Strawberry Cheesecake
My Strawberry Cheesecake recipe is truly the best! It’s rich and creamy with a buttery golden shortbread crust and a strawberry reduction. This strawberry cheesecake is delicious with no frills and no complicated water bath. Follow my instructions in this post for how to make the perfect cheesecake and never struggle with issues like cracked cheesecake tops or underbaked cheesecake again!
Equipment
- 7" springform pan
- parchment paper
Ingredients
For the Shortbread Crust
- 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
- dash of vanilla optional
For the Strawberry Reduction
- 1 lb fresh strawberries
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
For the Cheesecake
- 24 oz (675g) (3 blocks) full fat cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 3 (150-155g) large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 3/4 cup (195g) sour cream room temperature
- 1/2 cup strawberry reduction chilled recipe above
Instructions
For the Strawberry Reduction
- Add 1 lb of fresh strawberries with the stems removed and 1/2 cup of sugar to a blender and blitz until smooth.
- Transfer this strawberry mixture to a medium saucepan and heat over medium/high heat until it comes to a boil and starts to bubble up.
- Then reduce the heat to a simmer and allow it to reduce for about 20-30 minutes. The mixture will deepen in color and thicken.
- Once the mixture has reduced and thickened, pour it into a heatproof bowl and place it in the fridge to chill. It needs to be completely chilled before adding to the cheesecake layer.
For the Shortbread Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (roughly 180°C) and line a 7" springform pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, place 1/2 cup (110g) of room temperature butter and 1/4 cup (50g) of granulated sugar. Using a spatula, mix butter and sugar together until well combined.
- Add 1/4 tsp of salt and optionally, a splash of vanilla extract to the bowl and mix in.
- Add 1 cup (125g) of all purpose flour and mix with a spatula until it just starts to come together.
- Pour dough out onto a clean surface and finish bringing it together by hand making sure to not overwork it.
- Place shortbread dough into the lined springform pan and press down with your fingers to spread it out, sprinkle a little flour if it is sticking to fingers.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until shortbread is golden brown. Remove from the oven to cool while you get started on the cheesecake.
For the Cheesecake
- Set a large pot or a kettle of water to boil, place a rimmed pan in the bottom rack of the oven.
- Reduce the oven to 325°F (roughly 160°C) To a medium bowl, add 24oz (675g) (3 blocks) of full fat cream cheese at room temperature. Use a hand mixer to break down the cream cheese slightly.
- Add 1 cup (200g) of granulated sugar and 1 Tbsp of cornstarch and cream until combined. Do your best to not add too much air into the cheesecake batter, just mix until well combined.
- Add in 3 large room temperature eggs (150-155g), one at a time, and mix until combined. Then add 2 tsp of vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract) and mix until incorporated.
- Switch to a spatula and stir in 3/4 cup (195g) of room temperature sour cream until everything is evenly mixed in.
- Split the cheesecake batter in half adding one half to a separate bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the strawberry reduction to half of the cheesecake batter and stir until combined. Reserve the remaining strawberry reduction to top the cheesecake after it cools.
- Add the two cheesecake batters to the cooled shortbread crust alternating between strawberry and regular batter. Swirl the two batters together with a knife.
- Pour the boiling water into the pan at the bottom of the oven. Then place the cheesecake on the rack directly above the pan with the hot water. Remember to place the cheesecake on a tray to avoid leakage.
- Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 45-50 minutes depending on your oven. For my oven about 50 minutes works perfectly. You're looking for a slightly wobbly center and a top that is barely browned. The wobble will settle as the cheesecake cools, leaving you the perfect texture in the end.
- When the cheesecake is done baking, turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door of the oven slightly open for 1 hour. This helps the cheesecake cool down slowly, instead of shocking its temperature, potentially leading to splits.
- Once the cheesecake has cooled in the oven for 1 hour, remove it from the oven, place it on the counter and allow it to come close to room temperature for another hour or so. Then cover it and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 5 hours or, preferably, overnight.
- Once the cheesecake is done cooling, top it with the rest of the strawberry reduction and some more fresh strawberries if you want. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.