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Home Sweet

Strawberry Cheesecake

By:Nagi
Published:17 Dec '18Updated:13 Jan '23
522 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

This Strawberry Cheesecake is a stunner! Based on my classic Baked Cheesecake which I describe as a magically rich-yet-light, finished with a gorgeous strawberry topping that tastes as amazing as it looks.

You’ll love how the sauce slowly drips down the cheesecake with every bite, and how the filling is creamy and rich, but it’s a bit fluffy rather than heavy and dense. And because I love the biscuit base so much, I’ve made it go aalll the way up the sides….

Close up of slice of Strawberry Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce dripping down the side

Strawberry Cheesecake

This has been my go-to cheesecake recipe for many years now. It’s the cheesecake that rendered a group of girls silent when we were on a weekend away. And that’s saying something with my friends!

I’ve shared this cheesecake recipe in all its naked glory. Because it really is the sort of cake that’s rich enough and so good (and that BISCUIT BASE!!) that you don’t need to trick it up with anything – just serve a plain slice and it will be devoured.

But it’s that time of the year for excesses. Where we take a cake that’s already perfect as it is, and take it over the top with a glossy Strawberry Topping for Cheesecake….

PS You’re going to go a little bit bonkers when that Strawberry Sauce is on the stove. The smell is outrageous!

Close up of Strawberry Topping Sauce for Strawberry Cheesecake

I did say that this Strawberry Cheesecake is pretty straightforward, but I never said it’s a quick and easy recipe! It takes time but it’s not complicated. I’m going to walk you through each part, there are process photos and a recipe tutorial video too.

Here are the 3 main components:

  1. Cheesecake biscuit base and walls: blitz and press. No baking required;

  2. Cheesecake filling – plonk and mix. The easiest part!

  3. 4 ingredient strawberry sauce – couldn’t be easier (hardest part is trying not to “taste test” too much)

Close up of Strawberry Cheesecake with a bite take out of it

The Cheesecake Biscuit base

Oh that buttery base!!! I love it so much, I make an entire wall of it for this Strawberry Cheesecake. Actually, the practical reason for the biscuit wall is to hold the Strawberry Topping in. But even without topping, I always make my cheesecakes with biscuit walls!

It’s as simple as blitzing (or bashing) biscuits into crumbs then stirring in melted butter. The biscuit base can be made with pretty much any type of plain biscuit – or even plain flavoured biscuits (like gingersnaps!). Arnott’s Marie Crackers or Nice biscuits (Australia), digestives (UK), and in the States, Graham Crackers are ideal.

PRO TIP: Inverted base & paper overhang

To make it easier to remove finished cake: Flip the base of the springform pan. Grease then top with a square sheet of paper. Secure sides of pan so excess paper is sticking out. Then you can easily move the cheesecake as follows:

  • use the paper overhang to grip, and slide the cake off the base onto the cake stand;

  • finished cake will slide safely off the inverted base (because it has no lip); then

  • once the cake on the paper is on the cake stand, slide the paper out from under the cake. Voila!

How to make cheesecake biscuit base

Cheesecake Filling

The easiest part! The ingredients in the cheesecake filling are simply cream cheese (Philadelphia all the way!), sugar, lemon zest (this really gives it a special touch), vanilla, a tiny amount of flour (for stability – keeps it fluffy) and eggs. It’s a plonk-and-mix deal.

This cheesecake has sour cream in it which lightens it up a bit. While rich, it has a slightly aerated texture which is quite different from a New York cheesecake which is much denser and calls for twice as much cream cheese as this Strawberry Cheesecake recipe!

PRO TIP: Don’t overbeat, it can cause craters

Only mix until each ingredient is incorporated and the batter is smooth. No need to beat to aerate the batter.

If the filling is beaten too much and becomes very aerated, then the cheesecake might rise during the bake then sink a bit in the middle as it cools. Not a big deal though because it flaws get hidden under the Strawberry Sauce!

