Strawberry Cheesecake
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The sweet strawberry topping, creamy cream cheese filling, and slightly crispy crust make this strawberry cheesecake perfect for celebrations and everyday desserts. Prepare it ahead and enjoy a slice of cheesecake with strawberry sauce to satisfy your cravings throughout the week.
After not being able to eat delicious cheesecake while growing up, I am doing revenge baking and eating. I’ve been making a couple of different cheesecakes that even a previous cheesecake hater like me eats and enjoys.
Some of my cheesecake creation includes cherry cheesecake, key lime pie cheesecake, triple chocolate cheesecake, and pumpkin cheesecake.
To add to my long list of cheesecake creations, I made this simple strawberry cheesecake recipe. It is perfect for first-timers cheesecake bakers!
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Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Cheesecake
- Make Ahead Dessert – This homemade strawberry cheesecake must cool and chill before serving. It’s best to make it on your day offs and store it in your fridge. Serve with strawberry sauce or toppings and enjoy throughout the week.
- Versatile Go-To Cheesecake Recipe – You can replace the fruit in your strawberry sauce with in-season fruits like cherries, blueberries, key lime, etc.
- Perfect For First-Time Bakers – Strawberry cheesecake is an easy dessert recipe perfect for newbies and first-time bakers.
Ingredients Needed
Here are the ingredients needed for this strawberry cheesecake recipe:
For The Strawberry Topping
- Fresh Strawberries – Hull and quarter your strawberries. I used ripe, fresh strawberries for this strawberry cheesecake recipe but you can also use frozen strawberries. Thaw them first before adding them to the saucepan.
- Lemon Juice – I used freshly squeezed lemon juice. It adds a bright and tangy lemon flavor to the creamy cream cheese layer.
- Cornstarch – For thickening.
- Granulated Sugar – To sweeten the strawberry mixture.
For The Crust
- Golden Oreos – I used Golden Oreos to make my crust. But you can also use graham cracker crumbs, Oreos, gingersnaps, and other cookies.
- Melted Butter – It helps the crust hold its shape. I used unsalted melted butter for this recipe.
For The Cheesecake Filling
- Cream Cheese – I always use full-fat cream cheese for my cheesecake batter. It gives a better, creamy, and silky smooth cheesecake. Also, choose blocks of cream cheese and not the tub types. Soften cream cheese at room temperature before using them. Follow the How To Soften Cream Cheese Guide.
- Sour Cream – I used full-fat sour cream.
- Heavy Cream – To balance the creaminess, silkiness, and flavors of sour cream and cream cheese.
- Granulated Sugar
- Vanilla Extract – To add a slight sweetness, and richness to the cream cheese mixture. I used pure vanilla extract but you can use imitation as well. Try making homemade vanilla extract using this guide.
- Eggs – Should be at room temperature. Try How To Get Room Temperature Eggs Fast.
- Salt – To bring out the sweetness. Check The Role Of Salt In Baking.
How To Make Strawberry Cheesecake
Before using your ingredients, ensure they are at room temperature, especially the eggs, sour cream, softened cream cheese, and heavy cream. This prevents overmixing which leads to cracking.
Make The Cookie Crust
1. Prepare Oven
Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Move the rack to the middle of the oven.
2. Make Golden Oreo Crust
Pour Golden Oreos into your blender or food processor and pulse until you get a crumb texture. You can also use a rolling pin.
Transfer to a large bowl, combine crumbs with melted butter. Mix well.
3. Assemble
Transfer crumb to a 9-inch springform pan. Spread and press your Golden Oreo crumb to the springform pan. Use the back of a measuring cup, spoon, or your fingers.
4. Bake
Bake crust for 10 minutes. Remove the springform pan from the oven. Set aside to cool completely.
Make The Cheesecake Filling
1. Combine Cream Cheese And Sugar
In a large bowl, combine softened cream cheese and granulated sugar. Beat using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed for 4 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
2. Add Remaining Ingredients
Add eggs, one at a time. Mix well before adding another egg.
Add sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and sugar. Beat after adding an ingredient to ensure they are fully incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure there are no lumps in your cream cheese filling.
Bake The Cheesecake
1. Lower Oven Heat
Set the oven heat to 325°F/160°C.
2. Wrap Springform Pan
Wrap springform pan with 3 layers of aluminum foil. Cover the pan thoroughly to prevent water from seeping into your homemade cheesecake filling.
3. Prepare For Water Bath
Prepare 2 quarts of boiling water.
Place your covered springform pan with the prepared crust on a high-sided, large roasting pan. Pour the cheesecake mixture and spread using a rubber spatula.
4. Bake Cheesecake Filling
Place the roasting pan inside the oven. Carefully and slowly pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches half of the springform pan. Be careful not to splash water on your cheesecake.
Bake strawberry cheesecake for 1 1/2 hours or until the sides of your cream cheese filling turns slightly golden brown but still wobbly.
