The BEST Strawberry Cheesecake

Zoha Malik

by Zoha Malik

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Rated 5.00 out of 5

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This strawberry cheesecake is pure perfection: my with my perfect, creamy and luscious cheesecake that hundreds of you have tried and loved, this version is topped off with a simple strawberry compote that perfectly complements the flavor and adds a freshness that is much desired in summer months. If there’s one recipe of mine you try this summer, let it be this one!

strawberry cheesecake on a serving stand with strawberry compote and fresh strawberries on top. A slice being taken out revealing creamy interior

What makes my cheesecake the absolute BEST in the world? Well….

  • It is easy and no fuss. There are no fancy ingredients or steps. All you need is precision and patience
  • The flavor is DIVINE. It is perfectly balanced: the cream cheese flavor shines without being over-powering, it isn’t too sweet, and it has a touch of sourness that adds a beautiful freshness
  • The texture is to DIE FOR. Seriously! Most baked cheesecakes have a dry, crumbly and eggy texture which I do not like. But this is a baked cheesecake that feels almost unbaked, without being too heavy. It is ultra creamy, silky smooth, and just melts in your mouth

The freshness, sweetness and tanginess from the strawberry compote works beautifully with the cheesecake. Described in just one word, this strawberry cheesecake is luxurious.

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED

Here’s everything you will need for this strawberry cheesecake (exact quantities are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post).

Cheesecake crust:

  • Graham crackers or wheat digestives
  • Granulated sugar
  • Unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake:

Tip: It is critical to make sure all ingredients are fully at room temperature! Take them out 1-2 hours before you start baking.

  • Full fat cream cheese – I strongly recommend Philadelphia, and try to find the cream cheese which comes in blocks, not tubs! Block cream cheese has a higher percentage of fat which makes the cheesecake much more rich and creamy
  • Sugar – this recipe has been carefully crafted so it is not too sweet, therefore, I don’t recommend reducing the sugar furter
  • Salt
  • Vanilla
  • Eggs
  • Heavy cream
  • Sour cream – if you don’t have access to store bought sour cream, you can make your own. See FAQs below for more details
  • Cornstarch (or corn flour depending on where you live)
  • Lemon juice

Strawberry compote:

  • Fresh strawberries, quartered or cut into large chunks
  • Sugar
  • Lemon juice
  • Cornstarch
strawberry cheesecake with strawberry compote on a white marble serving stand
a slice of strawberry cheesecake on a small round plate, cheesecake is covered with a strawberry compote and has a creamy center

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE

Let’s walk through the steps to make this incredible strawberry cheesecake. I strongly suggest reading my blog post on making the best cheesecake, too, as I have shared many tips and tricks in it.

1. Bake the crust

Preheat the oven to 350F (conventional) and prep a 9″ springform pan by brushing butter or nonstick oil spray on the bottom.

Blitz graham crackers, sugar and melted butter in a food processor until a fine crumb is formed. I like to first pulse with just the graham crackers as it ensures they are properly grinded.

Press the crust into the pan very tightly, using a spoon and / or a measuring cup. I like to take a thin layer of crust up the sides of the pan, too, but you can keep it all on the bottom for a thicker crust. The tighter you pack the crust, the crispier it will be.

Bake the crust for just 8-10 minutes, then let it cool down.

cheesecake crust ingredients in a springform pan, a hand is pressing the crust down with a spoon
cheesecake crust packed tightly and evenly on the bottom of a 9" springform pan

2. Prepare the cheesecake batter

Turn down the oven temperature to 325F. Make sure all ingredients are fully at room temperature.

Add the cream cheese to the bowl of your stand mixer, and use the paddle attachment to mix it on medium speed until it looks creamy. Scrape the edges and bottom of the bowl and mix again. Add the sugar and whip for 3-5 minutes until the sugar is dissolved.

close up of a spatula with cream cheese and sugar mixture on it to show how smooth it is

This point forward, it is important not to overmix the batter. We want to minimize how much air is added to the batter, as we want it to be creamy, not airy. Break the eggs in a separate bowl and lightly whisk them. Add to the batter in 2 additions, and mix until just combined. Then add the remaining ingredients, making sure you sift the cornstarch, and whisk until just combined. Scrape the bowl again to ensure everything is well combined.

close up of smooth, thick and creamy cheesecake batter in a bowl

3. Bake the cheesecake

Boil 2-3 cups of water. Take 2-3 large sheets of aluminum foil, and wrap them tightly outside the pan with the baked crust (only on the bottom and edges, not the top). I like to overlap the sheets in different directions to help ensure water cannot get into the pan.

