Supremely creamy, tangy, and rich, this gorgeous strawberry swirl cheesecake is full of irresistible fresh strawberry flavor! Serve with fresh strawberry sauce for an extra dose of deliciousness!
My love affair with cheesecakes is never-ending, but it's been a minute since I went on a date with one. With strawberries in season, I decided it was the best time to bake one with real strawberries!
Generally, the star of cheesecake is cream cheese. However, the fruit and the cream cheese play a dual role here. The richness and tanginess of the cheese are exquisitely counterbalanced by the big, bright burst of sweetness in every fruity bite!
If you enjoy cheesecakes with fresh fruits, you'll love my peach cheesecake, fresh cherry cheesecake, and this amazing baked ricotta mango cheesecake!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This strawberry swirl cheesecake is a showstopper! The swirls on top and in the cheesecake look absolutely gorgeous!
This cheesecake uses REAL fresh strawberry sauce in the filling! Not just as a topping!
The filling has a super creamy and rich texture with the strawberries adding a refreshing balance of flavors and a buttery crispy cookie crust.
The strawberry sauce is great for so many recipes! Use it as a topping for crepes, pancakes, or ice cream, or swirl it in any cake batter.
The strawberry cheesecake recipe is simple to follow and needs no water bath!
Recipe Ingredients
Strawberries: Fresh or frozen strawberries will work here. The sweeter the berries, the less sugar you will need to add to the sauce. So I recommend taste-testing your strawberries!
Cream cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese for the best results. Store-bought or homemade cream cheese will work well. Make sure the cheese is at room temperature.
Cream: I used 25% fat cream in this recipe. You can use heavy cream for a richer consistency.
Eggs: They add structure and ensure the cheesecake sets properly. Please make sure the eggs are at room temperature.
Sugar: Regular granulated or caster sugar can be used here.
Flour: I use a small quantity of all-purpose flour in the filling to bind the moisture in the cheesecake. You can use cornstarch instead.
Cheesecake crust: I like to use crushed Marie biscuits for the crust, mixed with melted butter. Feel free to use Digestives or Graham Crackers instead.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake
Step 1: Make the strawberry sauce.
- Blend the fresh strawberries with sugar, cornstarch (to thicken the sauce), and 2 or 3 tablespoons of water till you have a smooth purée.
- Cook the purée on medium to low heat till it's nice, thick, and luscious. This takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Let it cool before incorporating it into the cake batter.
- Any leftover strawberry sauce can be stored in a jar or air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Step 2: Make the crust.
- Crush your Marie biscuits in the food processor.
- Pulse them again with melted butter till they have the consistency of wet sand.
- Pat this mixture down on the bottom of the springform pan. Make sure it’s an even layer and packed tightly.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Make the cream cheese filling.
- Beat your cream cheese with sugar.
- Then, one at a time, add your eggs. Move on to the next egg only after the first is completely incorporated into the cream.
- Mix in vanilla extract, cream, and all-purpose flour until well combined, and you have a luscious batter.
Step 4: Assemble the cheesecake.
- Pour the cream cheese filling and the strawberry sauce alternatively on top of the baked crust.
- Start with the cream cheese filling and make sure you leave a portion of strawberry sauce to serve as an aside.
- With a knife, a wooden skewer, or the back end of a spoon, create swirls so the strawberry sauce and cheese filling take on a marbled effect.
Step 5: Bake the strawberry cheesecake.
- Bake the cake at 160 °C.
- Once baked, prop open the oven door and let the cake cool inside for at least 20 minutes.
- Transfer to the counter and then to the fridge to chill overnight.
Pro Tips
- For the best creamy texture, don’t overbeat the batter. This will aerate the filling. Mix with a gentle hand.
- Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature.
- Bake the strawberry cheesecake at a low temperature. Long and slow baking prevents the cheesecake from cracking.
- Bake until the center of the cheesecake is slightly wobbly. Overbaking will make it dry.
