Basic Cheesecake Recipe with Strawberry Topping (2024)

Homemade Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe

A few weeks ago I made homemade cheesecake for a dinner we were having with friends and it was a HUGE hit! Everyone loved it.

It was pretty easy to make too. You just have to plan ahead so the cheesecake can bake for an hour and cool sufficiently before topping and serving. I baked my cheesecake the night before to give it plenty of time to cool.

Keep in mind that this is a basic cheesecake recipe and you can top it with pretty much anything you like. So if strawberries are not your thing you can use another berry, chocolate, caramel, whipped topping, or anything you like.

Crushing the Graham Crackers

Crushing graham crackers can be really easy with this simple tip: Place graham crackers in a Ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin. I always use my pastry pin which I love!

Baking the Crust

In a bowl, mix together your graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter and press the mixture into the bottom of a springform pan. I use a Nordic Ware Springform Pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350º. Let cool.

Making the Cheesecake Batter

1. Mix together softened cream cheese.
2. Gradually beat in 1 cup of sugar until fluffy.
3. Add vanilla and lemon peel if desired.
4. Beat in 3 eggs one at a time.
5. Pour over crumb mixture.
6. Bake at 300° until center is firm, about 1 hour.
7. Cool at room temperature.
8. Refrigerate at least 3 hours.

(Optional) Topping the Cheesecake with Strawberries

After refrigerating your cheesecake, top it with strawberries. Cut the berries in the size that you desire. I cut mine in half or thirds depending on the berry size.

During this stage, you could also top your cheesecake with any other topping you desire.

(Optional) Making the Gelatin Berry Topping

1. In a saucepan, mix together sugar and corn starch, until well blended.
2. Add boiling water, and cook over medium heat until mixture thickens.
3. Remove from heat.
4. Add gelatin mix, and stir until smooth.
5. Let mixture cool to room temperature.

Once the gelatin mixture is ready, pour it over strawberries until well covered and beautiful. Let cool until set.

Cheesecake Serving Tips

It is a good idea to loosen the sides on the cheesecake in your springform pan before removing the sides of the pan for serving. Then you can cut and serve it to your friends, family, or even just yourself. Yum-O!

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