Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake

Recipe By: Devin Judkins

What's up foodies? Are you doing good? Okay, good. Well, today I am sharing my recipe for my all-time favorite dessert, Cheesecake. I really love cheesecake. I could eat it all day, everyday day. When I go to a restaurant and order dessert, you can bet if there is a cheesecake on the menu, I'm going to get it.

Now, my recipe doesn't stray too much from any other cheesecake recipes. This is a baked cheesecake, so you will have to cook it in the oven. Personally, I prefer a baked cheesecake over a no bake cheesecake because of the texture. I love the fluffy yet dense texture that you get from a baked cheesecake versus the creamy texture you get from a no bake cheesecake. I understand that not everyone likes a baked cheesecake, so I will be sharing a no bake cheesecake in the future.

Some people like to use either sour cream or heavy cream in cheesecake recipes. I like to use a combination of them both. It makes for a great texture.

Tip: If you are like me, you've had a problem with your cheesecake crust sticking to the pan. I saw on another website that if you add a piece of parchment paper into the bottom of the pan and then add your crust it will prevent the crust from sticking. I tried this out with this recipe and it works.

Notes:

- You can leave out the strawberry sauce and this makes a great plain cheesecake.

- You don't have to cook the cheesecake in a water bath, but it does help prevent cracks, if you choose not to use the water bath, you won't need the foil around the pan.

Recipe:

Crust:

- 1 1/2 cups cookie or graham cracker crumbs

- 5 tbsp. butter, melted and cooled

- 2 tbsp. sugar

- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

Filling:

- 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

- 1 1/4 cups sugar

- 4 eggs, room temperature

- 1 cup sour cream

- 1/4 cup whipping cream or heavy cream

- 2 tsp. vanilla extract

- 1 tsp. lemon juice (optional)

- 1/4 cup flour

- 1/3 cup strawberry sauce get recipe

- Pot of boiling water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the crust: Butter the bottom and sides of a 10 inch spring form pan and wrap the outside of the pan twice with aluminum foil. Crush the cookie or graham crackers using the food processor or by placing them into a plastic bag and crushing them with a rolling pin or can of vegetables. Place the cookie crumbs into a bowl and add the melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon if you choose and stir until combined. Pour the crust mixture into the pan and press the crust into the bottom of the pan using your hands or a cup until flat and even. Place the crust in the refrigerator while you make the filling. 

For the filling: Beat the cream cheese just until it loosens up a little and then mix in the sugar until all combined. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and mix. Remember to scrape the sides of the bowl. Next, add in the eggs one at a time, mixing only until each egg is combined. Add the heavy cream and sour cream and mix until combined. Add in the flour and mix. After the flour is mixed in, give the bowl a good stir to make sure everything is combined. Pour the batter over the crust and smooth out. Place teaspoons of the strawberry sauce all over the top of the cheesecake. Using a butter knife, make swirls through the batter. Place the cheesecake into a roasting pan and carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting pan. You want enough water to come up about half way of the spring form pan. Bake for 50 minuter or 1 hour and 10 minutes, keeping a check on it. When the cheesecake is done, the outer layer ring of the cheesecake should be firm, but the center should have a little jiggle to it. Let the cheesecake cool completely on the counter (1 1/2 to 2 hours) and then place in the refrigerator for overnight to set.