Pour the batter into the pan, and tap it on your counter 30-40 times to encourage any large air bubbles to escape. You can also use a skewer or toothpick to get rid of air bubbles.

cheesecake batter being poured into a springform pan with baked crust inside
cheesecake batter in a springform pan, being tapped to get rid of air bubbles

Place a larger pan in your oven (10″ or more) and carefully pour in the boiling water so you have 1-2″ of water. Place the cheesecake pan inside this pan, and close the oven door.

Bake for 75-80 minutes depending on how creamy vs set you want your cheesecake to be. Do not open the oven door during baking. At the 75 minute mark, open the oven door and gently shake the pan to see how jiggly the cheesecake is. The sides should be firm but the center should be quite jiggly.

Carefully remove from the oven and rest at room temperature for 2-3 hours. The cheesecake should become flat during this time. Then transfer to the fridge (uncovered) and chill overnight.

Tip: It is critical to refrigerate the cheesecake overnight, otherwise it will leak everywhere and will not be set.

4. Make the strawberry compote

The next day, remove the cheesecake from the pan and transfer to a serving stand.

To make the strawberry compote, mix all the ingredients in a nonstick sauce pan and cook for 5-7 minutes on medium low heat until a thick and saucy compote forms. It will thicken more as it cools. Let cool completely.

When ready to serve, pour the compote onto the cheesecake, and decorate with fresh strawberries. Serve, and enjoy!!

Tip: You can replace the strawberries with any berry of your liking!

close up of strawberry cheesecake on a serving stand. golden crust, creamy cheesecake, strawberry compote and fresh strawberries
slice of cheesecake on a small plate with a fork taking a bite. cheesecake has a very creamy texture and is covered with a saucy strawberry compote

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is a substitute for sour cream?

If you don’t have access to store-bought sour cream, I highly recommend making sour cream at home. You have to prepare it 12-24 hours in advance. Mix 1 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup milk and 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar in an airtight container or mason jar. Cover and rest at room temperature overnight or up to 1 day. Then mix again, and your sour cream is ready! Excess can be stored in the fridge.

I don’t have graham crackers, what can I use instead?

You can use wheat digestive biscuits instead of graham crackers.

Can I prepare this cheesecake ahead of time?

Yes! This cheesecake keeps well in the refrigerator for several days. I recommend saving the strawberry compote for the end though, as the strawberries become softer over time and the compote releases more water.

Can cheesecake be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze the cheesecake without the compote, and defrost is overnight in the fridge before eating.

Can I halve this recipe?

Yes. You can halve all the quantities and bake the cheesecake in a 9″ pan for ~45-50 minutes (for a thinner cheesecake), or in a 6-7″ pan. I am not sure about the exact baking time for the 6-7″ pan.

If you enjoy this strawberry cheesecake recipe, I also suggest checking out the following:

Print
strawberry cheesecake on a serving stand with strawberry compote and fresh strawberries on top. A slice being taken out revealing creamy interior

The Best Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe

by Zoha Malik

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 stars from 12 reviews

This strawberry cheesecake is pure perfection: my with my perfect, creamy and luscious cheesecake that hundreds of you have tried and loved, this version is topped off with a simple strawberry compote that perfectly complements the flavor and adds a freshness that is much desired in summer months. If there’s one recipe of mine you try this summer, let it be this one!

Yield:12 servings

Prep Time:
1 hr
Cook Time:
75 mins
Chilling Time:
12 hrs
Total Time:
14 hrs

Ingredients

Cheesecake Crust:

  • 190g graham crackers
  • 35g sugar (about 3 tbsp)
  • 75g melted unsalted butter (about 5 tbsp)

Cheesecake Batter:

  • 32 oz full-fat cream cheese (4 8oz blocks), at room temperature
  • 325g granulated sugar (1 ½ cups)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 120g heavy cream (½ cup), room temperature
  • 240g sour cream (1 cup), room temperature
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2–3 tablespoon lemon juice

Strawberry compote:

  • 1 lb strawberries, roughly chopped in large chunks
  • 55g sugar (1/4 cup)
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • Fresh strawberries for decoration (optional)

Instructions

Cheesecake:

