This cheesecake, with sweet strawberries, is nothing less than a dream come true for dessert lovers. It contains the perfect blend of rich cream cheese and fresh strawberry appeal. With a buttery graham cracker crust, creamy filling melting in your mouth, and a luscious layer of juicy strawberries that burst with flavor at the finish, you can dream on to indulge in such a treat. Each bite can only be another moment of celebration over the textures and tastes that truly fall in love with it. Be it an occasion or just a treat for your sweet tooth, this cheesecake is sure to leave everyone asking for seconds – an un-writable memory of having everyone wanting more, second helpings that is.

Table of Contents

Ingredients Breakdown

A really good cheesecake depends heavily on its components layered together: each one brings its own flavors and textures to the mix. The crunchy, buttery bottom crust is made of crushed crackers, sugar, and melted butter; the creamy centre is a blend of cream cheese and sour cream, adding an air of luxury with its smoothness, the sour cream bringing a slight tang to the mix, with lemon zest and vanilla deepening the flavor. To the treat all goes, sweet strawberries have been added. Some cooked down into a syrupy sauce the others whole popped to inject a burst of bright fruit flavor right into the heart of the taste and marvelous beauty of the dessert.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Preparing cheesecake doesn’t have to be intimidating; it just takes a little patience and precision, and you will have a really fantastic-looking and -tasting dessert.

Preparing the Crust:
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. The graham cracker crust is easy but crucial. Mix the crumbs and sugar, then the melted butter, until it resembles wet sand. Press that mixture all over the bottom of the pan, distributing it evenly. It’s okay to bring it up the sides as well to form a shallow rim. Bake the crust for 10-15 minutes, till lightly golden and fragrant. Locks in flavor and provides a great crunchy base to your cheesecake.

Combine the Filling:
For a smooth, lump-free filling, all ingredients must be at room temperature. This process starts by beating cream cheese until it becomes smooth and creamy on medium-low. Add the sugar and salt slowly-which should dissolve completely when you mix. And add sour cream, lemon zest, vanilla to the mixture for that creamy consistency; though be careful not to over-mix it because that may create cracks in the baked cheesecake. Stir in the eggs one at a time, just until combined-this will prevent the texture from becoming too chunky for the application of light, silky batter.

Bake the Cheesecake:
Pour the creamy filling into the cooled crust, stick it in at 350 for 15 minutes to give it a good jump-start, then turn down the oven to 300 and it should bake for almost an hour; it’s done when the edges are set but the center still has a soft jiggle-Like well-set custard. But to avoid the awful cracks that every cheesecake seems to suffer, turn off the oven and let the cheesecake cool in it with its door closed for an hour. Then, when cooled enough to remove from the oven, let sit at room temperature for an hour before refrigerating for a least 6 hours (or overnight). This allows the flavors to meld and the texture to set.
The Strawberry Topping:
This is where your cheesecake gains its fruity character. Begin by cooking half of the strawberries with sugar, water, and a squeeze of lemon juice (if you’d like to give it a little tang), thickened using cornstarch until you get a sauce-like consistency. Smush the berries as they soften for a more even base. As soon as the sauce thickens, fold in the fresh, uncooked strawberry halves along with a splash of vanilla for balance. Then spoon that topping lavishly over the chilled cheesecake, meshing worlds: the juicy fresh berries and the sweet, jammy sauce.

Recipe Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

Prevention of Cracks in the Cheesecake:
It’s all a matter of a gentle touch. Ensure that all of your ingredients—cream cheese, sour cream, eggs—are all room temperature while preparing to mix. Thus, you would have a silky batter without any lumps, without over-beating and thus locking air in there that causes the cracks during baking.

Room Temperature Ingredients :
If your cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs are at room temperature, you’ll find that they mix up amazingly easily and so don’t need much mixing, which is really important for this type of cheesecake so that it has that desirable creamy texture without any unwanted air bubbles.

How You Know Your Cheesecake Is Done:
It’s done when the edges are set but the center still shows a little wiggle. Shake the pan a little gently, and if the middle is still looking a bit wiggly, you’re done. It will firm up as it cools.

Can I Use Frozen Strawberries for the Topping?
Absolutely! Just thaw them completely and drain off any excess liquid. Frozen strawberries hold more water than fresh, so the sauce might be a bit thinner, but it’ll still taste fantastic.

Best Way to Store Leftover Cheesecake:
Mail leftover cheesecake to a life in the fridge in an airtight container. It will keep fresh and fabulous there for 4 days-if it lasts that long!

