Photo: Natalie Levin
I can never decide whether I prefer baked or cold cheesecake. Both of them are delicious and let’s say that if there’s a cheesecake in my plate I won’t think of it too much and just eat it. I LOVE cheesecakes so much, whether they’re baked or cold.
This following cheesecake is one of my favorite cakes in general, and I make it every year as soon as there are strawberries in the market. It’s a baked cheesecake, high New York style, and it has a biscuits (or graham crackers) crust on the bottom and sides that make it rich and beautiful. On top of it there’s a beautiful strawberry slices arranged in a fan that are glazed with strawberry jam.
Beyond its impressive appearance, it is a wonderful simple cheesecake, and If you like strawberries – you should try it too. This cheesecake is actually very easy to prepare – you just whisk all the ingredients for the filling and that’s it! No whipping or separating eggs is needed. It’ll be perfect for Christmas and I’m sure everyone will love it.
Photo: Natalie Levin
Glazed Strawberry Cheesecake
For the crust:
- 250 grams plain biscuits (or graham crackers)
- 120 grams (1 stick) melted butter
For the cheese filling:
- 450 grams (2 packs) cream cheese (like Philadelphia)
- 500 grams (2 cups) ricotta cheese
- 200 grams (1 cup) sugar
- 45 ml. (3 tbsp.) orange or lemon juice
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 35 grams (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour
- 5 large eggs
For coating:
- 200 ml. (1 cup) sour cream
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
For decoration and glazing:
- 300-400 grams fresh strawberries (sliced)
- 4 tbsp. strawberry jam
- 1-2 tbsp. boiling water
- Biscuit crust: preheat oven to 170c degrees and grease the pan.
- In a food processor with a steel blade, grind the biscuits into a thin powder. Add melted butter and mix until combined and the mixture is damp.
- Press the moist crumbs to the bottom and the sides of the pan and bake for about 10 minutes. The bottom and the sides should get a golden color. Cool for a few minutes at room temperature before adding the cheese filling.
- Cheese filling: in a large bowl whisk cream cheese, ricotta, sugar, juice, vanilla and salt until mixed.
- Add the eggs one by one, stirring between additions until incorporated.
- Add the flour and continue to whisk until incorporated in the batter and mixture is smooth.
- Pour the cheese filling into the baked crust.
- Lower the oven temperature to 160c degrees and continue baking for another 60-70 minutes or until the cake is golden, a bit swollen and slightly vibrating in the center.
- Cool for about 10 minutes at room temperature before adding the coating. Turn off the oven.
- Coating: in a small bowl, mix sour cream, sugar and vanilla to a uniform mixture.
- Pour the sour cream coating on top of the cake and return to the still-hot (turned off) oven for 5-6 minutes.
- Cool the cake completely at room temperature and refrigerate for at least 7-8 hours (preferably overnight).
- Slice the strawberries into thin, uniform slices and arrange in a fan shape on top of the coating.
- In a small bowl, mix the jam and boiling water and heat in the microwave until melted.
- Gently, yet generously, brush the strawberries with jam and serve.
- You can substitute strawberries for any other fruit you like. Berries or cherries will be great too.
- Cream cheese should be at room temperature.
- Keep the cake in a closed container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, but it is recommended to remove it to room temperature about 30 minutes before serving to an optimal texture.
Photo: Natalie Levin