  1. Bring all ingredients to room temp 
  2. Preheat oven to 350F (conventional)
  3. Grind your Graham crackers, sugar and butter in a food processor until really smooth
  4. Butter the bottom of a 9” springform pan and add the crust ingredients. Pack very tightly using a measuring cup. You can push a little up the edges. Bake the crust for 8 min, then set oven temp to 325F
  5. For the cheesecake batter, first cream the cream cheese for 2-3 min until creamy. Keep scraping the sides of the bowl to ensure everything combines evenly. Add the sugar and mix again for 3-5 min until well combined
  6. Break your eggs in a separate bowl and whisk lightly. Don’t overbeat because if the eggs get airy they will give a spongy texture to the cheesecake. Add them to the batter slowly and mix at a low speed until JUST combined
  7. Add the cream, sour cream, lemon juice, salt, vanilla and cornstarch and mix at low speed until just combined. Keep scraping sides of the bowl
  8. Pour the batter into the crust. Seal your pan tightly with aluminum foil on the outside (not on the top)
  9. Place a large tray in your oven and fill it with 1-2 inches of boiling water. Place the pan in the water and bake for about 75-80 min. Don’t open the oven. When done, the cheesecake should have firm edges but be very jiggly inside
  10. Cool at room temp for 2-3 hours. After this, place in the fridge and chill overnight

Strawberry Compote: 

  1. Mix the strawberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice in a nonstick saucepan. Stir and cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes until the mixture becomes saucy and thick (it will thicken up more as it cools). If you like compote to be very soft, you can cook for longer. If you want the strawberries to have a bite, you can cook for less time. Let the compote cool down fully
  2. Transfer the cooled cheesecake to a serving stand, and cover with the strawberry compote
  3. Decorate with fresh strawberries, serve, and enjoy!

Video Tutorial

Notes

  • Use full-fat ingredients for best results
  • If graham crackers aren’t available where you live, look for wheat digestive biscuits
  • Make sure to use a tight springform pan to ensure water doesn’t leak in. You can also use a water bath pan that is made for cheesecakes!
  • Make sure you let your cheesecake fully cool down overnight before serving – otherwise it won’t be set and the texture will not be ideal
  • You can replace the strawberries with other berries of choice, too

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Comments

  1. Deb

    Please transfer this into american english for all the ingredients

    1. Zoha Malik

      I’m not sure what you mean, Deb, everything is written for american ingredients

  2. Sudishni

    I tried this recipe yesterday but with mango as a topping, it came out so good. Absolutely perfect!!!

    1. Zoha

      Yay, that sounds divine!

  3. Hope

    Hello!
    I would like to make this, but in a 7” spring-form pan. Would you be able to share with me the adjusted cooking time and or temperature for the smaller cake size? Thank you

    1. Bushra

      I’m making a strawberry cheesecake. If I make half the recipe, will the baking time be about 45 minutes instead of 70–80 minutes? Is that correct?” 😊

      1. Zoha

        Hi Bushra! Depends, what size pan are you using?

    2. Bushra

      Hi Zoha , I’m making a strawberry cheesecake. If I make half the recipe, will the baking time be about 45 minutes instead of 70–80 minutes? Is that correct?” 😊

  4. Daria

    Hi Zoha,

    If I wanted to add cherries instead of strawberries, would you recommend I use canned ones and just add on top or cook them the same way you did with the strawberries?

    1. Zoha

      Hi Daria! Since I haven’t tried this myself I can’t recommend it; I think strawberries have higher water content than cherries so won’t be the same

  5. Eleni

    This recipe looks fabulous! Is it okay to keep it in the fridge for 3 days before serving?

    1. Zoha

      Yes, but make the strawberry compote fresh! The cheesecake itself can be refrigerated but the berries will become too soggy.

  6. Nadi

    Best ccheesecake for sure ♥️ Thank you Zoha !!

    1. Zoha

      Thank you Nadi!

  7. Craig

    Delicious, second time making comes out great every time. This last time i added mint and spiced rum to the strawberries 🍓 yummy 🤤

  8. KELLY GARDNER

    BEST cheesecake ever! I made this fory brothers Bday and it was a big hit! your instructions were perfect, I followed it to a T and no issues! I was nervous about baking it in a boiling bath as this was completely new to me, but easy peazy! (i will have to say, don’t skimp on.a better cream cheese. even though everyone said they loved it, I feel it had a slightly odd taste as the very end and I think it was my cream.chz. it doesn’t pas to be cheap, ha ha!!! will definitely make again!!

  9. Nina

    THE BEST CHEESECAKE HANDS DOWN! Let’s just say I made it for my husband’s birthday and it was a hit. Everyone LOVED it. We will for sure continue to keep making it! 🙂

  10. BONNIE GAY

    This was the best cheese cake that I have ever eaten

  11. Sandy

    Hello Zoha ! I made the strawberry cheesecake yesterday and it was phenomenal
    We had company today and they absolutely loved it. I learned a lot from your techniques and it made such a huge difference. Thank you for your thorough explanations and details in your recipe.

  12. Lili

    INSANE!!!!!!!! i tried it and all my family loved it!!!! They even asked my to do it again the week after (never happened with me before hahaha). Thank you dear for your excellent work

    1. Zoha

      Thank YOU for trusting and trying my recipe!

