If you enjoyed my New York Cheesecake, you’re going to love this strawberry-topped version! A beautiful, creamy cheesecake on a light biscuit base, topped off with a glossy strawberry sauce.
It easily serves 12 people and it can be frozen too! A great make-ahead dessert to impress your friends and family.
I’ve got a fair number of no-bake cheesecakes on my site that I LOVE (if you’re after one of those I recommend the pecan caramel cheesecake, strawberry and rhubarb cheesecake bites, or the Oreo crust Snickers cheesecake)!
But I’ve recently been obsessing over baked cheesecakes.
I had a thing against them for quite a while after my first experiences with baked cheesecakes were a little on the, erm, ‘eggy’ side.
Nope!
I don’t do eggy cheesecakes.
This cheesecake does have eggs in – after all, that’s what helps it to set. But the texture of this cheesecake is velvety and creamy. Almost like a soft, extra-thick custard.
If that doesn’t sell it to you enough, just wait until you get a load (and I mean LOADS) of the luscious strawberry compote topping.
📋 What do we need for the cheesecake?
🍓 What do we need for the topping?
- Fresh strawberries – about 550g (19oz) chopped strawberries. This is about 700g (25oz) of strawberries before they’re chopped.
- Sugar – To give it that lovely jammy sweetness
- Cornflour – to help ensure a glossy, thick sauce
- Vanilla extract – for a bit of extra flavour. You can leave it out if you’re strawberries are particularly flavourful
- Lemon juice – to balance out the sweetness from the sugar
📺 Watch how to make it
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
👩🍳PRO TIP You can use frozen strawberries if you prefer – just don’t thaw before you use. Frozen strawberries break down too much and become too watery upon thawing. It’s better to mix them with the cornflour and sugar etc. first so the liquid thickens as it’s released from the strawberries.
🍰 How to ensure your cheesecake doesn’t crack
I’ve refined this recipe to make it as fool-proof as possible. It takes a little time, but it’s well worth it, and I’ve never had a cracked cheesecake when following these tips:
- Make sure your cream cheese, eggs and cream are at room temperature. This also helps the mixture to blend together easier, with no lumps.
- Use a little cornflour to help stabilise the mixture. You can’t taste it, but it really helps to prevent those cracks.
- I use double (heavy) cream for extra creaminess, plus that extra bit of fat helps to prevent the mixture splitting.
- I run a knife around the tin as soon as the cheesecake comes out of the oven. The cheesecake will shrink ever so slightly as it cools, and running a knife around the inside of the tin helps to prevent the cheesecake sticking to the sides, which could cause a crack.
↔️ Ingredient swaps
- Swap the strawberries for your favourite fruit. Raspberries, blueberries and cherries all work well. Rhubarb also works well, but you’ll need extra sugar to balance the tartness.
- Use fruit pie filling instead of homemade compote for a quick and easy topping alternative.
- Skip the fruit altogether and top with chopped up chocolate, whipped cream, toasted coconut, crushed meringue, melted chocolate or salted caramel (or a combination of a few!).
🍲 More Super Strawberry Recipes
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Baked Strawberry Cheesecake
Equipment
- foil
- baking parchment
- 23cm springform tin
- roasting tin
- mixer or whisk
Ingredients
For the base:
- 145 g (5.1 oz) digestive biscuits about 10 digestives, crushed into fine crumbs
- 85 g (3 oz) unsalted butter melted
- 1 tbsp granulated or caster sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
Cheesecake filling:
- 750 g (26.5 oz) Philadelphia cream cheese full-fat
- 250 g (8.8 oz) caster sugar
- 3 tbsp cornflour cornstarch for USA
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 160 ml (2/3 cup) double (heavy) cream
You’ll also need:
- 1 tbsp melted butter
- boiling water
Strawberry Compote:
- 550 g (19oz) roughly chopped strawberries just slice in half if they're small
- 75 g (2.5 oz) caster sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour cornstarch for USA
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- *Take the cream cheese, eggs and cream out of the fridge at least one hour before using* See Note 1
Make the base:
- Preheat the oven to 160C/320F (fan).
