Delicious Strawberry Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the Crust:

▢2 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs (270 g)
▢3 tablespoons granulated sugar
▢5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (70 g)

For the Filling:

▢3 blocks cream cheese room temperature (8-ounce/227g)
▢1 ¼ cups granulated sugar (250 g)
▢¼ teaspoon salt
▢½ cup sour cream room temperature (120 g)
▢2 teaspoons lemon zest
▢2 teaspoons vanilla extract
▢3 large eggs room temperature, and lightly beaten

For the Topping:

▢2 pounds fresh strawberries halved and divided (900g)
▢½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
▢2 teaspoons vanilla extract
▢2 teaspoons cornstarch
▢¾ cup water (180ml)

Instructions

For the Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Stir in butter until well incorporated and mixture holds together when tightly squeezed. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Using a tall flat-bottomed glass, press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the pan. (I find it easiest to start with the sides, then press the remaining crumbs into the bottom.) Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the crust is fragrant and starting to turn golden brown on the edges. Let cool completely.

For the Filling:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the cream cheese. Beat on medium-low speed until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and salt and beat until fully incorporated, about 2 minutes more, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times during mixing.
Add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until fully incorporated, about 1 minute. Scrape down bowl. Add the eggs, and beat just until fully combined, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down the bowl once during mixing. Pour the filling into the cooled crust. (It should come up over the side of the crust and will be very full).
Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F and bake until lightly puffed, the filling around edges is set, and the center has a slight jiggle, about 1 hour. Leaving the oven door shut, turn the oven off, and allow the cheesecake to cool for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Loosely cover with a tea towel or paper towel and refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours.

STRAWBERRY TOPPING FOR CHEESECAKE

1. Place chopped strawberries, vanilla, sugar and lemon juices in a saucepan. Stir then bring to simmer over medium heat.
2. Simmer for 10 minutes until strawberries breakdown.
3. Mix cornflour with water, then add into saucepan and stir.
4. Add halved strawberries and cook for 1 minute to soften..
5. Spoon onto cheesecake so it’s covered with a single layer of strawberries. Flip strawberry halves so they are facedown. Refrigerate 2 hours+.
6. Slice and serve with remaining Strawberry Sauce!

Recipe Notes:

1. Biscuits: Any plain crackers will work fine here, you need 2 cups of crumbs.
US: Use 28 squares / 14 full sheets, yes I measured it with my last Graham Cracker packet I brought back from my last trip.
UK: Digestives are ideal, I LOVE digestives!
The crumb should be like wet sand so when pressed, it stays packed firmly, especially up the wall. It’s delicate when uncooked but once the filling is cooked, it becomes much more stable.
2. Cream Cheese – In the UK and some parts of Europe, block cream cheese isn’t available. If you can only get spreadable cream cheese in tubs (softer than block), skip the sour cream.
3. Lemon Juice or Water – Depends on sweetness of strawberries. If they aren’t that sweet, use water instead.
4. Inverted cake pan with overhang paper: The base of springform pans have a slight ridge. By inverting it, there is no ridge which makes it easier to slide the cheesecake on a serving platter without ruining the crust. There is no risk of batter leakage as the crust is thick enough to hold it all in.
5. Crumbs: OR crush in a ziplock bag using a rolling pin or large can.
6. Cool in oven: This helps stop the surface from cracking.
7. Strawberry topping should be like jam consistency, not a set jelly. It should ooze slightly when cut.
8. Different measures: Cups and spoons vary slightly between countries (US and CAN are different to most of the rest of the world). I have made this recipe using both US and Australian measures, using Australia Marie crackers and US Graham Crackers. The Graham Cracker crust is slightly crunchier because the biscuit doesn’t crush to a fine sand like Marie Crackers do. Both are delicious!
9. Make Ahead / Storage: Cake is at its best consumed within 4 days, after that I feel like it starts getting denser but still really fab, most people wouldn’t notice a difference! Ideal to top the day or or day before. After 2 to 3 days, the top does start to “sweat” but it’s not very noticeable.