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Our Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake recipe is the creamiest most delicious cheesecake you will ever have! Made with simple homemade strawberry sauce, this is a smooth and creamy baked cheesecake recipe you will love and make over and over again!
It’s the perfect dessert for a dinner party. Serve it for a birthday or the holidays.
Even if you’re a beginner to making homemade cheesecake from scratch, we guarantee you will be able to make this strawberry cheesecake stress-free and that it will turn out beautifully!
The Best Strawberry Cheesecake
I love Junior’s NYC cheesecake recipes – my favorite has always been the strawberry swirl cheesecake! It is the best cheesecake recipe, but it costs around $70. Who wants to spend that kind of money when you can make it for so much less and it is just as delicious?
This strawberry swirl cheesecake is so easy, and the flavor is incredible. You will feel like you are eating that $70 cheesecake – for the tiniest fraction of the cost. It is amazing!
What do I need to make a cheesecake?
- An 8″ round springform pan or a regular round cake pan
- Parchment paper
- Your oven
- You will also need the tools to mix the filling. This can be an electric hand mixer or stand mixer. You can use your hand and a whisk, but you will get smoother, easier results using an electric mixer.
- A food processor makes the job of making the graham crust a bit easier, but you can also use your hands to make the crust, too.
Making this decadent strawberry swirl cheesecake is much easier than your typical recipe. There is no water bath, and the mixture is easy to mix together with an electric mixer.
Best Strawberry Sauce Recipe
What brings this strawberry swirl cheesecake recipe all together is our homemade strawberry sauce recipe. It is so fresh and absolutely delicious!
How to make Strawberry Cheesecake
Graham Cracker Crust
- Crush graham crackers in a food processor until they are a fine crumb. Add the cinnamon sugar and combine.
- Combine withe the melted butter and press into the buttom and sides of a springform pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes then set aside while you make the filling.
Cheesecake Filling
- Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese on low-med speed for about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Add the sugar and vanilla and beat well.
- Mix in the eggs.
- Add the sour cream, salt, lemon juice, and zest,and beat well. The mixture should now be completely smooth and glossy and ready to pour into the graham cracker crust.
Strawberry Sauce
- Add frozen strawberries to a sauce pan with sugar, water, and cornstarch.
- The strawberries will begin to thaw and reduce into a thick sauce.
- Puree with an emulsion blender or add to a blender and blend until smooth.
Tips for the Perfect Cheesecake
- Always bring all your ingredients to room temperature. This is the key to a silky smooth cheesecake.
- Don’t overmix. This is hard because think the more mixing the better. This is not true when it comes to cheesecake. You want to just mix everything until it is well blended. If you overmix, you will risk it being too liquidy.
- You always want to make sure your cheesecake is completely cool before trying to take it out of the pan. It is important to give it lots of time to cool after baking.
FAQs
Yes! We have made this cheesecake with just a bottom crust and with crust on the sides, and both ways are delicious. If you would like to have a crust on the sides, press the graham crackers up the sides of the pan, too.
If you over-mix your batter, it will come out too liquidy and soft. Carefully mix the batter with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer. Do not use a blender or food processor and make sure to only mix as instructed and not for long.
The trick to stopping your cheesecake from cracking is to allow it to cool slowly. You do this by allowing it to cool in the oven for half an hour after the oven has been turned off. Then, remove it from the oven and let it come to room temperature. Finally, cover the top and place it in the fridge to finish cooling.
You can use a regular 9×11″ cake pan or even a tin foil pan. The only difference is that springform pans make releasing the cheesecake from the pan once it’s done cooling a bit easier. You can also cut the cheesecake into pie bars – it is just as delicious this way!
After trying this method, one of our readers had this to say: Thank you so much for the tips and your help! It came out amazing and I’m so happy. -Alicia A.
Springform pans are designed so you can easily remove the cheesecake from the pan. However, if your cheesecake is sticking to the inside or if you just want to be extra careful, you can use a knife to remove it more easily.
1. Heat a sharp knife under hot water.
2. Gently run the knife along the inside edge of the pan.
3. Use the knife to carefully release any sides sticking to the pan.
4. Unlatch and remove the sides of the pan.
You can refrigerate for 4-5 days. So, take your time and enjoy eating it for dessert every day! 😉 You might even want a slice for breakfast. We won’t tell!
Yes, you can. To freeze, place the strawberry cheesecake on a flat plate or the baking tin base. Then wrap it 2-3 times in plastic wrap so that it’s very well sealed.
Baked vs No Baked Cheesecake
Every cheesecake lover asks themselves this question every time they make a cheesecake. Although similar, they have a completely different texture and eating experience.
When making a baked cheesecake, you mix the cream cheese, egg, and other ingredients, without allowing much air in the mixture.
In the no-bake version, you whip the cream cheese and other ingredients and then fold in the whipped cream at the end. This makes for a light and fluffy dessert.
While a no-bake cheesecake is light, fluffy, and refreshing, there is nothing like a dense and velvety baked cheesecake. That is where this recipe comes in!
Our new method for a no-bake version is using the Instant Pot: Instant Pot Cheesecake! This method creates the moistest and most decadent dessert. It is a must-try!
Best Strawberry Desserts
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Our Readers love this recipe!
My first time baking a cheesecake. It turn out great – light and creamy!
@jordanmariedelory
Turned out beautifully and tasted amazing!!
@tflaherty8711
Delicious 🤤 I’ll double the crust next time ( I love the crust) but excellent recipe!
@bnaylin
A first ever for me. It was FAB.🤤🤤
@atothicus
Delicious (first piece)! Second piece – tasted even better leaving it in the fridge overnight.
@tiffcrespo
This was my first cheesecake and it was so yummy!! Would definitely recommend making 😊
@yairafalcon
Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake
Equipment
- Springform pan*
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Graham crackers crushed, or up to 1 cup
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 3½ oz unsalted butter (melted)
- 3 packages cream cheese (softened; 8 oz. packages)
- ¾ cup superfine sugar
- 1½ 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)
- ½ lemon juice and zest
- Pinch of salt
- ⅔ cup strawberry sauce
Instructions
Creating the graham cracker crust
- 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.Crush graham crackers in a food processor until they are a fine crumb. If you don’t have a food processor or blender, put them in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Add the cinnamon and ginger and combine.
- 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 or an electric hand mixer, 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.
- Mix in the eggs and beat through.
- Then, add the extra yolk and beat until fully incorporated.
- Add the sour cream, salt, lemon juice, and zest, and beat well. The mixture should now be completely smooth and glossy.
- Pour half of the cheesecake mixture over the base.
Putting the strawberry swirl cheesecake together
- With a teaspoon, dollop about half the strawberry sauce in small blobs over the top of the cheesecake mixture you just added to the base.
- 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.After a half hour, 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.Remove from the pan, serve, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Some photography by Marie Roffey
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.