- Line the base of a 23cm (9 inch) springform cake tin with non-stick baking parchment.* See Note 2
- Place the crushed biscuits in a bowl. Add the melted butter, sugar and salt and stir together to combine.145 g (5.1 oz) digestive biscuits, 85 g (3 oz) unsalted butter, 1 tbsp granulated or caster sugar, 1/4 tsp salt
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin, pressing it down flat with the back of a spoon.
- Place in the oven to bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool while you start on the filling.
- Leave the oven at 160C/320F (fan).
Make the cheesecake filling:
- Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand-mixer and mix, using the paddle attachment for 1 minute on medium speed, until the cheese is loosened and creamy.750 g (26.5 oz) Philadelphia cream cheese
- With the mixer still running, slowly pour in the sugar, then sprinkle in the cornflour.250 g (8.8 oz) caster sugar, 3 tbsp cornflour
- Allow the mixture to combine, stopping the mixer and scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed.
- With the mixer running, add in the vanilla extract, and then the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time. Allow each egg to be incorporated before adding the next.1 tbsp vanilla extract, 3 large eggs, 1 egg yolk
- Now add in the cream and mix until combined (scraping down the sides again if needed). Turn off the mixer.160 ml (2/3 cup) double (heavy) cream
- Brush the sides of the cake tin with melted butter.1 tbsp melted butter
- Place the cake tin on top of two crossed-over layers of foil (we're going to use this to wrap the tin before it goes in the oven).
- Carefully pour in the cheesecake batter and level off with the back of a spoon.
- Wrap the cake tin in the foil tightly, so the foil comes up the sides of the tin.
- Place the cake tin in a roasting tray and place it in the oven on the rack (bottom or middle rack).
- Pour boiling water in the roasting tray, around the cake tin. You'll need about 1 inch of water. Ensure the water doesn't go above the foil, otherwise, water may seep into the cake tin.boiling water
- Place in the oven and bake for 55-65 minutes, until the edges are very light brown. The centre of the cheesecake should have a slight wobble if you gently shake the tin.
- Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack. Run a knife around the sides of the tin, then allow the cheesecake to cool for 2 hours.
- Transfer to the fridge, cover loosely with foil and chill for 6 hours (or overnight).
Make the compote:
- To make the strawberry compote, place the chopped strawberries, sugar, cornflour, vanilla extract, and lemon juice in a small pan.550 g (19oz) roughly chopped strawberries, 75 g (2.5 oz) caster sugar, 1 tbsp cornflour, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Stir together so the cornflour coats the strawberries
- Heat the pan over a low-medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer while stirring.
- Allow to simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce is syrupy and the strawberries are tender.
- Turn off the heat and allow it to cool (once cool you can cover and place it in the fridge until ready to top the cheesecake)
Topping the cheesecake:
- Remove the cheesecake from the fridge, remove the sides of the tin and use two large spatulas to carefully move the cheesecake to a plate or cake stand.
- Spoon over the strawberry compote and serve.
Video
Notes
This will help the mixture bind together better, creating a smoother batter and will help to prevent cracks in the cake. * Note 2 – Baking Parchment Use a piece of parchment that is slightly bigger than the base of the tin. Place it on the base of the tin, then click the sides of the cake tin on top of the paper, so the paper is secured in place. Storage The cheesecake should keep well, in the fridge, in an air-tight container for 3 days. Freezing the cheesecake? This cheesecake freezes well, with or without the compote on top. Freeze with the compote:
Once chilled, top with the compote, then slice into individual slices and wrap in clingfilm (plastic wrap). Freeze for up to a month. Defrost, still wrapped, at room temperature for 3-4 hours (or in the fridge, overnight if your kitchen is particularly warm). The base will be softer upon defrosting, but will still taste good. Freeze without the compote: If you like you can slice and wrap the cheesecake slices before topping with the compote. That way you can offer the choice of vanilla cheesecake or strawberry cheesecake.
I like to freeze my cheesecake without the topping, then freeze individual portions of the compote in little pots. Defrost, still wrapped, at room temperature for 3-4 hours (or in the fridge, overnight if your kitchen is particularly warm). Nutritional information is approximate, per serving (based on this cheesecake serving 12 people).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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