Strawberry cheesecake

5 from 2 votes

Serve and enjoy a delicious and creamy dessert by preparing a strawberry cheesecake. This is an easy-to-follow recipe, perfect for first-time cheesecake makers.

Prep Time1

Cook Time1 30

Chilling time4

Total Time6 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 646kcal

Author: Heather Perine

Equipment

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.
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
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.

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.
Add ingredients to pot. Add the lemon juice/cornstarch mixture to a medium saucepan, along with the strawberries and 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 cherry 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.

Nutrition