream rosettes and finish with the chopped peanuts.
Ingredient Notes
- Smooth peanut butter, divided
- Half a cup: a quarter cup warmed for the band inside, the rest drizzled on top. Peanut is a declared allergen here.
- White chocolate
- Six ounces, melted and cooled slightly, beaten into the filling. You taste it rather than see it.
- Cream cheese
- Twenty-four ounces, softened first so the filling beats smooth without lumps.
- Chopped roasted peanuts
- Two tablespoons over the whipped cream, which is the visible allergen cue on the slice.
Success Tips
- Let the melted white chocolate cool before it meets cold cream cheese, or it will set into specks.
- Scrape the bowl down between additions so no unmixed cream cheese hides at the bottom.
- Spread the peanut butter band gently; pressing hard drags the filling underneath into it.
Serving Ideas
Ten cold slices, each showing the dark crumb crust, the tan peanut butter band and the pale filling above it, with a drizzle, a whipped-cream rosette and chopped peanuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this contain peanuts?
Yes. Peanut butter is in the band and the drizzle, and chopped roasted peanuts go on top. It is a defining part of the recipe, not a garnish to leave off.
How do I know when it's baked?
The edges should be set while the centre still wobbles slightly, somewhere between 50 and 57 minutes. It firms up as it cools and chills.
How long does it need to chill?
Cool it an hour at room temperature, then refrigerate at least four hours. Keep it at 40°F or below once it is finished.
