Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake
A creamy strawberry-swirled cheesecake with a chocolate graham crust, sliced and topped with a whole chocolate covered strawberry and a drizzle of ganache.
- Prep Time
- 30 min
- Cook Time
- 1 hr 15 min
- Total Time
- 1 hr 45 min
- Servings
- 12 servings
Chocolate covered strawberries are one of my favorite sweet party appetizers — watching people's eyes light up as they reach for one, then go quiet and slow down while they savor the bite, is basically a spectator sport. Turning that combination into a cheesecake felt inevitable.
While I was working on my first cheesecake cookbook, my neighbor let me borrow her kitchen for the cover photo. Once everything was set up, one of my editors asked what cheesecake was on the cover so she could reference the page number. "Oh — that one's actually going in the next book," I admitted. Oops.
For this one, I pureed fresh strawberries right into the batter for fruity flavor without the chunks, and added a touch of red food coloring so it reads as strawberry rather than pale pink. Both are entirely optional — leave the coloring out, or fold in a cup of chopped fresh strawberries if you want more texture.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 1/4 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 5 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling
- 3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup frozen sliced strawberries, thawed
- 3 eggs
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp. red food coloring (optional)
For the Topping
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Fresh strawberries
- Dark chocolate melting wafers
Instructions
- 1Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Double-wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, and place it inside a 12-inch cake pan.
- 2Toss the chocolate graham cracker crumbs and 2 tablespoons of sugar together in a small bowl, then mix in the melted butter with your hands until combined. Press evenly into the bottom of the springform pan and bake for 7 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- 3In a standing mixer, beat 8 oz. of the cream cheese, the cornstarch, and 2/3 cup sugar with the paddle attachment until smooth. Add another 8 oz. cream cheese with 1/3 cup sugar, beat until smooth, then add the remaining cream cheese and sugar and beat again.
- 4Slow the mixer to stirring speed, add the vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides between each addition.
- 5In a blender, puree the thawed strawberries and 1/2 cup heavy cream until smooth. With the mixer on stirring speed, slowly add the strawberry puree just until mixed in (don't overmix). Spoon the batter over the crust and smooth into an even layer.
- 6Pour warm water into the larger cake pan to create a water bath at least 1 inch up the side of the springform pan (this prevents cracking). Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes, until lightly browned on top.
- 7Remove the pans from the oven, pull the springform pan out of the water bath, and cool on a rack for about 4 hours. Remove the foil, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight to set.
- 8Unmold the cheesecake onto a serving plate. Melt the dark chocolate melting wafers in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth. Dip whole strawberries three-quarters of the way into the chocolate and set on parchment paper to harden.
- 9Heat the remaining heavy cream until it starts to boil, then pour over the semisweet chocolate chips and whisk into a smooth ganache. Chill for about 30 minutes to firm up slightly.
- 10Slice the cheesecake with a sharp, straight-edged knife, wiping the blade between cuts. Drizzle each slice with chocolate ganache and top with a chocolate covered strawberry before serving.
Tips
- If you want a more intensely red, fruity cheesecake, stir in 1 cup of fresh strawberries cut into bite-size pieces along with the puree.
Storage & Reheating
Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, or in the freezer for 1 month.