5. Cool In The Oven
Turn off the oven heat, crack open the oven door, and place a wooden spoon to prevent it from closing. Leave your strawberry cheesecake cool inside the oven for an hour.
6. Chill
Cover cheesecake with paper towel and foil. Move to the fridge to chill overnight or at least 4 hours.
Make The Strawberry Topping
Make the strawberry topping while your strawberry cheesecake is baking in the oven. You can also use frozen strawberries.
1. Combine Lemon and Cornstarch
In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and cornstarch to make a slurry. Mix well until cornstarch dissolves.
2. Heat Strawberry Sauce
In a medium saucepan, add lemon juice and cornstarch slurry, strawberry halves, and sugar. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until the strawberry sauce thickens. Stir occasionally to about burning.
Mash halved strawberries slightly while strawberry sauce cooks. Use a spoon, heat-proof spatula, or potato masher. Leave some strawberries whole.
3. Cool And Store
Remove strawberry topping from heat. Add vanilla extract and stir.
Let the strawberry topping cool completely. Transfer to a covered container and chill in the fridge overnight.
Serve
1. Remove From Springform Pan
After chilling and your strawberry cheesecake has set, remove all the foil from the pan. Run a clean knife around the edges of the springform pan. Remove its outer ring.
2. Add Strawberry Topping
Spoon over the strawberry topping on top of the cheesecake. Spread with a spoon or spatula. You can add whipped cream and decorate with fresh strawberries.
Serve, slice, and enjoy your strawberry cheesecake.
Recipe Tips
- Switch the crust. You can make graham cracker crust or chocolate Oreo crust to make your crust. To make a graham cracker crust, pulse 1 3/4 cup graham crackers in a food processor or blender with 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar. You can also use rolling pin to crumble your graham crackers. Combine graham cracker crumbs with 5 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter. Transfer the graham cracker crumbs to the springform pan and bake.
- Swirl strawberry sauce in the cheesecake mixture before baking. Smoothen the strawberry sauce using an immersion blender or regular blender. Before baking the strawberry cheesecake, spoon several dollops of strawberry sauce around the batter. Using a toothpick, wooden stick, or knife, swirl the sauce. Bake, chill, and before serving, add the remaining strawberry sauce on top.
- Avoid overmixing. When you mix, air bubbles form in the cheesecake batter. When the strawberry cheesecake bakes, air bubbles bursts leaving spaces. This makes the cheesecake sink resulting in cracks.
- Don’t water down the strawberry topping. Remember, once the strawberry topping cools down, it will thicken more. If you are using frozen strawberries, thaw them first to drain.
- Cool the sauce. Cool and chill your strawberry sauce before pouring it into the batter or it will melt your cheesecake.
Recipe FAQs
Transfer the strawberry cheesecake to an airtight container and place it in the fridge. It can last up to 5 days. However, keep in mind that the longer it stays in the fridge, the soggier the crust will be. Consume as soon as possible to prevent a soggy crust.
Yes, you can freeze cheesecake. I like to freeze the cheesecake or cheesecake slices first uncovered then once frozen solid I wrap up. Wrap the whole cheesecake with plastic wrap and heavy-duty aluminum foil. Transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag. You can also freeze individual slices of cheesecake with strawberry sauce. Wrap the slice of cheesecake and place it inside an airtight container. Place in the freezer. To thaw, transfer frozen cheesecake to the fridge overnight. This cheesecake will keep frozen for up to 3 months.
When you overmix your cheesecake filling, it will make it too liquidy. Be careful when you mix your cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, and heavy cream together using your electric mixer. They should all be at room temperature. Don’t use a food processor or blender when making the cheesecake batter.
This is usually due overmixing and overbaking. Careful when mixing the cream cheese and other ingredients that you don’t just keep mixing once it’s mixed together otherwise you will introduce too much air. If you don’t bake it a water bath then it can overbake and cause it too crack. Be sure to bake in the water bath and then allow to cool slowly in the oven with the heat off after it’s done baking.
More Recipes To Try
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Strawberry cheesecake
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 28 Golden oreos
- 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick, 57 g) unsalted butter melted
For the cheesecake filling:
- 2 pounds four 8-ounce blocks cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 ½ cups 300 g granulated white sugar
- pinch salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2/3 cup 151 g sour cream
- 2/3 cup 151 g heavy cream
For the strawberry topping:
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 pound 16 ounces fresh strawberries hulled and quartered
- ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated white sugar
Instructions
Make cookie crust
- Prep oven. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C), with rack in middle of oven.
- Make the cookie crust. Pulse the cookies in a food processor or blender until finely ground. Put in a large bowl, and stir in the melted butter. 28 Golden oreos 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick, 57 g) unsalted butter
- Assemble the cookie crust. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan, using the bottom of a measuring cup (or you can use your fingers).
