8 to 10 servings
YouTube instructional video is at the bottom.
What you’ll need
2 pounds (4 packs) Cream cheese (Room temp)
Sour cream (Room temp)
Heavy whipping cream (1/3 cup at Room temp)
Evaporated milk (Room temp)
Large eggs (Room temp)
All-purpose flour
Sugar
Salt
Graham crackers
Vanilla extract
1-pound fresh strawberries
1-pound frozen strawberries (Thawed)
1 medium sized lemon
Confectioners’ sugar
Tools you’ll need
Baker’s joy non-stick baking spray
9-inch round springform pan
Food processor
Mesh strainer
Disposable piping bag
Wilton #1 M tip
Sturdy wooden spoon
Sturdy whisk
Hand or stand mixer (Optional)
Making the Graham cracker crust
Step 1- Add 13 graham crackers into a food processor. Blend for 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup sugar, 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Pulse for 15 to 30 seconds.
Baking the Graham Cracker crust
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Step 2- Spray the bottom of the springform pan with Baker’s joy non-stick baking spray. Add Graham cracker crumbs into pan. Press crumbs down on to the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan.
Step 3- Place into a preheated 375-degree oven on the middle rack for 8 to 10 minutes. Once baking time is up, remove from oven. Let cool completely. This can take up to 20 or 30 minutes.
Making the Strawberry sauce (Strawberry puree mixture)
Step 4- Add 1 pound of thawed strawberries into a food processor and blend for 1 minute. Rinse and cut 1 medium sized lemon in half and set aside.
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 5- Add (Strawberry puree mixture) 3/4 cup sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and squeeze half of a lemon into a medium sized pot. Stir all ingredients together and let simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or until strawberry puree thickens.
Step 6- Turn fire off and add strawberry puree into a mesh strainer with a medium sized bowl underneath it. Once done cover bowl and let cool completely. Once the strawberry sauce has cooled, place into fridge. You will have some left over pulp from the strawberries in the mesh strainer. You can add that into a cake, or ice cream.
Preparing the cheesecake batter
Step 7- Add 2 pounds (4 packs) cream cheese (Softened and at Room temp), 1/3 cup sour cream (Room temp), and 4 large eggs (Mixed together and at Room temp) into a large bowl. Stir with a sturdy spoon or whisk until combined. Be patient while stirring and the batter should come together. If you are using a mixer, mix on a medium speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until combined.
Step 8- Add 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (Room temp), 1/3 cup evaporated milk (Room temp), 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 3 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon salt and squeeze half of a lemon. Make sure you use a mesh strainer to prevent the lemon pulp and seeds from going into the batter. Stir with a whisk for 1 to 2 minutes or until batter is creamy and smooth with no visible lumps. If you are using a mixer, mix the batter for 1 to 2 minutes on medium speed or until batter is creamy and smooth with no visible lumps.
Baking the cheesecake
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Step 9- Add spring form with on to an 11 by 17-inch baking pan. This will prevent a spill in your oven when the cheesecake bakes. Pour cheesecake batter into spring form pan. Shake pan slightly to make batter more even.
Step 10- Place into a preheated 300-degree oven on middle rack for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Notes- While the cheesecake is in the oven, Prepare the fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Make sure you also place the mixing bowl and the attachment into the fridge for the whipped cream if you are using a stand mixer.
Preparation of fresh strawberries
Step 11- Rinse the strawberries off with cold water. Cut the tops (Stems) off of each strawberry and place into a medium sized bowl. Once done place into fridge.
Whipped cream
Step 12- Add 1 cup heavy whipping cream (Cold), 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into stand mixer bowl. Mix on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until whipping cream thickens. Once done place mixing bowl in fridge.
Cooling of cheesecake
Step 13- Remove cheesecake from oven. If you tap the sides of the spring form pan and the middle of the cheesecake jiggles slightly, the cheesecake is done. Let cool for 4 to 6 hours before removing it from pan.
Step 14- Remove the siding portion of the spring form pan off of cheesecake. Add parchment paper on top of cheesecake and flip it onto a smooth surface. Remove the bottom portion of the spring form pan off of the bottom of the cheesecake. Add a serving pad on top of the bottom of the cheesecake and flip over again. Once done place into fridge for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
Decorating the cheesecake
Step 15- Add whipped cream into disposable piping bag fitted with the Wilton # 1M tip. Pipe circles around the top edge of the cheesecake and one in the middle of the cheesecake as well.
Step 16- Add Strawberries on top of the whipped cream mixture. Slice one strawberry into quarter pieces and add that on to the middle of the cheesecake.
Step 17- Add strawberry sauce into a squeeze bottle. From there add the strawberry sauce on top of the cheesecake portion. Next add into onto the strawberries and whipped cream. Serve cold and enjoy.
YouTube instructional video
