Let’s talk about one of my all time favorite desserts… strawberry cheesecake!
You know, the classic. Do you love it? Because I’m certain strawberry cheesecake is one of life’s greatest desserts. Especially if it’s the easiest strawberry cheesecake ever.
But easy is only good if done right. It has to be really dense, yet completely creamy. No one wants a chunky cheesecake.
I personally like mine really cold, straight out of the fridge, but I know others like theirs room temperature.
Let’s go down the list of what makes a perfect cheesecake:
Thick, crunchy graham cracker crust… check!
Dense, creamy cream cheese filling with a hint of lemon… check!
Freshly sliced strawberries in a pretty design… check!
Bonus points if you add a hefty drizzle of Nutella and some freshly whipped cream. Mmm, so good!
The result: The most perfect and easy Classic Strawberry Cheesecake you ever did see!
Over the years, I’ve tried quite a few cheesecake recipes. For whatever reason they failed.
Cheesecake is one of those recipes that you either always get right or always fail. Well, mine was never right.
Until finally, I put all I had learned together and created this very simple and easy to make cheesecake. This is now my go-to recipe to take anywhere or to serve dinner guests.
I make this for every holiday and we’ve even had it instead of birthday cake sometimes. It’s delicious.
The perfect cheesecake you’ve been looking for, easy to make, and a gorgeous gift.
Tips:
Make sure you make some room in your freezer for this. You’ll want to cover it with foil as soon as it comes out of the oven and pop it in the freezer for it to set.
Once it is completely frozen (usually overnight), remove the outer part of the spring form pan and then use a metal spatula to get between the bottom piece of the pan and the crust.
It’ll be tough but it’s frozen so just go gently around the whole thing, remembering to put the spatula in all the way to get the crust in the center as well.
Then, easily transfer to a plate, cover with plastic wrap and pop in the fridge until you’re ready to serve this to-die-for Classic Strawberry Nutella Cheesecake!
I usually top mine with fresh strawberries, but you can also try making your own strawberry topping for it.
You know, like the kind you get at Italian restaurants! I make my own homemade Strawberry Jam and it is great for this.
I just don’t let it get as thick as jam to keep some of that strawberry saucy goodness! You can check it out here!
3 simple ingredients, one delicious strawberry topping (or I’m sure you can substitute the strawberries for cherries if that’s your thing!).
What you’ll need to make this:
Equipment:
- Springform pan
- 2 bowls
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- 1 spatula
Grocery list:
- 3 packs of full fat cream cheese
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Unsalted butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Lemon juice
- Vanilla
- Strawberries, chocolate syrup, Nutella, whipped cream (all optional toppings)
If you make this cheesecake, tag me in a photo online. I’d love to see your creation!
Easy Classic Strawberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 5 tablespoons sugar
- 1/3 cup melted butter
Filling:
- 3 8oz full fat cream cheese, softened
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 4 eggs separated
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Topping:
- 1 package of strawberries thinly sliced
- Nutella and/or whipped cream
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Set your 9 inch spring form pan aside. 2. For the crust:
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar until blended well.
- Pour into spring form pan and press up against the sides and on the bottom of the pan. I use a cup or measuring cup to make sure it's pressed well. Set aside.
3. Filling:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until peaks form and it is creamy. Set aside.
- In another bowl of your electric mixer, cream the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the egg whites into the cream cheese mixture and using a spatula, fold until thoroughly combined.
- Carefully pour into spring form pan, being careful not to get over the sides of the crust. Use your spatula to smooth out the top.
- 4. Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes. Then, turn off the oven, and leave the cheesecake in there for another hour with the door closed. 5. Remove from oven and wait a few minutes for it to shrink a little. Cover with foil and pop in the freezer overnight. 6. Once it is frozen, use my tips above to remove it from the pan and place on a pretty dish.
7. To decorate:
- Use the sliced strawberries to create a design. Be creative! My favorite is to just go around the circle starting at the outer edge and working your way in, slightly stacking them.
- Optional: Melt a few tablespoons of Nutella in the microwave until drizzly. If it's too liquid like, let it set again until you can drizzle. Pour in a piping bag (or a ziploc bag with the tip cut off) and drizzle Nutella all over the top.
- Dust with a bit of powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream on the side and you've got a dessert everyone will rave about!
If you enjoyed this Nutella dessert, you are sure to love these as well:
I love love love cheesecake so this is a must make for me. My daughter might fight me for the strawberries though.
Cheesecake is my favourite! I was just looking for a cheesecake recipe – going to try this out tomorrow!
OMG that looks so good. I have never made cheesecake before, but strawberry season IS coming up soon…
This looks delicious! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Thank you! I will be trying this soon!