- Bake the crust. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Make cheesecake filling
- Combine cream cheese and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment beat cream cheese and sugar on medium speed for 4 minutes 2 pounds four 8-ounce blocks cream cheese softened to room temperature 1 ½ cups 300 g granulated white sugar
- Add remaining ingredients. Add the salt and vanilla, beating after each addition. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition. Add the sour cream, beat until incorporated. Add heavy cream and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and along the bottom to make sure all of the cream cheese has been incorporated. pinch salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 4 large eggs room temperature 2/3 cup 151 g sour cream 2/3 cup 151 g heavy cream
Bake the cheesecake
- Lower the heat on the oven to 325°F (160°C).
- Wrap springform pan. Wrap the outside of the springform pan in three layers of aluminum foil, ensuring none of the pan is exposed. You can also use a slow cooker liner. You want to make sure that the springform pans sides and bottom are completely covered with tinfoil so that no water seeps inside and ruins the cheesecake.
- Bake the cheesecake. Prepare pan and boiling water: Place the foil-wrapped springform pan in a large, high-sided roasting pan. Prepare 2 quarts of boiling water.
- Pour filling into pan. Pour the cheesecake filling into the springform pan, over the graham cracker crust. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
- Place in oven. Place the roasting pan with the springform pan in it, in the oven.
- Add hot water. Carefully pour the hot water into the roasting pan, pouring until the water reaches halfway up the side of the springform pan.
- Bake the cheesecake. Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 1 1/2 hours until the edges of the cheesecake are set and slightly golden brown, and the middle of the cheesecake is set but still slightly wobbly.
- Allow cheesecake to cool in oven. Turn off the heat of the oven. Crack open the oven door and let the cake cool in the oven, as the oven cools, for another hour, which will help prevent the cheesecake from cracking.
- Chill the cheesecake. Cover the top of the cheesecake with a paper towel (to help with condensation forming) and then cover in foil. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight.
Make the strawberry topping:
- Combine cornstarch and lemon juice. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and lemon juice. 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- Add ingredients to pot. Add the lemon juice/cornstarch mixture to a medium saucepan, along with the strawberries and sugar. 1 pound 16 ounces fresh strawberries hulled and quartered ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated white sugar
- Cook strawberry sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally allowing the mixture to boil, and the strawberries to cook down, about 20 minutes until thickened. Mash down the strawberries slightly as it cooks, with a wooden spoon, potato masher or heat-proof spatula. I like to leave some of the unmashed and bigger (but you can mash the topping down as much as you want).
- Cool and store. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla (if using), and allow to cool completely . Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
- Serving the cheesecake. When ready to serve, remove the foil. Run a knife around the edges and remove the outer ring of the pan. Spoon strawberry topping over the top of the cheesecake. Cut into slices and serve with strawberry topping.
Notes
- Storage: Transfer the strawberry cheesecake to an airtight container and place it in the fridge. It can last up to 5 days. However, keep in mind that the longer it stays in the fridge, the soggier the crust will be. Consume as soon as possible to prevent a soggy crust.
- Freezing: I like to freeze the cheesecake or cheesecake slices first uncovered then once frozen solid I wrap up. Wrap the whole cheesecake with plastic wrap and heavy-duty aluminum foil. Transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag. You can also freeze individual slices of cheesecake with strawberry sauce. Wrap the slice of cheesecake and place it inside an airtight container. Place in the freezer. To thaw, transfer frozen cheesecake to the fridge overnight. This cheesecake will keep frozen for up to 3 months.
- Cream Cheese – I always use full-fat cream cheese for my cheesecake batter. It gives a better, creamy, and silky smooth cheesecake. Also, choose blocks of cream cheese and not the tub types. Soften cream cheese at room temperature before using them. Follow the How To Soften Cream Cheese Guide.
This is the lightest, creamiest and most decadent cheesecake you will ever eat! The crust is perfect and the strawberry topping is the perfect consistency! Very simple to make too!
Thank you so much! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the cheesecake and found it easy to make. 😊🍓
For this months challenge I made Strawberry Cheesecake. It’s delicious! I brought it for a potluck at my place of work.
I did change a couple things. I made the crust gluten free with almond flour & I replaced the sugar with a sugar substitute since I eat keto.
Then I used some of the extract strawberry mixture to make strawberry lemonade. That was very refreshing🍋🍓
So glad you loved the cheesecake Kathryn! And glad you were able to adapt to your needs and make it work 🙂 that strawberry lemonade sounds amazing!!
So glad I made this cheesecake! The texture is so creamy and fluffy. My family isn’t a fan of cheesecake and they loved this. I think the exact words were, “Best cheesecake I ever had!” Instructions were great and easy to follow. Only change was that I made a graham cracker crust. Highly recommend.
aw that’s awesome Laurie!! I love hearing this!! Thank you so much for such a kind review 🙂