How to make Cheesecake Filling

No need for water bath

Some recipes say to bake cheesecake in a water bath, swearing that this a) makes the cake more moist; and b) is the secret to avoiding cracks.

Out of curiosity (because some people are so adamant!) I made this exact cheesecake with and without a water batch just to compare. Logistical issues aside (because no springform pan is 100% leakproof, it requires double layers of heavy duty foil and even then, I was still wary).

Both cheesecakes looked exactly the same – no cracks, and tasted exactly the same. Except one was a heck of a lot more of a hassle to get in the oven.

So it’s confirmed. NO WATER BATH! 

PS Santa, may I please have new matching oven mitts for Christmas?

Comparison of cheesecake with and without water bath
Cheesecake on the left was made using a waterbath. The cheesecake on the right was made without a waterbath. Neither had cracks, they looked and tasted the same. Conclusion: Don’t bother fussing with water baths!

Strawberry Topping for Cheesecake

5 simple ingredients – strawberries, sugar, cornflour/cornstarch, lemon juice (or water) and vanilla. Plonk in saucepan, simmer for 10 minutes, stand over stove and inhale the incredible smells. Stir through halved strawberries (nice to soften them a bit), cool then spread on cheesecake.

Don’t fret about getting the strawberry sauce consistency 100% right straight off the stove. Cook the sauce until it’s the thickness you want for your cheesecake (ie slow ooze – watch the video!), then it will thicken more as it cools. THEN use the teeniest touch of water to loosen it up to the desired consistency – as in, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. That’s the safest way to get the sauce consistency perfect. 👍🏼

Strawberry topping sauce for Strawberry Cheesecake

That Strawberry Topping for the cheesecake…. it is unbelievable. Not only does it make the cheesecake look stunning, it tastes incredible. The addition of a sauce to an already amazing cheesecake really does take it over the top.

As regular readers know, I specialise in “brown foods”. Think – stews, roasts, curries.

So when I make things as beautiful and colourful as this Strawberry Cheesecake, the immature child within can’t help getting overly excited and sending these photos to everyone in the RecipeTin family and more friends than she cares to admit.

And their reactions made my head swell. 😂

Make this. You WILL be praised for days on end! – Nagi x


Photo of top of Strawberry Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce Topping

Strawberry Cheesecake
Watch how to make it

Accidentally forgot to include adding cornflour/cornstarch in the strawberry topping in the video! Whisked it in off camera. 🙂

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Close up of slice of Strawberry Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce dripping down the side

Strawberry Cheesecake

Author: Nagi
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 55 mins
Chilling time: 6 hrs
Total: 7 hrs 25 mins
Dessert
Western
5 from 100 votes
Servings12
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 136
Recipe video above. A light-yet-rich cheesecake, creamy but not dense-creamy like New York cheesecake. Topped with the most utterly incredible Strawberry Sauce topping – it’s a match made in heaven! Don’t be daunted by the number of steps – they are straightforward, I’ve just broken it down. Watch the video!

Ingredients

Cheesecake Biscuit Base:

  • 200g / 7oz Arnott’s Marie crackers or other plain biscuit (Aus) or 28 Graham Cracker squares (Note 1)
  • 120 g / 8 tbsp unsalted butter , melted

Cheesecake Filling:

  • 1 lb / 500g cream cheese , softened (Note 2)
  • 2 tbsp plain flour (all purpose flour)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (full fat, sub sour cream)
  • 1 1/2 cups caster sugar (superfine sugar)
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 3 eggs , at room temperature

Strawberry Topping for Cheesecake:

  • 500g / 1 lb strawberries , half diced and half halved
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice OR water (Note 3)
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 tsp cornflour/cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water

Instructions

Preparation:

  • 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.

Cheesecake Biscuit Base:

  • 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.

Filling:

  • 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.

Strawberry Topping for Cheesecake:

  • 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!

