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5 Comments There is something so satisfying about a really good cheesecake. And this strawberry cheesecake recipe definitely does not disappoint. It is a baked cheesecake and it has a lovely hint of lime inside. Absolutely perfect for strawberry season.
Table of contents
It took me a while before I fell in love with baked cheesecake. Here in the Netherlands a no bake cheesecake was more common to make especially at birthday parties and the like. This no bake cherry cheesecake is a good example of the things we tend to make here. But I fell in love with baked cheesecakes when I made my very first New York cheesecake during a Daring Bakers contest ages ago. Turns out I had never really had a good cheesecake before! This strawberry lime cheesecake uses loads of fresh strawberries both in the cheesecake filling as well as in the strawberry topping.
What you need to make the cheesecake
Now making this delicious cheesecake is not complicated. You need the following ingredients:
- biscuits for the bottom – you can use graham cracker crumbs or any other cookie you like
- unsalted butter
- cream cheese – use room-temperature cream cheese
- eggs – I used medium size eggs
- sugar
- strawberries
- lime juice and lime zest – can be replaced with either lemon juice and lemon zest if you want
- whipped cream – for serving
- cinnamon
- star anis
In addition it helps if you have a food processor or an electric mixer.
Steps to make the strawberry cheesecake
Once you have gathered the ingredients it always helps to make sure all is at room temperature before you proceed to make the cheesecake. I baked mine in a 20 cm square tin lined with parchment paper.
First step is to prepare the bottom of the cheesecake. For that you place the graham crackers (if using) into the bowl of a food processor and mix them into fine crumbs. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and mix the butter through the crumbs. Once that is done add to the tin and press down firmly. Set in the fridge for about half an hour while you prepare the batter.
Preparing the strawberry coulis
A coulis is just a fancy name of pureed fresh strawberries. In this case I clean the strawberries, add sugar, cinnamon and star anise in a small pan and bring it to the boil. Let is simmer on low to medium heat until the strawberries are soft and start to fall apart. You can break them down further by pressing with a fork, or you can leave little bits in the coulis for best results. Let it cool down.
Preparing the cheesecake batter
Now for the batter it is best to use a firm cream cheese. I used Philadelphia but it depends on where you live which brands are available. Mix the cream cheese with the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and add the eggs one by one. Add some lime zest here as well. Now add the cooled down coulis into the cream cheese and using a rubber spatula briefly mix it in. It’s ok if it is still a bit chunky and uneven. That will look better once baked.
Baking the cheesecake
Now once you’ve done all that it is time to bake the cheesecake. Pour batter into the prepared cheesecake pan and smooth the top. First bake strawberry cheesecake at a150˚C/300˚F for about an hour or until the top of the cheesecake is still wobbly but starts to firm up. Now open the oven door a little bit (placing a wooden spoon between door and oven is a good way to keep it open a crack.) and turn the oven temperature off. Let it sit in the oven for another hour before taking it out and letting it cool down completely on a wire rack and once cool enough place it in the fridge.
Frequently asked questions on making a strawberry lime cheesecake
I have baked cheesecakes both with and without a water bath but I haven’t found there was any difference. The idea of a water bath is to place the cheesecake tin inside a larger container with hot water which would come halfway up the sides of the pan. It should – theoretically – prevent the cheesecake from cracking. I’ve not found it makes a huge difference. So I don’t use it. If you want to use it, the best way is to place a pan with hot water at the bottom of the oven below the actual cheesecake.
My friend Laura has more useful tips on how to make the perfect cheesecake.
Once it has cracked, there is not much you can do. The flavor and taste will still be the same. So just cover it up with whipped cream or extra fresh fruit and you’re good to go. Many cheesecake recipes have a topping anyway.
There are a couple of reasons why a cheesecake can crack. One is to over whip the batter. Too much air bubbles might cause the cheesecake to crack. Another reason could be a sudden drop in temperature. This is also why you leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven first before taking it out.
You can store the strawberry cheesecake for 2-3 days in the fridge. It’s best to leave the topping off until you’re ready to serve. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap or save in an airtight container.
More cheesecake recipes to try!
- No bake cherry cheesecake
- Ferrero rocher cheesecake
- Vegan cheesecake
- Pumpkin cheesecake with burned marshmallows
Strawberry lime cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 220 gr graham cracker biscuits or other cookies you like
- 100 gr unsalted butter
Cheesecake batter
- 600 gr cream cheese I used Philadelphia
- 2 eggs
- 180 gr sugar
- 200 gr strawberries
- 30 ml lime juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anis
- lime zest of 1 lime
Topping
- 200 gr strawberries plus some extra for decorating
- zest of 1 lime
- 50 gr sugar
- 100 ml whipping cream + a bit of sugar for sweetening
How to make the strawberry cheesecake
- Start by preparing the strawberries. Clean them and put into a small saucepan. Add 80 gr/2.8 oz of the sugar, 30 ml (2 tbsp) of lime juice, one cinnamon stick and one star anis and bring the mixture to the bowl. Turn down the heat and let it simmer for a while until the strawberries are soft and half of the liquid has dissolved a bit. Turn of the heat and leave to cool completely before using.
- Crumble your biscuits in a food processor and put them in a bowl. Add the melted butter to it and mix everything together.
- Preheat your oven to 150˚C/350˚F
- Prepare your baking tin by putting a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom. Press your crumbled biscuits down to the bottom using a spoon. Put the tin into the fridge for about 20 mins to half an hour to set.
- Prepare your filling by putting the cream cheese plus the remaining 100 gr of sugar into a mixing bowl and either using a stand mixer or a hand mixer mix until smooth. Add the eggs one at the time and mix everything well in between. Add some lime zest to your cream cheese at this point to enhance the lime flavor. Spoon in the cooled down strawberry mixture (don't forget to remove your cinnamon stick and star anis!)
- Mix the strawberries through the cream cheese but don't mix it completely so you have some streaks of white and pink happening in the mixture. Tip your batter into the prepared tin and fill to about 2/3 of the tin.
- Bake your cheesecake for about 45 minutes. The top of the cheesecake should be firm but the middle will still be a bit wobbly. It’s a bit hard to describe what to look for but the top should appear a bit dry. Turn the oven off and leave to cool the cake in the oven for another hour or so.
- Remove the cake from the oven once cooled down and leave to cool down further in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours before cutting.
Topping
- To prepare your topping put the strawberries in a blender or stickblender and puree with the sugar and zest. Whip the cream with a bit of sugar until you have soft peaks.
- Shortly before serving spread the whipping cream on top of the cheesecake and decorate with the remaining strawberries. Sprinkle a tiny bit of ground cinnamon on top (optional) and serve with the raspberry coulis.
Notes
- Water bath needed? Not necessary. If desired, place a pan of hot water at the bottom of the oven.
- Cheesecake cracked? No fix, but cover with whipped cream or fruit—still delicious!
- Why did it crack? Likely due to overwhipping or a sudden temperature drop. Cool in the oven first.
- Storage? 2-3 days in the fridge; add topping just before serving. Keep covered.
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
I made this delectable strawberry lime cheesecake & loved it so much!
So good & freaking delicious too, dear Simone! xxx
This cheesecake looks amazing! I love the addition of strawberries. Your photos and blog are gorgeous!
Pinning!
Thanks so much Abbie!
it looks lovely!
Thanks Dina!