Strawberry Cheesecake

Name: Strawberry Cheesecake
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 240 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 2 tbsp Lemon Juice, or water (Note 3); 1/2 cups White Sugar; 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract; 1 1/2 tsp Cornflour, cornstarch; 2 tbsp Water; 200g Arnott's Marie Crackers, or other plain biscuit (Aus) or 28 Graham Cracker squares (Note 1); 120g Unsalted Butter, melted; 500g Cream Cheese, softened (Note 2); 2 tbsp Plain Flour, all purpose flour; 1 tsp Vanilla Extract; 1/2 cups Sour Cream, full fat, sub sour cream; 1 1/2 cups Caster Sugar, superfine sugar; 1 lemon of Lemon Zest; 3 Eggs, at room temperature; 500g Strawberries, half diced and half halved

This strawberry cheesecake has a buttery biscuit crust, a smooth baked vanilla cheesecake filling, and a glossy strawberry topping. The filling is lightly tangy from sour cream and lemon zest, while the topping adds a bright, fresh-fruit finish. Chill it well before slicing so the texture sets properly and each piece holds its shape.

This strawberry cheesecake has a buttery biscuit crust, a smooth baked vanilla cheesecake filling, and a glossy strawberry topping... Show more

By RecipeTin Eats ·
Strawberry Variation of Cheesecake (New York style)

Health Grade

E · Indulgent

Time

4 hrs

Price

0,66 €

Calories

484 kcal

vegetarian

low calorie

holiday/special occasion

american

Method

Preheat and line tin

Preheat the oven to 160° C for a standard oven or 140° C for a fan oven. Lightly grease a 20 cm / 8-inch springform cake tin with a little of the Unsalted Butter. Turn the base upside down, lay a square of baking paper over it, then clip it back into the ring so the paper hangs out slightly. Butter the sides too, then line them with baking paper so the cheesecake releases cleanly later.

Crush the biscuits

Break the Arnott's Marie Crackers into rough pieces and place them in a food processor. Blitz until you have very fine crumbs with no large chunks left. Drizzle in the remaining melted butter and pulse a few times until the crumbs look evenly damp and sandy, like wet beach sand.

Press the crust

Tip the crumb mixture into the prepared tin. Spread it over the base and up the sides, then use the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup to press it down firmly into an even layer, bringing it nearly to the top edge. Chill the crust while you make the filling so it firms up and holds its shape.

Start the filling

Place the softened Cream Cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat just until smooth and creamy, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the Plain Flour and mix briefly until fully incorporated. Keep the mixing gentle and stop as soon as it looks smooth.

Finish the batter

Add the first Vanilla Extract, Sour Cream, Caster Sugar, and Lemon Zest. Beat on low speed just until the mixture is smooth and combined. Add the Eggs one at a time, mixing only until each egg disappears into the batter before adding the next. Stop as soon as the filling is uniform and silky.

Fill the tin

Pour the cheesecake filling into the chilled crust. Gently smooth the surface with a spatula so it bakes evenly, and tap the tin lightly on the bench once or twice to pop any large air bubbles.

Bake the cheesecake

Place the tin on a tray and bake for about 55 minutes, until the top is very lightly golden and the centre still has a slight wobble when you gently shake the tin. It should look set around the edges but not completely firm in the middle. Avoid opening the oven early unless you need to check close to the end.

Cool and chill

Turn the oven off, crack the door open slightly, and leave the cheesecake inside for 20 minutes so the temperature drops gradually. Remove it from the oven, let it cool briefly if needed, then refrigerate it in the tin for at least 4 hours until fully cold and set.

Prepare the strawberries

While the cheesecake chills, rinse the Strawberries, pat them dry, hull them, then dice half and cut the other half in halves. Keep the diced and halved strawberries separate so the sauce gets both body and fresh-looking pieces.

Cook the sauce base

Place the diced strawberries in a saucepan with the White Sugar, the second vanilla extract, and Lemon Juice. If you're using water instead of lemon juice, add that here. Set the pan over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves and the fruit comes to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries soften and begin to break down into a chunky sauce.

Thicken the topping

In a small bowl, stir the Cornflour with the Water until completely smooth. Pour this slurry into the simmering strawberry mixture and stir continuously until the sauce thickens and turns glossy. Add the halved strawberries and cook for 1 minute more, just until they soften slightly but still hold their shape. Take the pan off the heat and let the topping cool completely; it will thicken more as it cools.

Top and serve

Unclip the cold cheesecake from the tin and peel away the paper. Spoon the cooled strawberry topping over the top in an even layer, arranging the strawberry halves cut-side down if you'd like a neat finish. Refrigerate the topped cheesecake for at least 2 hours before slicing so the topping settles, then serve with any extra sauce spooned alongside.