Strawberry Topped Cheesecake
When luscious, ripe strawberries are in the market, make this exquisite Strawberry Topped Cheesecake! My friends gave it rave reviews!
A buttery, graham cracker crust encases a creamy vanilla cheesecake, which is crowned with fragrant, glazed strawberries for an impressive dessert. When you need a dessert to impress, this strawberry cheesecake recipe will do the trick!
Why You Should Make this Cheesecake
- I first tasted this strawberry cheesecake at a teacher’s luncheon when my youngest was in high school. I was chairing the event and more than one teacher asked for the recipe. You know I was happy to ask for it!
- Since that time, I’ve made it for a baby shower and just recently for a small dinner party at our home. There were literally swoons and the ultimate compliment when one fellow asked if he could take a slice home (I did offer earlier!). I do recall a “best cheesecake I’ve ever tasted” comment, too.
- It is a show-stopper! Be sure to make it when beautiful, ripe strawberries are available and jaws will drop!
Expert Tips
This strawberry cheesecake didn’t become a show-stopping sensation without a few tricks. I’m sharing those tips for making the perfect cheesecake with you today.
- PRO-Tip: One of the key points for a luscious, creamy cheesecake filling is to have all ingredients, especially the eggs and cream cheese, at room temperature.
- This means taking these ingredients out of the refrigerator an hour before you begin mixing. I like to set my eggs in a bowl of warm water to hurry the process along.
- PRO-Tip: When mixing the cheesecake batter, use the paddle attachment, not the whisk. This prevents excess air from making a lighter versus dense filling.
- When adding the eggs, add one at a time mixing until just incorporated.
- Often a cheesecake is baked in a water bath which keeps the baking temperature stable and is thought to prevent cracking. Since this cheesecake is topped with a sour cream mixture, avoiding cracks is not as crucial.
- PRO-Tip: When using a water bath or bain marie, wrap your pan in a double layer of foil to help prevent leakage of water into the springform pan.
- You cannot use the same toothpick test to check for doneness as you do with a layer cake. Instead, look for the top to be mostly set. It’s OK for a little jiggle in the very center as there will be a bit of residual cooking after it comes out of the oven.
- I have a new oven and what used to take 55 minutes in my old oven took an extra 20 minutes in my new (and recently calibrated) oven.
- PRO-Tip: Besides the room temperature ingredients, beating with a paddle attachment, the 3rd key tip is to bring the cheesecake out of the refrigerator at least an hour before serving!
- Cheesecake absolutely tastes better when it’s not cold. But remember, the FDA recommends that perishable foods should not remain at room temperature longer than 2 hours, so tuck leftovers back in the refrigerator after serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Since beautiful sweet strawberries are crucial for the best tasting results, make this cheesecake when local or imported strawberries are in season. Look for red strawberries without white or geen areas or blemishes, bright red surface with green, not brown or wilted, leaves, and seeds that aren’t dry and brown. You should also be able to smell the sweet fragrance of strawberries when you are near the display at the market.
A water bath, or when you place the cheesecake in a pan of water to bake, helps to minimize cracking while the cheesecake bakes. When a topping, like this sour cream layer, is used, any possible cracks will be covered. So there’s no need to bake this cheesecake recipe in a water bath.
Yes! Any berry will work well, like blackberries, raspberries or blueberries. You may want to vary your jelly so it matches or complements the color of your berries. Fruit like peaches will exude too much juice and make a soggy topping.
You May Also Like:
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- More Cheesecake Tips and Recipes
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Strawberry Topped Cheesecake Recipe
A creamy, decadent cheesecake topped with glazed strawberries
Ingredients
Crust:
- 20 whole graham crackers (10 ounces, broken into pieces)
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) cold butter, diced
- ½ cup brown sugar
Filling:
- 4 8- ounce packages of cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 1 ¾ cups sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 5 eggs (at room temperature)
Topping:
- 2 cups sour cream
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- Fresh strawberries (hulled (I used 32 ounces))
- Jar of red currant jelly (or raspberry jelly), you will not need the whole jar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- Add graham crackers, butter, and brown sugar to a food processor and pulse till crumbs start to stick together.
