This cake is pretty in pink! Fresh strawberries give this cake its unique color and flavor! Chocolate covered strawberries are the star of the show!
A crisp and thick OREO cookie crust and the most flavorful strawberry cheesecake filling you can imagine. Fresh Strawberry sauce and a silky chocolate ganache make this cake a show stopper!
How to make the a thick and creamy strawberry sauce!
The key for a successful strawberry cheesecake is to not add too much moisture. So cook your fresh or frozen strawberries until they are falling apart. Then strain the strawberries with a metal strainer to remove any seeds. Clean the pot and transfer the strawberry sauce back into it. Then reduce the cooked strawberry sauce until it is almost paste like. Out of a pound of fresh strawberries you want to have about 3/4 of a cup left!
Read here how to get a perfectly smooth cheesecake!
These are the cheesecake pans that I always use in my recipe videos: Springform pan and Removable bottom pan
A 8 inch springform pan is the traditional choice to make most cheesecake recipes. I usually use it for no bake cheesecakes. For baked cheesecakes I prefer the removable bottom pan. It has the advantage of fitting a water bath snuggly around it.
Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake
Ingredients:
For the strawberry sauce:
1 lb (450 g) strawberries, cut (if frozen, do not thaw before)
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 drops red food coloring if desired
For the cheesecake batter:
24 oz (680 g) cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 cup (200 g) sugar
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup (120 ml) sour cream, at room temperature
3/4 cup strawberry sauce
For the OREO cookie crust:
2 cups (250 g) OREO cookie crumbs
3 tbsp butter, melted
For the chocolate ganache:
1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy cream, hot
3/4 cup (130 g) chocolate chips
For the whipped cream:
3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream, very cold
6 tbsp (90 g) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Check out my no bake strawberry cheesecake tutorial while this one is in the making
INSTRUCTIONS:
Step 1:
Bring about 2 cups of water to a boil for the water bath. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Mix OREO cookie crumbs with melted butter until it is mixed evenly. Grease and line a springform or cheesecake pan. Press the mixture on the bottom of the pan and bake it for about 10 minutes. Let it come to room temperature. Reduce the oven temperature to 310 °F.
Step 2:
To make a strawberry sauce add lemon juice and cut strawberries into a medium sized pot. Bring to a simmer and let it cook for about 5 to 8 minutes. Keep stirring to avoid burning. Remove from heat and strain it to remove any seeds. Transfer it back into the pot and reduce it until it has a thick, paste like consistency. Let it cool before using. The strawberry sauce is going to thicken as it cools. You need about 3/4 of a cup for the cheesecake.
Step 3:
For the cheesecake filling add softened cream cheese in a big mixing bowl and mix it until smooth for about 4 minutes. Add sugar, flour, strawberry sauce and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Mix in sour cream and eggs. Mix until smooth for about 2 minutes.
Step 4:
Fill the cheesecake batter on top of the cooled cookie crust. Smooth it with a spatula and then prepare a water bath. To bake the cake cover the spring form pan in at least 3 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil or with a silicon baking pan to make sure no water can enter. Place it in a slightly bigger baking pan and fill it 1/2 to 1 inch high with hot water. Bake the cake in this water bath at 310 °F for about 80 minutes until the top has set and there is a jiggle in the middle.
Step 5:
Turn off the oven and let it cool in the oven for about 10 minutes. Take it out of the oven and water bath and cut around the edge with a knife to prevent cracking. Let it come to room temperature for another 30 minutes to 2 hours. Then let it cool over night or for at least 6 hours in the fridge.
Step 6:
To decorate the cake make a chocolate ganache. To make the chocolate ganache topping. Heat up heavy cream in the microwave and pour it over chocolate chips. Let it sit for a few minutes before stirring it. When it is all smooth and shiny it is ready to use. Remove the cake from the cheesecake pan and place it onto a cake plate. Pour over the slightly chilled chocolate ganache. Decorate the cake with fresh whipped cream and chocolate covered strawberries.
Enjoy!
**PRO-TIPS**
To cover strawberries with chocolate I like to use a mixture of dark and milk chocolate. I add about a tablespoon of coconut oil to 1 cup of chocolate to make it shiny. Make sure the strawberries are dry and cooled. After dipping them in chocolate remove most of the chocolate from underneath the strawberry and place it on parchment paper or any flat surface that is wipeable. After the chocolate has set for 20 seconds lift up the strawberry and place it on a clean part of the parchment paper as you will see a chocolate pool has formed around the strawberry. I like to use a wooden stick to lift strawberries as their leaves might break.
Don’t overbake the cheesecake as it will continue baking while cooling down. When the cake has a slightly jiggly texture in the center it is done baking.
To ensure a crack free cheesecake I recommend to read this cheesecake recipe.
I love to add more lemon juice for a stronger flavor.
Add more flavor with a whipped cream topping: To make the whipped cream use a tall measuring cup. Add heavy cream and powdered sugar. Whip it on low for about 30 seconds with a hand mixer using the whisk attachment. When it begins to thicken increase speed and whip until fluffy. Fill it in a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe some swirls of whipped cream and garnish with strawberry sauce immediately before serving.
