For all cheesecake lovers…
I wanted to make my b’dy special by baking something special. I’d made a couple of fondant cakes in the last few months for my hubby’s b’day and for my friend’s daughter’s birthday. So, I was not up for making any fondant cake for my b’day. While browsing through my cake list, I found that I haven’t made any cheesecake yet. First thought I had was: that’s not fair! Also, my hubby loves cheesecake, so I decided to make cheesecake for my b’dy which was yesterday. Now, don’t ask me how old did I turn? Hereafter, I am not going to disclose my age to anyone, you can keep guessing though 😛
Honestly, I am not a huge cheesecake fan as I cannot handle too much cheese. Usually, when we dine at restaurants, we sometimes order cheesecake for dessert and we share it. Not to mention, most will be eaten by my hubby and a I get a little taste of it. However, making cheesecake from scratch in my kitchen really excited me and I couldn’t wait to make it.
When it comes to cheese, I love mascarpone cheese, may be because my favorite dessert tiramisu is made with it. Since this strawberry cheesecake recipe called for mascarpone cheese, I instantly fell for it. Making this cake wasn’t hard at all, all I had to do was go for a cheese shopping, throw all the ingredients into the stand mixer and pop it into the oven, the oven did the majority of work. What would we do without the oven???
Cheesecake, the name says it all. It does call for a lot of cheese, I mean a lot, about 1 Kg of cheese…I sighed and sighed while adding the cheese. Well, there is nothing wrong in indulging in a couple of slices on your birthday. Make this when you have a get together or for pot luck parties, you can share with your friends and family.
I made a gluten free crust by combining ground almonds and ground flax seeds. It turned out good. You could even use ground walnuts.
Strawberry Cheesecake
Recipe adopted from here
Ingredients
For baking strawberry:
- Strawberry, ripe- 1 lb or 1/2 Kg
- Light Corn Syrup or honey- 2 tbsp
For making crust
- Ground graham crackers- 1 cup
- Butter, unsalted melted- 3 tbsp
- Sugar- 3 tbsp
If you are making gluten free crust
- Ground almonds- 1/2 cup
- Ground flax seeds- 1/2 cup
- Note: you could even use ground walnuts
For making cheese batter
- Creme cheese, low-fat- 16 ounce, room temperature
- Mascarpone cheese- 16 ounce, room temperature
- Sugar- 1 cup
- Salt- 1/4 tsp
- Eggs, large, room temperature- 2
- Vanilla extract- 1 1/2 tsp
Instruction
- Let the eggs and cheese reach room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 300 F.
- In a baking pan lined with aluminum foil, add the strawberries and drizzle it with corn syrup or honey.
- Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes till the syrup thickens and the strawberries have turned deep red and cooked well.
- If the syrup hasn’t thickened well, don’t worry drain the excess liquid.
- Mash the strawberries using a potato masher to a smooth and thick constituency, it shouldn’t be watery. Keep aside, let cool completely.
- You could even cook the strawberries taken in a pan over stove top.
- Increase the oven temperature to 350 F.
- If using ground graham crackers: combine the ground graham crackers along with 3 tbsp sugar and 3 tbsp melted butter in a bowl.
- If making gluten free crust: combine ground almonds and ground flaxseeds along with sugar and melted butter in a bowl.
- Line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper or wax paper.
- Add the prepared crust into the pan, spread it evenly and press the mixture into the bottom of the pan.
- Bake it at 350 F for 10 minutes till the crust turns firm.
- Remove the pan from the oven, let cool completely.
- Now, reduce the oven temperature to 325 F.
Making the cheese cake batter
- Add the creme cheese to an electric stand mixer bowl, fitted with paddle attachment. Mix at medium-low speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the sugar gradually and beat it, add the salt and beat it.
- The mixture would turn slightly liquid after being mixed with sugar.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Scrape down the sides, add the vanilla extract.
- Add mascarpone cheese, beat until very creamy without any lumps for 3 minutes
- At first the batter will have lumps, keep beating at medium speed till it forms very creamy.
- The cheesecake batter is ready.
- Now save 2 cups of the cheese batter.
- To the remaining cheese batter, add the mashed strawberries, combine well with a spatula.
- Pour the strawberry cheese batter over the prepared crust into the pan.
- Smoothen the top layer with the spatula.
- Now, pour the remaining cheese batter without the strawberry over the strawberry-cheese layer.
- Smoothen the top with a spatula.
- Wrap the exterior of the springform pan in 2 layers of aluminum foil, place the pan on a large roasting pan.
