Blackberry Swirl

Blend fresh blackberries in a food processor until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.

Strain the puree through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing with a spatula to extract maximum juice (a few seeds are okay).

Measure the juice—adjust with more berries if needed to reach 1 cup. Discard leftover pulp.

Stir sugar into the strained puree. Set aside.

Crust

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.

Mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, cinnamon (optional), and salt until crumbly.

Press mixture firmly into the pan’s base and 1 inch up the sides. Freeze while preparing filling.

Filling

Beat cream cheese and sugar in a bowl until creamy.

Mix in sour cream, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt.

Add eggs one at a time, blending just until incorporated. Avoid overmixing.

Pour half the filling over the crust. Dot with half the blackberry puree and gently swirl with a knife, being careful not to disturb the crust.

Repeat with remaining filling and puree. Place pan on a baking sheet to catch drips.

Bake 55–65 minutes until edges are set but the center jiggles slightly. Cool completely, then refrigerate overnight.

Topping

Chill a mixing bowl and beaters for 20 minutes.

Whip heavy cream to soft peaks. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until stiff.

Pipe or spread whipped cream around the cheesecake’s edge. Garnish with fresh blackberries.

Slice and serve. Store leftovers covered in the fridge (3–4 days) or freeze (1 month).