Elegant Strawberry Cheesecake Recipes

STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 160C/320F (standard) or 140C/295F (fan/convection).
• Get a 20cm/8" springform cake tin. Turn the base UPSIDE DOWN (Note 4), butter lightly and place a square piece of parchment/baking paper on the base. Then clip into the springform pan - excess paper will stick out, see photos in post and video.
• Butter and line the side of the pan.
• Break up biscuits roughly by hand and place in a food processor.
• Blitz until fine crumbs (Note 5). Add butter, briefly blitz until dispersed and it resembles wet sand.
• Pour into the prepared cake tin. Use a spatula to roughly spread it out over the base and up the walls.
• Use something with a flat base and vertical edges (I used a measuring cup) to press the crumbs up the wall almost to the top of the sides, and flatten the base.
• Use a mixer or beater to beat the cream cheese until just smooth, no longer than 20 seconds on speed 4. (You do not want to aerate cheesecake filling as it causes cracks when it bakes)
• Add flour, beat for 5 seconds on speed 4 until just incorporated.
• Add vanilla, sour cream, sugar and lemon zest. Beat until just combined (10 sec max, speed 5).
• Add eggs one at a time, beat in between until just combined (5 sec each), and after the last one, beat just until the egg is fully incorporated.
• Pour into prepared crust.
• Bake for 55 minutes. The top should be a very light golden brown, not cracked, and near perfectly flat. It should jiggle slightly when you gently shake the pan.
• Cool the cake in the oven with the door open 20 cm / 8" (Note 6), then refrigerate for 4 hours+ in the pan.
• Remove sides. Use overhang paper to slide cheesecake off the cake pan. Then slide the cheesecake off the paper.
• Place chopped strawberries, vanilla, sugar and lemon juices in a saucepan. Stir then bring to simmer over medium heat.
• Simmer for 10 minutes until strawberries breakdown.
• Mix cornflour with water, then add into saucepan and stir.
• Add halved strawberries and cook for 1 minute to soften.
• Sauce should be syrupy - remove from stove and cool. Will thicken as it cools.
• Once cool, stirl. Adjust thickness to make it the right "oozing" consistency (see video, Note 7) with a tiny touch of water (be careful!).
• Spoon onto cheesecake so it's covered with a single layer of strawberries. Flip strawberry halves so they are facedown. Refrigerate 2 hours+.
• Slice and serve with remaining Strawberry Sauce!

ELEGANT STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Soften cream cheese to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 350 dg. Lightly grease (or spray with Pam) bottom and sides of a 10" springform pan.
• Mix together ground nuts and graham cracker crumbs. Add 3 T melted butter and mix with fork until crumbly. Press into bottom of springform pan and bake for 5 minutes in preheated oven. Remove and set aside.
• Place jellyroll pan with sides on bottom rack of oven and fill 1/2 full with warm water. Close door and continue heating.
• Put cream cheese, eggs, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in mixing bowl. Beat thoroughly with electric mixer until smooth and pour over crust. Place baking pan on rack above water bath pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until filling is almost set. Remove from oven (do not turn oven off) and let stand for 15 minutes.
• Blend sour cream, sugar and vanilla with mixer and pour over cake. Bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven. If cheesecake is slightly jiggly, don't worry. It will firm up while refrigerated.
• Refrigerate at least 6 hours (I refrigerate overnight at this point and finish up the next day.).
• Remove cheesecake from springform pan (running knife around sides to prevent sticking) and put on serving platter.
• Arrange whole strawberries pointed side up evenly over top of cheesecake.
• Prepare glaze by mixing water and cornstarch over low heat in saucepan until well mixed, stirring constantly. Add jelly and heat, stirring constantly until jelly mixture melts and thickens. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice or liqueur. Cool to room temperature.
• Spoon glaze over all until small amount drips down sides of cake. (Perhaps there may be slightly more glaze than needed, but it can be saved to heat and pour over ice cream another time.).
• Serve and enjoy!
• (NOTE: If you wish you could cook the cheesecake in a water bath to avoid cracking a bit on top. I don't, because the top is covered with the preserves and strawberries so it doesn't show anyway!).