- Press crumbs on the bottom and most of the way up the sides of a 10-inch springform pan with 3-inch sides.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on rack. Keep the oven on while preparing the filling.
- With the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt together till very smooth, scraping down the edges of the bowl as needed.
- Add flour and mix till combined. Add eggs, one at a time, just till incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Pour batter into the crust and bake for about 55 minutes. The center should be just set and the top will be puffed and brown in spots. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes while preparing the topping. Keep oven on.
- Mix sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Spread over the top of the cake, stopping just short of the edge.
- Bake for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the perimeter of the cheesecake.
- Allow to cool on a rack, then cover and chill overnight.
- Before serving, release the sides of the springform pan. Arrange whole berries, pointed sides up, over top of cheesecake.
- Gently melt jelly in the microwave, then allow it to cool to lukewarm. Brush over top of berries to glaze. Berries may be glazed up to 6 hours before serving. May serve with extra glaze if desired.
Notes
Adapted from Bon Appetit
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 566Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 155mgSodium: 374mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 1gSugar: 39gProtein: 8g
123 Comments on “Strawberry Topped Cheesecake”
Yes please! I’ve only made a cheesecake with the sour cream topping once, it was great! You’re enticing me make another one:@) I’m looking forward to fresh strawberries, my projects this weekend were using the frozen blueberries from my son’s garden.
What a stunning cake! Can’t take my eyes off from that tender smooth texture and gorgeous berry topping!
This is my family’s new favorite dessert! So yummy!
This has become my favorite dessert!
Liz I made this for my friend’s birthday last night. It was a huge hit and my first time attempting a cheesecake. Thanks for sharing a great recipe.
what a lovely cheesecake! I love the glazed strawberries they looked so luscious!
That cheesecake is one of the most gorgeous I have seen!!!! I am loving the glaze over the fresh berries!!! Thank you for sharing on Trick or Treat Tuesday!!!
That is one seriously gorgeous cheesecake!
That is definitely a show stopper! Gorgeous Cheesecake.
Lizzy, sorry for not dropping by sooner but honestly I have had my eye pinned on this cheesecake for days =) It’s simply gorgeous and I love the glaze over the berries – it adds so much to an already beautiful dessert. I am featuring this post in today’s Friday Food Fetish roundup (with a link-back and attribution), but please let me know if you have any objections. It’s a pleasure following your creations…
Hi Lizzy, Everyone loves cheesecake, and yours is similar to the N.Y. cheesecake I make, so I know it’s wonderful! This is one of my son’s favorite desserts; but since I made one for his last birthday, I think I’m gonna try something different this year for him…you know March is the month of BD’s in my family!
I know what you mean about it being weird that your daughter is hosting baby showers! When I see girls that grew up w/my daughter with their own children and acting as responsible adults, it’s so mind boggling!
This looks simply divine! Thanks so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday! I hope you’ll stop back soon 🙂
I am eating some strawberries as I see this post! I love cheese cake and I love strawberries . I am drooling here.. seriously!!
What a beautiful cheesecake! Show stopper indeed! I love the strawberries on top. This one is a keeper for sure!
Cheesecake is a favorite of mine and this one looks fabulous! Such a pretty presentation! Perfect for a baby shower!
Totally sheer elegance!!!
Your cheesecake, topped with the most perfect and gorgeous strawberries, and the perfect glaze is mesmerizing, and you are such a great and accomodating lovely person and an incredible baker, that any lucky person that gets your treats is so BLESSED!
A God-given natural baking talent you have there, my dear friend Lizzy!
xoxo
Lizzie
I just love cheesecake and those strawberries on top are just perfection!!
Gorgeous!! I love the whole strawberries on top, it makes a beautiful and simple decoration. A perfect baby shower treat for sure!
A perfect dessert for a baby shower–it is gorgeous with all those strawberries on top.
That’s a knock out dessert! Love the presentation.