Categories: Dessert: Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1 9 inch Junior's sponge cake crust
- 10 oz (about 1 cup) dry pack frozen whole strawberries (unsweetened, not in syrup, thawed and drained well)
- 5Tablespoons cornstarch
- three 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 extra large eggs
- 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream + 1 tablespoon for brushing
- 1 quart large ripe fresh strawberries
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Wrap the outside in aluminum foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides. Make and bake the cake crust and leave it in the pan. Keep the oven on.
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Pulse the thawed strawberries in your food processor until smooth (you need 3/4 cup of strawberry puree). Stir in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and set aside. It will thicken slightly as it stands.
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Put one package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl several times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each one. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1 1/3 cups sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the cream just until completely blended. Be careful not to overmix! Gently spoon batter over the crust.
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Using a teaspoon, drop the puree in small spoonfuls on top of the batter, pushing it down slightly as you go. Using a thin, sharp knife, cut through the batter a few times in a “figure 8” design, just until red swirls appear. (dont mix in the puree completely or the whole cake will turn pink and you will lose the swirls).
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Place the cake in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the spring form pan. Bake until the edges are light golden brown and the top is slightly golden tan, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and cool for 2 hours (just walk away-dont touch it). Then, leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refridgerate until completely cold, preferably overnight, or at least 4 hours.
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While the cake chills, wash and hull the fresh strawberries and slice them from 1/4 inch thick from top to tip (not crosswise), reserving the biggest, prettiest berry for the center.
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To serve, release and remove the sides of the spring form pan. Place the cake on a cake plate. Brush the top and outer rim of the cake with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cream. Arrange the sliced strawberries in a ring on top, with the tips pointing outward, angling and overlapping the berries as you go. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice the cold cake with a sharp straight edge knife, not a serrated one. Cover any leftover cake and refrigerate it, or remove the berry decorations and wrap and freeze for 1 month.