Peanut Butter and Jelly is a staple in most children’s diets. In fact, I just read that Americans will consume billions, with a B, of sandwiches every year. I can believe it, since my kids picked it for lunch 9 out of 10 times, until very recently.
I’ve gone through what must be 100s of pounds of peanut butter and even more jelly. They’re certainly easy to make, which saved me lots of time in the mornings before school, but I felt a little guilty packing it for them EVERY day. I mostly dreaded other parents finding out that my kids ate the same thing over and over. In my head I wanted them to eat bento boxes, with carved vegetables and seaweed salad, but, it was their lunch, their choice and they loved PB&J. The truth is that I love it too; almost everyone does, if we’re honest. Here’s a peanut butter and jelly cheesecake that has all the fond memories of those childhood sandwiches, but it’s way more decadent and sophisticated.
Once in a while I find a new product that changes the way I cook and bake. I felt this way about the Silpat and the Microplane Grater
The pan is fantastic, but took some getting used to, because it is transparent and flexible. It has a pin (the black tab) that slides in and out to seal the pan to the base. You’ll see a better picture of the pin later in the post.
How to Make Peanut Butter and Jelly Cheesecake
See me make it step by step and find the full recipe at the bottom of this post.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
In a food processor pulverize the Oreos, butter, sugar and salt.
Pour into the pan and pat flat with your finger tips, bringing the oreo crumbs up the sides slightly. Bake the crust for about 10 minutes or until set.
In a stand mixer, fitted with the Beater Blade, mix the cream cheese on low speed, scraping down the sides to make sure it is all smooth. Add the sugar and sour cream.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the salt and vanilla.
Split the batter into two bowls. Add the peanut butter to one bowl and add the jelly to the second.
Place the pan on a baking sheet. Spread the peanut butter batter over the oreo crust, smoothing out the top.
Very carefully add the jelly batter over the peanut butter batter.
Place the cheese cake in the center of the oven. Place a second baking sheet on a lower shelf and fill it with water. The water will create steam in the oven and prevent the cheese cake from developing a hard crust. Bake for about 60 minutes or until set in the center. The top will souffle slightly. Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours. After one hour in the refrigerate, loosely cover with plastic.
Carefully run a thin bladed knife around the edge of the pan. Pull out the pin.
Unmold the cake from the pan.
To make the ganache:
In a saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate and butter. Allow to sit for 2 minutes, then stir gently, until totally smooth.
Place the cheesecake on a cooling rack that is sitting above a baking sheet, lined with parchment. This will catch the excess ganache.
This video shows you how to make the ganache, pour it over a cake and decorate the sides.
Let the cake sit on the rack until the ganache has set up, about 45 minutes.
To decorate the sides see the above video.
Use a thin Bread Knife
When you cut into it, the peanut butter and jelly layers will reveal themselves.
Ingredients
Crust
- 20 whole Oreos
- 3 tbsp butter melted
- 2 tbsp sugar
- Pinch salt
Cheesecake
- 2 1/2 lbs cream cheese room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 5 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla make homemade vanilla
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup jelly if you are using one that is pale, you may consider a drop of food coloring to perk up the color
Ganache
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 lb semisweet or bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
Instructions
Make the Cheesecake
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- In a food processor pulverize the Oreos, butter, sugar and salt. Pour into the pan and pat flat with your finger tips, bringing the Oreo crumbs up the sides slightly. Bake the crust for about 10 minutes or until set.
- In a stand mixer, fitted with the Beater Blade, mix the cream cheese on low speed, scraping down the sides to make sure it is all smooth. Add the sugar and sour cream. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the salt and vanilla.
- Split the batter into two bowls. Add the peanut butter to one bowl and add the jelly to the second. Place the pan on a baking sheet. Spread the peanut butter batter over the oreo crust, smoothing out the top. Very carefully add the jelly batter over the peanut butter batter.
- Place the cheesecake in the center of the oven. Place a second baking sheet on a lower shelf and fill it with water. The water will create steam in the oven and prevent the cheese cake from developing a hard crust. Bake for about 60 minutes or until set in the center. The top will souffle slightly. Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours. After one hour in the refrigerate, loosely cover with plastic.
- Carefully run a thin bladed knife around the edge of the pan. Pull out the pin. Unmold the cake from the pan.
Make the Ganache
- In a saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate and butter. Allow to sit for 2 minutes, then stir gently, until totally smooth.
Pour the Ganache
- Place the cheesecake on a cooling rack that is sitting above a baking sheet, lined with parchment. This will catch the excess ganache.
- This video shows you how to make the ganache, pour it over a cake and decorate the sides. Let the cake sit on the rack until the ganache has set up, about 45 minutes.
- Use a thin Bread Knife, dipped in a pitcher of hot water to cut the cake. When you cut into it, the peanut butter and jelly layers will reveal themselves.
I would bake a wonderfully dense New York Cheesecake in it.
I would use it to bake this cheesecake (I love PB & J!) and also my favorite lemon cheesecake.
definitely a brownie batter topped with cheesecake and raspberries!!
I would use this pan to bake that hazelnut cheesecake that you baked for the cooking channel…YUM
chocolate brownie cheesecake, caramel cheesecake, raspberry cheesecake, cheesecake, cheesecake, this looks really super awesome and i have always had my own favorite cheesecake pans but this looks better
Cheesecake….and probably one of your recipes!
wow this looks fantastic, to start with I would try this recipe, but have been doing more and more of the cheese cakes you post – started with the Bourbon Pumpkin and each has been a hit with family and friends.
i would use it to make a tres leches cake with bavarian on top
Olive Garden had a Ghiradelli Cheesecake years ago. I’ve wanted to try to duplicate it but the topping had me stumped. I think you’re recipe was exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!
This pan would be great! I’d make cheesecakes, beginning with this pbj cheesecake!
I will definitely bake your cheesecake in it. What a great tool!
I would make a gingerbread cake I’ve been craving. And then this cheesecake because it’s awesome.
I think I’d make my mom’s plum kuchen. It works so well in a spring form. Your cheesecake looks divine!
I would love to have this pan! I would make my favorite neopolitan cheesecake, which could definitely benefit from a ganache.
When I selected play – all I could see was a video about apple pie and no ganache 🙁
I would make a pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust and the chocolate ganache topping.
I didn’t get birthday cake this year, and I have been wanting to do the Italian ricotta cheesecake. This would certainly help accomplish both those tasks !
Awesome cake Z..I like how you can see through this pan so you can do layering of different flavors and see it. I would like to do a layered red velvet cheesecake with several coats of ganache.
I make lemon cheesecake & apricot cheesecake. Would really love it if turns out to be waterproof.
I’ve always been hesitant to make a cheesecake, but I would definitely attempt to make a peanut butter chocolate cheesecake.
I would love to have this pan – endless varieties of cheesecake beckon (and they must be shared with Zeke and Mellissa and Tom and Dan and Christine!!)
I would make my husband his favorite chocolate cake 🙂
I’d make that cheesecake, for sure!
Pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust
Zoe,
Your cake looks stunning, as usual!
If I were to win this neat pan, I would make a Tiramisu Cheesecake. It would combine 2 of my all-time favorite desserts! A wonderful crust of graham crackers and butter (I’m a traditional girl) followed by some ladyfingers, with the cheesecake layer being a mix of mascarpone and cream cheese. A layer of chocolate ganache on top and some pretty swirls of coffee whipped cream adorning the top! That would be a dream come true!
What a gorgeous post! I’d bake a layer for one of my cheesecake cakes!