Strawberry Cheesecake

This recipe for Strawberry Cheesecake is the real deal. You’ll be guided, step-by-step, through making a homemade cheesecake – even if you’ve never made one before.

Cheesecake is everything. It just is. I would try almost anything that has even a hint of cheesecake flavor. A few favorites are these Bailey’s Cheesecake Bars and the incredible Sopapilla Blueberry Cheesecake Bars. If you’re looking for something you can make for a crowd, whether a family reunion or pot luck, those are solid choices.

Strawberry Cheesecake

Baking cheesecakes remain a mystery to some folks. It can seem challenging. After all, it’s not a fast dessert to whip up. You’ve got to be in a cheesecake baking mood.

The prep time is about 40 minutes. The baking time is an hour. And even though it’ll be painful to wait, it needs to cool for at least 2 hours.

Not to mention the dilemma of the springform pan. Of course, there is no great mystery about a springform pan. It’s not like it’s an exotic piece of baking equipment. But, unless you have baked a cheesecake before, you probably don’t have one.

It’s not like they are a kitchen must-have, like a cookie sheet or a 9 x 13 pan. The good news is you can pick one up for less than $10.

Uh-Oh. Your cheesecake cracked!

It happens to the best of us. Cheesecakes don’t like to have lots of air beaten into them, so be sure to dial back the mixer to a low speed. Go slow. Baby your cheesecake mixture. Be gentle.

Once it comes out of the oven, quickly run a knife along the edges of the pan. If the cheesecake is stuck to the edges of the pan, it will crack as it cools.

However, a cracked cheesecake is only aesthetic. It’s still cheesecake! Cover up those cracks with the strawberry sauce and whipped cream. No one will ever know and your dessert will look a million bucks.

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Strawberry Cheesecake

Ingredients

Ingredients

Crust

• 2 C graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 C sugar
• 6 tbsp unsalted sweet cream butter melted

Cheesecake

• 4 - 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 1 1/3 C sugar
• 1 C sour cream
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 4 large eggs

Strawberry Sauce

• 1 - 16 oz container of strawberries cut in half
• 1 16 oz can of strawberry pie filling

Whipped cream

• 1 C heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 C powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 large piping bag with star tip

Instructions

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9inch springform pan with pam baking spray
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter until combined
3. Press crust mixture into the bottom of the springform pan and 2 inches up the sides
4. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes
5. Allow to cool while you make the filling

Filling

1. Turn oven temperature to 300 degrees
2. Using a large mixing bowl and hand mixer, beat until creamy the cream cheese
3. Mix in the sugar, sour cream, vanilla and salt until combined
4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until combined after each egg
5. Pour the filling into the crust
6. Bake in the oven for 1 hour
7. Turn oven off and allow cheesecake to sit in the closed oven for another hour
8. Place cheesecake into fridge overnight

Strawberry sauce

1. Pour strawberry filling into a medium pot and mix in the cut strawberries, turn on to low heat and gradually mix until lightly thin
2. Allow to cool slightly

Whipped cream

1. In a large bowl, beat together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy whipping cream until stiff with peaks
2. Pipe whipped cream around the edge of the cheesecake
3. Pile the strawberry sauce into the center of the cheesecake
4. Place into the fridge for 1 hour
5. Cut into slices and enjoy

Recipe Notes

Prep time 40 minutes
Baking time 1 hour
Cooling time 2 hours

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