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Classic Strawberry Cheesecake

Adapted from Bon Appetite's famous cheesecake recipe, this recipe has been a favorite of our family for years. Very simple to make. The only difficult aspect of this recipe is the amount of time! I've broken it down into 5 easy steps.
Servings 12 -16 servings
Author Si Foster, A Bountiful Kitchen

Ingredients

  • Crust:
  • 18 whole graham crackers broken
  • 1/2 cup room temperature unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup packed golden brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon optional
  • Filling:
  • 4 8- ounce packages cream cheese room temperature (temperature very important)
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 5 large eggs room temperature is best, but not required
  • Topping
  • 2 cups sour cream not low fat
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
  • Topping:
  • 2 16- ounce baskets strawberries washed, leaves removed and patted dry
  • 1/3 cup seedless jelly: raspberry strawberry, currant anything with a red color is best

Instructions

  1. Crust
  2. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Wrap foil around outside of 10-inch-diameter Springform pan with 3-inch-high sides. Combine graham crackers, butter and sugar in food processor.
  3. Pulse and blend until crumbs begin to stick together. Press crumbs onto bottom and 2-3 inches up sides of springform pan.
  4. Bake crust 10 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool while preparing filling.
  5. Leave oven on to 350 degrees.
  6. Filling (make while crust bakes)
  7. Beat room temp cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla (or almond) and salt in large bowl until very smooth.
  8. Beat in flour.
  9. Add eggs and beat just until blended, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Make sure to scrape down sides and bottom of bowl so all of the cream cheese is incorporated!
  10. Pour smooth batter into crust.
  11. Bake cheesecake until outer 2-inch edge of cake is puffed and slightly cracked.
  12. The center should be set and top is brown in spots, about 55 minutes. The cheesecake will should not be liquid in the center. It should be set and a toothpick inserted with come out with a bit of filling attached.The cheesecake may jiggle a bit still. It will continue to cook while cooling and will firm up in fridge.
  13. Transfer cheesecake to cooling rack. Let sit in pan. Cool 10 minutes.
  14. Leave oven on.
  15. Make topping while cheesecake is baking:
  16. Whisk sour cream, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl to blend until smooth. After cheesecake has cooled 10 minutes, spoon topping over cake, spreading to edge of pan.
  17. Bake until topping is just set, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Run butter knife between crust and pan while the cheesecake is still warm.
  18. Cool hot cheesecake in pan on rack, Chill overnight in refrigerator.
  19. On day of serving:
  20. Release pan sides from cheesecake. Arrange whole berries, bottoms up on cheesecake.
  21. Completely cover the top of desert with berries.
  22. Stir jelly in heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted, or microwave.
  23. Cool to barely lukewarm, about 5 minutes.
  24. Brush jelly over berries to glaze generously, allowing some to drip between berries if desired. Reserve remaining glaze in saucepan to serve with dessert.
  25. Cheesecake and glaze can be prepared 6 hours ahead.
  26. Cover cake and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe Notes

-The berries should be as uniform in size as possible. Without any green tips. Cutting the green tips off really doesn’t work, because the tips are exposed.
-It is very important for the cream cheese to be at room temperature before mixing. If not, the batter will have lumps which will appear in your cheesecake.
-I haven't used low fat sour cream or low fat cream cheese in this recipe, but would love to know if you try it!
-The crust may be made up to a week before and stored covered in refrigerator (not necessary) or on counter top.
-Make sure to wash and thoroughly drain the strawberries before placing on top of cheesecake. I don't recommend topping the cheesecake more than 6 hours prior to serving.
-You may double the sauce (jelly) on top of the cheesecake and allow it to drip on the sides and or serve the extra sauce with the cheesecake. I'm not a huge fan of a lot of sauce, just berries with a small amount of sauce on this dessert is my favorite way to enjoy!