  13. Fareha

    Can you sub monk fruit for sugar?sub monk fruit sweetener for sugar?

  14. Holly

    can this be baked in a 10″ springform pan,how long would you bake it? I’ve made this several times in 9″ pan ,and it’s delicious

    1. Zoha

      I think it should be quite similar in a 10″ pan! 🙂 Maybe lean on the lower end of the baking time range

  15. Matthew

    This is my first they using your recipe, I am in awe of how great this cheesecake looks! it looks amazing and I used 8in tin round pans and it made 2 cheesecakes. No difference in quality too, awesome! I just had one question about the lemon juice in the compote: what is the 1/2 lemon juice part? 1/2 teaspoon, table spoon or half a lemon? I was confused so I added 1 tablespoon to amount about 1/ 2 lemon juice from a fresh lemon… I think messed up.

    1. Matthew

      This is my first time* using your recipe, I am in awe of how great this cheesecake looks! it looks amazing and I used 8in tin round pans and it made 2 cheesecakes. No difference in quality too, awesome! I just had one question about the lemon juice in the compote: what is the 1/2 lemon juice part? 1/2 teaspoon, table spoon or half a lemon? I was confused so I added 1 tablespoon to amount about 1/ 2 lemon juice from a fresh lemon… I think messed up.

      1. Zainab

        I made this cheesecake with no prior experience in baking and was soo scared to make it but the cake turned out soooo good,loved it plus the instructions were very precise and detailed so I had no issue during the whole process,thankyouuu for the recipe.

      2. Zoha

        Hi Matthew! Really glad you liked the recipe. And that confusion is totally my fault – I meant to write juice of 1/2 lemon 🙂 I will correct that now.

  16. Iram Shahzadi

    Omg looks so good! Kudos to you for creating these amazing recipes and putting them here. I am sure it takes so much time and effort and I wanted to be able to promote them. Not like one comment from my end will make a huge difference but at least will be a needle in the ocean! Good luck. ♥️

    1. Zoha

      Aww, thank you SO much! one comment from you does make a huge difference, so thank you for your support and encouragement <3

  17. Mark

    I”m irritated. What temp do you bake it at?

    1. Zoha

      325F. It is clearly stated in bullet point #4 under instructions in the recipe

  18. Denise

    I love your chocolate cheesecake and make if for family and friends all the time. Plates are licked clean.
    How could I make this a lemon cheesecake? What do you recommend?
    Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes

    1. Zoha

      Thank you Denise! You can turn this into a lemon cheesecake by adding more lemon juice to the cheesecake mix, adding lemon zest to the crust, and topping the cheesecake with a lemon curd after it’s baked and set 🙂

  19. Judy

    I have made this recipe 3 times now, turns out perfect every time. I had a smaller springform pan so I used 3 cream cheese instead of 4 and adjusted the other ingredients. “It is sooo good, this is soooo good, mmmmm soo good” are the comments I hear while 5 of us are enjoying it. The filling is so creamy, I have used strawberries twice and raspberries with blueberries just this weekend. I have never attempted cheesecake before and I am 67. Thank you so much!

    1. Zoha

      Judy, you have no idea how much this means to me!!! I agree that this cheesecake leaves everyone completely in love, and it makes me so happy that others are also getting to experience it because of you 🙂 Thank you for trying the recipe and taking the time to leave a review. <3

      1. SHARON

        This recipe is a keeper, so easy, and the cheesecake came out perfectly. Definitely a 10/10. Creamy and delicious!

        1. Zoha Malik

          yay – thank you Sharon!

  20. Anis Akhtar

    Thanks for sharing the amazing Strawberry Cheese Cake receipe. I love strawberries so will attempt to make it soon In sha Allah.

    1. Amina

      Hi Zoha! Firstly, I’m such a huge fan of your lovely recipes – much love and admiration for all the knowledge you share. I’ve made this cheesecake recipe 3 times now and once it was absolute perfection, crispy crust and moist creamy centre. The other 2 times, although I triple wrapped the tin up to the top of the sides in tin foil and was careful not to get water in, somehow when I took the pan out of the foil, it was moist .. and then became SO difficult to slide off the bottom of the pan onto the cake dish to serve! I have no idea what I did wrong that the water got in- if this does happen again, do you have any tricks to make it easier to release the cheesecake so it slides out of the pan a little easier? Thank you! Much love ❤️

      1. Zoha

        Hi Amina! Sometimes that water isn’t leaking in, it’s condensating and collecting inside the foil, if that makes sense. Was the crust soft or fine? To remove the cheesecake easily I recommend using parchment paper. If you check out my Best new york cheesecake post, you will find pictures of how i line my pan with parchment 🙂

    2. Zoha

      Best of luck!

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