- Fill the roasting pan with boiling water till it reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
- If you don’t have roasting pan, use rimmed baking sheets or pans, place the springform pan on it, fill 3/4 th of the pan with water.
- Bake at 325 F for 1 hour 10 minutes or until set. The batter shouldn’t be watery.
- Remove the springform pan from water bath, place on a wire rack to cool.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, (refrigeration is very important).
- After it’s chilled, the cheesecake would set well.
- Unlock the springform pan.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the cheesecake and serve chilled.
- Before serving, I dusted the cheesecake with cocoa powder, this is just optional.
- It’s time to indulge!!!
- This cheesecake tastes better the next day.
Tips:
- Always allow the eggs and cheese to reach room temperature.
- Mashed strawberries should be of thick constituency, if it’s watery drain some of the water.
- Only use springform pan for making cheesecake, else it could fall apart while removing from the pan.
- Refrigerate the cheesecake after it has cooled down.
- If you want more crust, double the recipe.
- You could even make this without the crust, just bake the cheesecake batter.
- Strawberry, ripe- 1 lb or ½ Kg
- Light Corn Syrup or honey- 2 tbsp
- Ground graham crackers- 1 cup
- Butter, unsalted melted- 3 tbsp
- Sugar- 3 tbsp
- Ground almonds- ½ cup
- Ground flax seeds- ½ cup
- Note: you could even use ground walnuts
- Creme cheese, low-fat- 16 ounce, room temperature
- Mascarpone cheese- 16 ounce, room temperature
- Sugar- 1 cup
- Salt- ¼ tsp
- Eggs, large, room temperature- 2
- Vanilla extract- 1½ tsp
- Let the eggs and cheese reach room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 300 F.
- In a baking pan lined with aluminum foil, add the strawberries and drizzle it with corn syrup or honey.
- Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes till the syrup thickens and the strawberries have turned deep red and cooked well.
- If the syrup hasn't thickened well, don't worry drain the excess liquid.
- Mash the strawberries using a potato masher to a smooth and thick constituency, it shouldn't be watery. Keep aside, let cool completely.
- You could even cook the strawberries taken in a pan over stove top.
- Increase the oven temperature to 350 F.
- If using ground graham crackers: combine the ground graham crackers along with 3 tbsp sugar and 3 tbsp melted butter in a bowl.
- If making gluten free crust: combine ground almonds and ground flaxseeds along with sugar and melted butter in a bowl.
- Line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper or wax paper.
- Add the prepared crust into the pan, spread it evenly and press the mixture into the bottom of the pan.
- Bake it at 350 F for 10 minutes till the crust turns firm.
- Remove the pan from the oven, let cool completely.
- Now, reduce the oven temperature to 325 F.
- Add the creme cheese to an electric stand mixer bowl, fitted with paddle attachment. Mix at medium-low speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the sugar gradually and beat it, add the salt and beat it.
- The mixture would turn slightly liquid after being mixed with sugar.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Scrape down the sides, add the vanilla extract.
- Add mascarpone cheese, beat until very creamy without any lumps for 3 minutes
- At first the batter will have lumps, keep beating at medium speed till it forms very creamy.
- The cheesecake batter is ready.
- Now save 2 cups of the cheese batter.
- To the remaning cheese batter, add the mashed strawberries, combine well with a spatula.
- Pour the strawberry cheese batter over the prepared crust into the pan.
- Smoothen the top layer with the spatula.
- Now, pour the remaining cheese batter without the strawberry over the strawberry-cheese layer.
- Smoothen the top with a spatula.
- Wrap the exterior of the springform pan in 2 layers of aluminum foil, place the pan on a large roasting pan.
- Fill the roasting pan with boiling water till it reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
- If you don't have roasting pan, use rimmed baking sheets or pans, place the springform pan on it, fill ¾ th of the pan with water.
- Bake at 325 F for 1 hour 10 minutes or until set. The batter shouldn't be watery.
- Remove the springform pan from water bath, place on a wire rack to cool.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, (refrigeration is very important).
- After it's chilled, the cheesecake would set well.
- Unlock the springform pan.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the cheesecake and serve chilled.
- Before serving, I dusted the cheesecake with cocoa powder, this is just optional.
- It's time to indulge!!!
- This cheesecake tastes better the next day.
Mashed strawberries should be of thick constituency, if it's watery drain some of the water.
Only use springform pan for making cheesecake, else it could fall apart while removing from the pan.
Refrigerate the cheesecake after it has cooled down.
If you want more crust, double the recipe.
You could even make this without the crust, just bake the cheesecake batter.