Recipe Notes:

1. Biscuits: Any plain crackers will work fine here, you need 2 cups of crumbs.
Australia: Arnott’s Marie Crackers, Arrowroot and Nice are ideal, I’ve made it with all these.
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.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 489cal (24%)Carbohydrates: 55g (18%)Protein: 5g (10%)Fat: 28g (43%)Saturated Fat: 15g (94%)Cholesterol: 114mg (38%)Sodium: 284mg (12%)Potassium: 184mg (5%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 41g (46%)Vitamin A: 945IU (19%)Vitamin C: 24.6mg (30%)Calcium: 80mg (8%)Iron: 1.4mg (8%)
Keywords: Strawberry Cheesecake
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

More Cheesecake recipes

  • Classic Baked Cheesecake

  • No Bake Mango Cheesecake

  • Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

  • Nutella Cheesecake (no-bake!)

  • Peanut Butter Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Loaf

  • Mini Nutella No Bake Cheesecakes

And more strawberry goodness …

  • Chocolate Covered Strawberries

  • Fresh Strawberry Bars

  • Strawberry Crumble

  • Strawberry Ice Cream (No Churn)

  • Strawberry Cake – really easy cake recipe

  • Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri!!


Life of Dozer

He’s been waiting all year for a moment like this – when a whole piece of Strawberry Cheesecake fell on the floor!!

(But no, he didn’t get the whole thing. Can you imagine the other mess I’d have to deal with if I did let him?!)

Dozer the golden retriever dog disbelieving that Strawberry Cheesecake dropped on the floor...
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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522 Comments

  1. HJ says

    December 23, 2022 at 12:16 am

    Oops, I made the chicken stew and meant to comment there. Lol

    Then, I made the cheesecake for dessert! Which was just as delicious and loved by the family!

    Reply
  2. HJ says

    December 23, 2022 at 12:14 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious!!! The family this recipe as well!
    Thank you so much for your awesome recipes!
    I mixed different parts of chicken (breasts, thighs, legs) all of it was super soft, juicy and tasty.

    Reply
  3. Hana says

    August 31, 2022 at 4:25 pm

    5 stars
    I made two versions of this cake one with sugar and another with stevia liquid for my mother in law and it turned out to be great. The strawberries wither and change colour within a couple of hours though so it’s best to make fresh sauce if you are going keep it in fridge. It takes only 5 mins for the fresh sauce to come together. Thanks a lot for the recipe Nagi. M gonna try your blueberry bread recipe now.

    Reply
  4. Poornima says

    August 8, 2022 at 6:30 pm

    I have made this cheesecake ten times now. Everyone in the family wants it for their bday! Perfect recipe.

    Reply
  5. mrs.dowler says

    August 1, 2022 at 1:30 pm

    5 stars
    another hit recipe from nagi! i made this for my older brother for his birthday. it was upwards of 100 degrees today and having a nice cold slice of cheesecake was just perfect. the lemon adds the perfect fresh zest while not overpowering the simplicity of a traditional vanilla cheesecake. my only change was for the topping, i used raspberries in place of strawberries since they were what i had on hand! with your recipes in my kitchen i know the meal’s i’m making are coming from a reliable source. thanks for another banger!

    Reply
  6. Zhen says

    July 1, 2022 at 1:28 pm

    5 stars
    Hi, I made this cheesecake recently for the first time and am surprised it turned out well. No cracks had appeared so it looked great. The only small issue was the middle still was a bit runny (I had it in the fridge for about 18+ hours, so I’m not sure what the problem was). Is it because I used granulated sugar instead of caster sugar or not letting it cool down for longer in the oven? The area surrounding the middle was more solid.

    All in all, I’m pretty happy! Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
  7. Donna says

    June 13, 2022 at 12:34 am

    I didn’t read the part about skipping the sour cream if from the uk and using soft cheese, will this alter the recipe somehow? Mine has just come out, smells amazing, the top has cracked so I suppose this is because of the above problem? Can’t wait to eat it

    Reply
  8. Debbie Packenham says

    June 9, 2022 at 5:26 pm

    Can the amounts be reduced to make a mini 4 inch cheesecake?

