American
Strawberry Cheesecake
A graham crust, a baked cream-cheese filling, and a fresh strawberry topping. Pull the cake when the center reads 160°F and still jiggles, then chill it.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 5 min
- Total
- 1 hr 30 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Medium
Why you’ll love it
- Overbeating the eggs makes the cake puff and crack.
- 160°F in the center is the safe, just-set point.
- It has to chill at least 4 hours or the slice will not hold.
- The strawberry topping goes on after the cake is cold.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 325°F. Stir the crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and melted butter. Press into a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 8 minutes.
- 2
Beat the cream cheese and 1 cup sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and sour cream. Stop as soon as it is combined.
- 3
Pour the filling over the crust. Set a roasting pan of hot water on the rack below the cake. Bake 55 to 70 minutes, until the edge is set and the center reads 160°F and still jiggles slightly.
- 4
Turn the oven off and crack the door. Cool the cake in the oven 1 hour. Then cool completely and chill at least 4 hours.
- 5
Stir the strawberries with 1/4 cup sugar and the lemon juice. Mix the cornstarch with the water, add it, and simmer 2 minutes until glossy. Cool completely. Spoon over the chilled cake.
Pro tips
- Cold cream cheese lumps. Leave it out until it yields to a finger.
- A water pan under the cake, not a full water bath, is enough to limit cracks.
- Run a knife around the edge before you release the springform.
Easy substitutions
- strawberries
- a mixed berry topping
- graham crackers
- digestive biscuits
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate, covered, up to 4 days. Do not freeze the topped cake if you want a clean slice.
Reheating
Serve cold. Do not heat.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 410
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
Moderate · Oven
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