Our Decadent Strawberry swirl cheesecake is an easy dessert recipe made with our simple homemade strawberry sauce and smooth, creamy baked cheesecake.
This is the best rich and decadent cheesecake we have ever tasted! It is a beautiful centerpiece too for any dessert table or party!
This baked cheesecake recipe is a classic dessert you’ll love!
Why is this the best cheesecake recipe?
- This is our favorite easy cheesecake recipe because it doesn’t require all those elaborate steps and it is so decadent and smooth that it just melts in your mouth.
- It uses easy simple ingredients. Can I hear an amen?
- There is no bain-marie or water bath.
- You can make our creamy cheesecake ahead of time and it will be perfect for any celebration or dessert the next day.
Ingredients for cheesecake
It all starts with the most amazing strawberry sauce! You are going to want to use this sauce on everything, it is that good!
- 7 oz Graham crackers
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3.5 oz unsalted butter (melted)
- 3 packages cream cheese (softened; 8 oz. packages)
- 3/4 cup superfine sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temp
- 1 egg yolk room temp
- 1 cup light sour cream room temp (a little less than one cup)
- 1/2 lemon juice and zest
- Pinch of salt
- 2/3 cup strawberry sauce (see link above for our homemade strawberry sauce)
You can easily make our strawberry sauce with fresh strawberries or by freezing strawberries.
How to Make Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake
It is so simple to make strawberry swirl cheesecake at home. The cheesecake mixture itself is simple to mix together in a stand mixer, or even with a handheld beater. We are going to show you step by step how to make the perfect cheesecake:
How to Make Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and line the base and sides of an 8-inch round springform tin with baking paper.
- Use a food processor to process the crackers to fine crumbs. Add the cinnamon and ginger and pulse to combine (TIP: if you don’t have a food processor or blender, put the biscuits in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin).
- Tip the crumbs into a bowl, then mix through the melted butter.
- Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared tin.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside while you make the filling.
How to Make Cheesecake Filling
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on low-med speed for about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as required.
- Add the sugar and vanilla and beat well. Again, scrape down the sides as necessary.
- Add the eggs and extra yolk one at a time, beating until each is well incorporated.
- Add the sour cream, salt, lemon juice, and zest, and beat well. The mixture should now be looking completely smooth and glossy.
Easy Baked Cheesecake Recipe Directions
- Pour half of the cheesecake mixture over the base. See below for instructions on adding the strawberry swirl before continuing.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven. There should be a slight wobble in the center.
- Turn the oven off and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for half an hour with the door closed.
- Remove the strawberry swirl cheesecake from the oven and let it cool for at least 45 minutes at room temperature before covering (a plate over the top of the tin is fine) and placing in the fridge to set completely. Let it set for at least 4 hours.
How do you make strawberry swirls in cheesecake?
Creating the beautiful strawberry swirls in strawberry swirl cheesecake is easy.
- With a teaspoon, dollop about half the strawberry sauce in small blobs over the top of the cheesecake.
- Carefully spoon over the remaining cheesecake mixture.
- Smooth out the top just a little, then again use a teaspoon to dollop over the remaining strawberry sauce.
- Drag a knife through the little strawberry patches to give it a swirl effect.
Tips for making the perfect cheesecake
- What I love most about this strawberry swirl cheesecake recipe is that there are no fancy steps (no bain-marie or water bath). The cheesecake goes straight into a moderate oven and bake for 45 minutes or until there is just a slight wobble in the center.
- A great tip to stop a cheesecake from cracking is to allow it cool slowly. You do this by letting it cool in the oven for half an hour after it has been turned off. Then, remove it from the oven and let it come to room temperature before covering the top and placing it in the fridge to cool completely.
What’s the difference between strawberry cheesecake and strawberry swirl cheesecake?
Cheesecake with Strawberries on top is easy to make at home, pinky promise! It will be an absolute hit at your next family get together. Plus, it uses simple, everyday ingredients!
A strawberry cheesecake can be many things, from having strawberry puree mixed right through, to simply being topped with fresh strawberries and a strawberry sauce.
What sets strawberry swirl cheesecake apart from plain strawberry cheesecake are the swirls of fresh homemade strawberry sauce for cheesecake running through the middle and around the top, creating a beautiful pattern.
How long will cheesecake keep?
Strawberry swirl cheesecake will keep well in the fridge for 4-5 days, so take your time and enjoy eating it for dessert every day.
Can you freeze cheesecake?
Yes, you can freeze cheesecake, although, from personal experience, there’s rarely enough left in my house to do it!
- Just set the strawberry swirl cheesecake on a flat plate or the baking tin base and wrap it 2-3 times in plastic wrap so that it’s very well sealed.
- Freeze it for up to a month. Make sure to thaw it in the fridge, and if you’re thawing the whole cake, give it at least 24 hours to make sure it’s perfectly thawed.
For a really impressive, creamy and delicious cheesecake using simple ingredients, this strawberry swirl cheesecake takes the cake!
Make Cheesecake the Easy way with our Instant Pot Cheesecake!
Easiest Cheesecake Recipe – Instant Pot Cheesecake.
Love cheesecake recipes as much as we do?