    Reply
  9. Tania says

    June 7, 2022 at 12:10 pm

    5 stars
    Love this recipe! I used Tapioca (Arrowroot) Flour instead of the cornflour, as it doesn’t leave _that_ aftertaste 🙂

    Reply
  10. Steph says

    June 5, 2022 at 8:18 am

    My cheesecake fell in the middle during cooking, what did I do wrong?

    Reply
  11. Sara says

    May 26, 2022 at 2:40 am

    Can you make this ahead and freeze it?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 26, 2022 at 7:09 am

      You could freeze the cheesecake Sara but you would need to make the strawberry sauce fresh to serve it! N x

      Reply
  12. starr says

    May 23, 2022 at 8:50 pm

    Would frozen strawberries work as well? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 24, 2022 at 8:29 pm

      If you do then the sauce will be a lot darker and you won’t get the nice plump halves like in the photo. You might also have to cook the sauce longer to reduce as frozen contain more water. N x

      Reply
  13. Sara says

    May 13, 2022 at 8:46 pm

    5 stars
    This has got to be best baked cheesecake recipe I have ever made.
    Love the detail in your instructions. I took this cake into work today and it was every man for himself. It was devoured. I’m making another one tonight for my poor family that missed out.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 15, 2022 at 6:40 pm

      Wow two in two days! Excellent job Sara!! N x

      Reply
  14. Maddison says

    April 24, 2022 at 8:24 am

    5 stars
    I have a question! So I am currently baking mine but it seems more jiggly than is should be. Should this be a concern? I baked it for a little bit extra but just want to make sure.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 24, 2022 at 2:07 pm

      As long as the jiggle level is similar to that in the video you should be ok…different ovens will have slightly different times! N x

      Reply
      • Sally says

        September 2, 2022 at 2:23 pm

        But there is no jiggle in the video.. It stays perfectly still for the couple of seconds it can be seen.

        Reply
  15. Kim says

    April 19, 2022 at 8:48 am

    5 stars
    Sooo good !

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 19, 2022 at 2:33 pm

      Woo hoo!! That’s great Kim! I’m glad you liked it! N x

      Reply
      • Jazmin Wilson says

        May 9, 2022 at 8:54 am

        I misread the recipe and used powdered sugar in place of caster sugar in the batter. Will it be okay?

        Reply
  16. Brooke says

    April 17, 2022 at 2:42 pm

    The BEST EVER cheesecake recipe, method and timing. Didn’t crack, perfect texture. Luscious. I just wanted a traditional lemon, added zest of another lemon and did some julienne confit lemon zest as a garnish. Naji, you’re a legend. Can’t wait for the cookbook!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 17, 2022 at 10:39 pm

      I am thrilled that you liked the cheesecake Brooke!! N x

      Reply
  17. Erin Roberts says

    April 16, 2022 at 10:00 am

    Hi Nagi,

    I want to make this for Easter Sunday tomorrow but have to make it today. Obviously the cheesecake itself will be fine in the fridge overnight but will the sauce be ok overnight or should I try to make time to whip it up tomorrow morning?

    Thanks so much, your recipes are always *chef’s kiss*.

    Erin

    Reply
  18. Fennie says

    April 9, 2022 at 1:15 pm

    Beautiful Nagi and Dozer
    My 3rd time making this strawberry cheesecake and my friends loved it!
    This time i am eating it all by myself!
    This is one addiction i love to stay on and promised myself to run like crazy each morning to burn calories broughr on by it. It is worth putting extra pounds on.🤣🤣😂😅🤣🤣 thank you! Your dishes and desserts are beyond the word awesome! God bless you for sharing it with us..🥰💐🌺

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 10, 2022 at 6:58 pm

      Woo hoo!! I am so glad you enjoyed it Fennie!! N x

      Reply
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