- Allow the cake to cool in the oven for at least 20 minutes with the oven door slightly ajar. This also ensures the cheesecake won't crack.
- Make the cheesecake a day ahead so you can refrigerate them for 8 hours at least. It helps the cake set and enhances the texture to an addictive degree.
Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe FAQs
- Make sure every ingredient, from the eggs to the cream cheese, is at room temperature. This is a must.
- After you bake the crust, lower the temperature of the oven. Bake cheesecake at low temperature as mentioned in the recipe.
- Keep the oven door partially open when the cheesecake is done. It allows heat to escape slowly, making sure the cake doesn’t crack.
If you’ve taken the eggs out of the fridge at the last minute and are in a hurry to bake the cake, put them in a bowl of warm water. Leave them for a few minutes, and it’ll take away the chill.
Use a double boiler to soften the cream cheese. Scoop it into your mixing bowl and then place it over a container with simmering water. In 2 to 3 minutes, the cream cheese will reach room temperature. Make sure, you don’t melt it in the process.
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake
Ingredients
Strawberry Sauce
- 1 1/2 cup Strawberries, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp Cornstarch
- 2 tbsp Sugar You can add more or less depending on the sweetness of your berries
- 2-3 tbsp Water
Cheesecake Crust
- 1.5 cup Marie biscuits, crushed
- 1/2 cup Butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 2 cup Cream cheese
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 1/4 cup Cream
- 1/4 cup All-purpose flour
- 1.5 tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
Strawberry Sauce
- Blend the fresh strawberries with sugar, cornstarch, 2 or 3 tablespoons of water till you have a smooth purée.
- Cook the purée on medium heat till it's nice, thick, and luscious. Do give it a stir every few minutes. This takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Let the sauce cool.
- Any leftover strawberry sauce can be jarred and kept for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.
Cheesecake Crust
- Preheat your oven to 180C. Keep a springform 8" pan handy.
- Combine the melted butter and crushed cookies in a small bowl. This mixture should have the consistency of wet sand.
- Press it down evenly at the bottom of the pan. Bake for at 180 C for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 160C while you're preparing for the filling.
Cheesecake Filling
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer.
- Add the eggs, one at a time.
- Mix in the cream, flour, and vanilla extract. Whisk well until smooth.
- Pour half of the cheesecake batter over the prepared crust. Add a third of the cooled strawberry sauce on top.
- Cover the strawberry layer with the remaining cheesecake batter.
- Drop small spoonfuls of the strawberry sauce on top and using a skewer, create swirls.
- Carefully place the pan in the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes at 160C or until the center feels just a bit wobbly to touch.
- Turn off the heat and slightly crack the oven door open and allow it to cool for 30 minutes.
- Transfer to the counter and then to the fridge to chill overnight.
- Remove carefully from the pan, place it on your serving plate. Serve with strawberry sauce on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
- For the best creamy texture, don’t overbeat the batter. This will aerate the filling. Mix with a gentle hand.
- Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature.
- Bake the strawberry cheesecake at a low temperature. Long and slow baking prevents the cheesecake from cracking.
- Bake until the center of the cheesecake is slightly wobbly. Overbaking will make it dry.
- Allow the cake to cool in the oven for at least 20 minutes with the oven door slightly ajar. This also ensures the cheesecake won't crack.
- Make the cheesecake a day ahead so you can refrigerate them for 8 hours at least. It helps the cake set and enhances the texture to an addictive degree.
Sonali says
How can we replace eggs?
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Sonali, I haven't tried this cheesecake without eggs. But I think you can just increase the quantity of cream and all-purpose flour a bit in the recipe and leave the eggs out, like i did for this cheesecake http://www.tashasartisanfoods.com/blog/saffron-cardamom-cheesecake/
Hope this helps:)
Jessica Selensky says
This looks so delicious!
Natasha Minocha says
Thanks ever so much, Jessica! xx