There's just something magical about a homemade strawberry cheesecake. The buttery biscuit crust, silky cream cheese filling, and sweet strawberry topping come together to make a dessert that feels fancy but is actually easy enough for a weekend bake.
This is the cheesecake I bring out for birthdays, family dinners, and even casual coffee catch-ups. Every slice gets those little "wow" reactions around the table.
If you love berry desserts, you might also want to check out my no bake raspberry cheesecake bars - they're just as pretty and a little quicker to make.
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ingredients you'll need
cheesecake biscuit base
- 200g / 7oz Arnott's Marie crackers (or 28 graham cracker squares)
- 120g / 8 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
cheesecake filling
- 500g / 1 lb cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoon plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream (full fat)
- 1 ½ cups caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 eggs, room temperature
strawberry topping
- 500g / 1 lb strawberries (half diced, half halved)
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice (or water)
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoon cornflour / cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon water
step-by-step instructions
preparation
Preheat your oven to 160C/320F (standard) or 140C/295F (fan).
Get a 20cm / 8-inch springform pan. Flip the base upside down, butter it lightly, then add parchment paper before clipping it into place. Line the sides with butter and parchment too.
making the biscuit base
- Roughly break up the biscuits and blitz them in a food processor until fine crumbs.
- Add melted butter and pulse until it looks like wet sand.
- Press the mixture firmly into the base and sides of your prepared pan. A flat measuring cup works great for pressing it neatly.
mixing the filling
- Beat cream cheese until smooth (20 seconds max). Don't overmix - too much air leads to cracks.
- Add flour and beat 5 seconds.
- Add vanilla, sour cream, sugar, and lemon zest. Beat until just combined.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing lightly between each.
- Pour filling into the crust.
baking the cheesecake
Bake for 55 minutes. The top should be pale golden, set but still slightly jiggly in the center.
Turn off the oven, crack the door open, and let it cool inside for 20 minutes. Then chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
making the strawberry topping
- In a saucepan, cook diced strawberries with sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Mix cornflour with water, then stir into the saucepan.
- Add halved strawberries and cook for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and let the sauce thicken as it cools.
Spoon cooled topping over the cheesecake, spreading strawberries evenly across the surface. Refrigerate 2+ hours before slicing.
storage tips
- Refrigerate covered for 4-5 days.
- To freeze, wrap slices tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
recipe faqs
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes! In fact, it's better made the day before since the cheesecake needs chilling time.
Do I need to use a water bath?
Not for this recipe. Keeping mixing minimal and cooling the cake slowly prevents cracks.
Can I swap the strawberries for another fruit?
Absolutely. Blueberries, raspberries, or even mango work beautifully with the same topping method.
Why did my cheesecake crack?
Usually it's from overmixing or cooling too quickly. Don't worry though - the strawberry topping covers any imperfections.
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Print📖 Recipe
Strawberry Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours
- Yield: 1 cheesecake (10-12 slices) 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
There's just something magical about a homemade strawberry cheesecake. The buttery biscuit crust, silky cream cheese filling, and sweet strawberry topping come together to make a dessert that feels fancy but is actually easy enough for a weekend bake.
Ingredients
- 200g / 7oz Arnott's Marie crackers (or 28 graham cracker squares)
- 120g / 8 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 500g / 1 lb cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream (full fat)
- 1 ½ cups caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 500g / 1 lb strawberries (half diced, half halved)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (or water)
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160C/320F (standard) or 140C/295F (fan).
- Prepare a 20cm / 8-inch springform pan by flipping the base upside down, lightly buttering it, adding parchment paper, and clipping it into place. Line the sides with butter and parchment.
- Break up the biscuits and blitz them in a food processor until fine crumbs. Add melted butter and pulse until it resembles wet sand. Press firmly into the base and sides of the pan.
- Beat cream cheese until smooth (no more than 20 seconds). Add flour and beat 5 seconds. Add vanilla, sour cream, sugar, and lemon zest; beat until just combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing lightly between each. Pour filling into crust.
- Bake for 55 minutes until top is pale golden and center slightly jiggly. Turn off oven, crack door open, and cool inside for 20 minutes. Chill in fridge for at least 4 hours.
- In a saucepan, cook diced strawberries with sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla over medium heat for 10 minutes. Mix cornflour with water and stir into saucepan. Add halved strawberries and cook 1 minute. Let sauce thicken as it cools.
- Spoon cooled topping over cheesecake, spreading evenly. Refrigerate 2+ hours before slicing.
Notes
Refrigerate covered for 4-5 days. Freeze slices wrapped in plastic and foil for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Best made a day ahead for optimal texture and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 24g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
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