Gluten-Free Crust:
To make this cheesecake gluten-free you simply need to swap out the regular graham crackers for gluten-fre

What to Serve With This Recipe

Strawberry cheesecake is decadent enough yet can be brought so much higher with the right accompaniments. A cloud of whipped cream offers a soft, airy counterpoint to creamy and rich fillings. Dark chocolate, lightly drizzled or cocoa powder, mildly dusted into this dessert makes it perfect for the sweet and bitter contrasts.
Then it tastes really good with some white wine, or an ice tea tall to cut through that richness. When it’s even a special occasion, champagne or sparkling wine makes everything feel so festive over every single bite.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

Cheesecake is the perfect make-ahead dessert, as the flavors and textures improve with time and chilling overnight, so all elements can mix beautifully together. To store it, simply cover loosely with plastic wrap or foil to keep the cheesecake fresh in the fridge.

Wrap the slices, or the entire cake, in plastic wrap and cover them with a layer of aluminum foil; keep them in an airtight container. It will stay fresh for up to two months. When you are ready to serve it, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. The beauty of this is that even when thawed out, the cheesecake remains silky and smooth, so you can make it ahead of time without sacrificing flavor.

She seriously suffers from presentation, but when it comes down to it, this strawberry cheesecake stands up at its best front with its vibrant colors, though some of the finishing touches would make it really shine. Now, for first, I will gently run my knife along the edges of my pan to ensure that cheesecake is released without sticking to the pan for a perfect spring form removal. Put your cheesecake on a cake stand for a bit of elegance and spoon over the lovely strawberry topping over the centre, allowing it to drip itself down the sides in a beautiful cascade.

Add a little extra flair in the form of a dusting of powdered sugar for an elegant touch, fresh whole strawberries for extra freshness and color, or just add a little pop of green. This cheesecake is sure to be one star at any gathering when it is velvety soft with a bright, fruity topping.

Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe

Recipe by fpbo0

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minute

Calories

300

kcal

Treat yourself to a rich and creamy strawberry cheesecake, where every bite is a perfect blend of buttery crust, velvety filling, and fresh, juicy strawberries. This dessert is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser at any occasion.

Ingredients
For the Crust:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (70 g)
2¼ cups graham cracker crumbs 270 g
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the Filling:
3 8-ounce/227g blocks cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1¼ cups granulated sugar 250 g
½ cup sour cream room temperature (120 g)
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs lightly beaten and at room temperature
¼ teaspoon salt
For the Topping:
2 pounds fresh strawberries halved (900g)
¾ cup water 180ml
½ cup granulated sugar 100g
1 tablespoon lemon juice optional
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions
For the Crust:

Let’s begin by preheating the oven to 350°F (175°C). A lightly greased 9-inch springform pan could be prepared with baking spray or just a light coating of butter to make removal of the cheesecake easy in the end.

In a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs and sugar until perfectly combined. You are going to pour melted butter into it and swirl it all together, till the crumbs are well coated, moist, and clumping together. This is your crust base!

Put the mix into the prepared pan and smash it down onto the bottom, with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup to push the crumbs firmly about an inch up the sides of the pan. This will help make a nice base for your cheesecake filling. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet in case some stuff oozes over when you are baking it.
Place the pan into your oven and let the crust bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until it’s beautiful golden brown with the lovely buttery, toasty aroma filling your kitchen. Take it out and let it cool off completely when done. This is important as it will allow the crust to set in that crunchy crunchiness for your creamy cheesecake filling.
For the Filling:
n a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the softened cream cheese on medium-low speed until it’s velvety smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and salt, continuing to mix until everything is well incorporated, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides. Next, blend in the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla extract, mixing for about 1 minute until the mixture is fully combined. After scraping the bowl once more, add the lightly beaten eggs, and mix on low speed just until they are fully incorporated. Pour the filling over the cooled crust, filling the pan to the top.
Bake the cheesecake at 350°F for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 300°F. Continue baking for approximately 1 hour, or until the edges are set but the center still has a slight wobble. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside to cool for another hour. Afterward, allow it to cool completely at room temperature before covering and refrigerating for at least 6 hours or overnight.
For the Topping:
In a medium saucepan, combine half of the halved strawberries with water, sugar, and the optional lemon juice. Stir in the cornstarch, ensuring there are no lumps. Heat the mixture over medium heat, bringing it to a boil while stirring frequently. Allow it to cook for about 5 minutes, then mash the softened strawberries with a potato masher until the sauce reaches a jam-like consistency. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining fresh strawberries along with the vanilla extract. Let the sauce cool until it’s lukewarm.
When you’re ready to serve, gently run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake before removing the springform sides. Transfer the cheesecake to a serving dish and generously top it with the cooled strawberry sauce. The cheesecake can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Notes

Bring cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs to room temperature for a smooth, lump-free filling.
Gently tap the pan on the counter after pouring the filling to remove air bubbles.
Swap strawberries for other fruits like blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, or sliced peaches/plums.