STRAWBERRY SWIRL CHEESECAKE

By jarren

Ingredients

• Strawberry Swirl:
• 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3 , 250 gm packages of cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 4 eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 cup quartered hulled strawberries
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp flour
• Topping:
• 2 cups quartered hulled strawberries
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Details

Servings 16

Preparation

Step 1

Strawberry Swirl: In blender, puree together strawberries, sugar and lemon juice; stir in flour. Set aside.

In bowl, stir crumbs with butter until moistened; press into lightly greased 9: spring-form pan. Centre pan on large square of heavy-duty foil; press foil up side of pan, scrunching to hold in place. Bake at 325F oven until set; about 10 minutes. Let cool.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth. Beat in sour cream and lemon zest. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, just until blended. Pour all but 1/2 cup over crust. Gently tap pan on counter to smooth top and release any air bubbles.

Stir remaining cheese mixture with strawberry mixture. Push spoonfuls of strawberry mixture randomly and deeply into batter, dragging spoon slightly so mixture sinks into well left by spoon. Using skewer or tip of thin knife, gently swirl colours together to create marble effect. Gently tap pan on counter.

Set spring-form pan in larger pan; pour in enough hot water to come 1" up sides. Bake in 300F oven until shine disappears, edge is set, yet centre still jiggles, 55 to 60 minutes.
Immediately run knife around edge of cake. Let cool in pan in water for 15 minutes. Transfer spring-form pan to rack; let cool completely. Remove foil and cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

Topping: Meanwhile, toss together strawberries, sugar and lemon juice; refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve with cheesecake.