Try our Easy Dessert Recipes:
- Ina Garten Apple Crisp
- Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake
- Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits
- Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
📌 Pin Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake to save for later!
Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 7 oz Graham crackers
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3.5 oz unsalted butter (melted)
- 3 packages cream cheese (softened; 8 oz. packages)
- 3/4 cup superfine sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temp
- 1 egg yolk room temp
- 1 cup light sour cream room temp (a little less than one cup)
- 1/2 lemon juice and zest
- Pinch of salt
- 2/3 cup strawberry sauce (see above post for a link to our easy strawberry sauce recipe!)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160°C / 325°F / 140°C fan forced. Grease and line the base and sides of an 8-inch round springform tin with baking paper.
Creating the graham cracker crust
- Use a food processor to process the crackers to fine crumbs. Add the cinnamon and ginger and pulse to combine (if you don’t have a food processor or blender, put the biscuits in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin)
- Tip the crumbs into a bowl, then mix through the melted butter.
- Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared tin.
- Bake for 10 minutes then set aside while you make the filling.
Creating the cheesecake filling
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on low-med speed for about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as required.
- Add the sugar and vanilla and beat well, again scrape down the sides as necessary.
- Add the eggs and extra yolk, one at a time beating until each is well incorporated.
- Add the sour cream, salt, lemon juice, and zest and beat well. The mixture should now be looking completely smooth and glossy.
Putting the strawberry swirl cheesecake together
- Pour half of the cheesecake mixture over the base. With a teaspoon, dollop about half the strawberry sauce in small blobs, over the top. Carefully spoon over the remaining cheesecake mixture. Smooth out the top just a little, then again use a teaspoon to dollop over the remaining strawberry sauce. Drag a knife through the little strawberry patches to give it a swirl effect.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven. There should be a slight wobble in the center.
- Turn the oven off and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for half an hour with the door closed.
- Remove it from the oven and let it cool at least a further 45 minutes at room temperature before covering (a plate over the top of the tin is fine) and placing in the fridge to set completely. Let it set for at least 4 hours.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes says
This is such a beautiful cheesecake! I love the swirl – what a lovely touch.
Em Beitel says
Thanks so much, Alexandra!
Kristan says
Maybe I’m confused here, but is the 1.6 lbs if cheesecake the correct measurement? Like how many blocks of cream cheese is that? Lol
Em Beitel says
Hi Kristan! Yes, it is the correct measurement. A block of regular cream cheese is typically sold in 8oz, which is about half a pound. It would take 3 regular packages, plus a little more, of cream cheese, which is normal for a cheesecake of this size. Thank you for your question!
Katie West says
Hi my nephew from Denver stayed with me in UK for three months! Cooked loads of amazing dishes for us using many of your recipes. He has now left, I was just going to make Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake, but looking at the recipes it doesn’t mention quantities to use! Could you please let me know.
Warm wishes
Katie
Em Beitel says
Hi there, Katie! We are so glad you enjoy our recipes! We would love for you to make this cheesecake. We state the quantities in the recipe card near the bottom of the post, but have also added them to the post itself for your convenience. I’ve sent you an email as well- hope it helps! Take care!
Crystal says
What does 1/2 lemon and zest mean? Are you missing a measurement? Or do you use half a lemon and it’s zest?
Em Beitel says
Hi Crystal! It’s the juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon. Hope that helps!
Rose says
Would regular sour cream be okay in place of light sour cream?
Thank you,
Rose
Em Beitel says
Hi Rose! Yes, that will be fine. Regular sour cream has slightly more fat and calories than light, so your nutritional values won’t be the same as what’s listed here, but any difference in taste won’t be noticeable. Thank you so much for your question!
Best regards, Rose says
Thank you so much!
Amanda says
Cheesecake came out delicious, but waaaaay too much butter for the crust. My crust was super mushy, I had to add double the amount of graham crackers to make it less mushy.
Em Beitel says
Thank you for the feedback, Amanda! And a great tip for what to do if that happens. We’re so glad you liked it! 😊
alisha says
My son berry bee Benson loved it! thanks for such a great recipe. i will make sure to cook it again!
Jessica says
Can I use a 9inch pan instead of an 8inch?
Em Beitel says
Hi there, Jessica! You can use a 9″ pan instead of an 8″ pan, but a 9″ pan actually has a lot more room in it than an 8″ for only being one inch larger – so you may want to compensate for that or you’ll have a thin cheesecake that may not bake quite right. I personally would adjust the measurements for every ingredient by multiplying them by 1.2. So, 7 oz. graham crackers would become 8.4 oz, etc. If you do make this in a 9″ pan we would love to know how it goes for you and if this advice helps. Thank you very much!
Joyce Gronenthal says
I am going to make this for my son. My question is do I take it out of the springform pan before it goes into the fridge for 4 hours? Thank you
Em Beitel says
Hi Joyce! We recommend leaving it in the pan while it cools. If you try to remove the cheesecake while it’s still warm, it may crack. To remove it from the pan, let it cool first. Then remove the band from the pan and run a knife under the bottom of the cake to loosen it up. You want to make sure the cake is evenly supported when you take it out of the pan so it doesn’t crack.