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Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Baking, Cheesecake, Dessert, Strawberries
Servings 12 Servings

Ingredients

Strawberry Sauce

  • ½ pound fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Crust

  • 2 cups graham crackers crumbs
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake

  • 2 pounds (four 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup sour cream (or heavy whipping cream), at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F and set aside a 9-inch springform pan. Fill a roasting pan with boiling water and place inside the oven on the lowest rack. This will create steam in the oven, which will help prevent the cheesecake from cracking.

Prepare Strawberry Sauce

  1. Combine strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
  2. Once the strawberry mixture has cooled slightly, carefully puree in a blender or using an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract and cool completely.

Prepare Crust

  1. In a bowl, stir together all ingredients until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan. Set aside.

Prepare Filling

  1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth over medium speed. Reduce speed to low and add sour cream and vanilla. Mix until completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

  2. Add eggs one at a time, taking care not to overmix. Pour half of the filling over prepared crust. Gently spoon half of the prepared strawberry sauce over the filling. Use a toothpick or knife to gently create swirls.
  3. Carefully pour the remainder of the cheesecake batter into the pan. Spoon the remaining strawberry sauce over the top, and use a tookpick or knife to gently create swirls.
  4. Place in the oven on the rack above the water bath. Bake until the edges begin to set but the center still looks jiggly, about 50 to 60 minutes. Turn off the oven, leave the door slightly ajar, and allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature. Once cool, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for several hours (preferably overnight).
  5. Garnish as desired and serve.

Recipe Notes

Always use room temperature ingredients. It helps reduce lumps in the batter and provides for a more even textured cheesecake.

Avoid over-mixing once you add the eggs. Over-mixing creates air in the batter, which when baked and cooled will result in a cracked top. Mix on low speed until the eggs have been completely incorporated, and you should be fine. Giving the prepped cheesecake a few taps on the countertop before baking also aids in removing any extra air bubbles.

For the water bath place a large pan of boiling water in the rack below your cheesecake. This helps create steam in the oven and the cheesecake is able to bake evenly.

When it’s time to turn off the oven, leave the oven door slightly ajar and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven itself to room temperature. This allows the cheesecake to complete the cooking process and gently cools it down, which avoids creating cracks on the surface.