Name: STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 8 oz graham crackers, broken up; 3/4 cup butter, melted; 2 x 8 oz blocks whole milk cream cheese, at room temperature; 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar; 1/2 cup whole milk sour cream, at room temperature; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (plain); 3 large eggs; 1 lb strawberries, hulled and quartered; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 2 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour); 2 tablespoons cool water; Whipped cream, optional

It’s always satisfying to have a dessert in your arsenal that you know works every time you make it, everyone loves and is make ahead. Let me introduce you to my Strawberry Cheesecake: your basic baked cheesecake with the most divine texture and flavor. Its taste: reminiscent of the best vanilla ice cream. Switch the fruit topping for whatever fruit you fancy or is in season. Adding a layer of whipped cream to the top is purely optional, a dollop on the side or none at all would work in equal measure. My only two bossy stipulations here are: You must make this a day ahead of when you want to serve it and when you’re making it, don’t over-beat the filling you want to combine not aerate.

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Baked cheesecakes are labelled as a little difficult but they’re not. This one isn’t. If you’ve made cheesecakes in the past and they’ve cracked here’s what might have happened you over-beat the filling; you didn’t let it slowly cool down; the ingredients weren’t at room temperature or the recipe you selected might not be accurate. Follow what I’ve stipulated in my recipe and the cheesecake won’t crack. And if it does then cover it with cream. Don’t despair.

So before I leave you to make Strawberry Cheesecake, just remember those few pointers and you’ll be ensured of a smooth, un-cracked cheesecake. Lovoni xo

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STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE

It’s always good to have a dessert in your arsenal that works every time, everyone loves and is make ahead. Enter Strawberry Cheesecake. It’s really your basic baked cheesecake I suppose but its texture is light and creamy. The taste: reminiscent of the best vanilla ice cream. Switch the fruit for whatever you have in season. Adding a layer of whipped cream to the top is purely optional, a dollop on the side or none at all would work in equal measure.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 20 mins

Course: Dessert

Servings:

Calories: 579kcal

Author: Lovoni

Equipment

8-inch springform pan

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

CRACKER BASE

8 oz graham crackers, broken up
3/4 cup butter, melted

VANILLA FILLING

2 x 8 oz blocks whole milk cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup whole milk sour cream, at room temperature
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour plain
3 large eggs

STRAWBERRY TOPPING

1 lb strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch cornflour
2 tablespoons cool water
Whipped cream, optional

Instructions

Grease and line the base and side of an 8-inch (20cm) springform pan with parchment paper. Place the pan on a baking sheet – the baking sheet must go into the oven underneath the cheesecake so the baking sheet can catch any butter that bakes out of the crust. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).

To make the base:

In the bowl of a food processor, blitz crackers until they are fine crumbs. Add the butter and blitz until well combined and mixture looks wet. Tip the crumbs into the prepared pan. Using a sturdy glass with a flat bottom and straight side, press the crumbs over the base and about three-quarters of the way up the side of the pan. You’ll have to use a little patience here to get it even. Chill the base until you’re ready to use it.

To make the filling:

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and flour until well combined, scraping down the side of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, waiting until each egg is combined before adding another and scraping down the side of the bowl. Pour the filling into the crust. Place the pan on a baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour or until the center is still a little wobbly but most of the outer part of the cheesecake is cooked. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

To make the topping

Combine strawberries, sugar and lemon juice together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Let the mixture come to a simmer and leave to simmer uncovered for 3 minutes. Combine the cornstarch and water together to form a smooth paste and stir it into the simmer strawberry mixture. Stir until the mixture is thickened and then remove from the heat – this only takes 20 or so seconds. Pour the mixture into a bowl and allow to cool on the counter before covering it and putting it in the fridge to cool completely.
To serve, pour the strawberry mixture over the top of the cheesecake and serve. Or, cover the top with whipped cream and either serve the strawberry mixture on the side or spoon it over the top. I prefer the latter. Cut the cheesecake into 10 or 12 wedges to serve.