I will post this in the Recipe Exchange, too. I made this as one of our Christmas dinner desserts and it was a big hit with the family. Everybody really liked it. They are big cheesecake people. This is the second cheesecake I've made from this book and both of them were winners.
Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake (from Junior's 50 Cheesecakes cookbook)
Makes one 9-inch cheesecake, about 2-1/2 inches high
For the Sponge Cake Crust:
1/3 cup sifted cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 extra-large eggs, separated
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 drops pure lemon extract (I didn't use the lemon extract)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
For the Cheesecake:
10 oz. (about 1 cup) dry-pack frozen whole strawberries (unsweetened, not in syrup), thawed & drained well
5 Tablespoons cornstarch
Three 8 oz. packages cream cheese (use only full fat) at room temperature
1-1/3 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs
2/3 cup heavy or whipping cream, plus 1 Tablespoon for brushing
1 quart large ripe fresh strawberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the outside with aluminum foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides.
In a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high for 3 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add 2 Tablespoons of the sugar and beat until thick light yellow ribbons form, about 5 minutes more. Beat in the extracts.
Sift the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in by hand, just until no more white flecks appear. Blend in the melted butter.
For this step, make sure your mixing bowl and beaters are very clean--if even a little fat is left, this can cause the egg whites not to whip. Put the egg whites and cream of tartar into the bowl and beat with the mixer on high until frothy. Gradually add the remaining sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the whites will stand up and look glossy, not dry). Fold about one-third of the whites into the batter, then the remaining whites. Don't worry if you still see a few white specks, as they'll disappear during baking.
Gently spread out the batter over the bottom of the pan, and bake just until set and golden (NOT wet or sticky), about 10 minutes. Touch the cake gently in the center. If it springs back, it's done. Watch carefully and don't let the top brown. Leave the crust in the pan and place on a wire rack to cool. Leave the oven on while you prepare the batter.
Pulse the thawed strawberries in your food processor or blender until smooth (you need 3/4 cup of strawberry puree). Stir in one tablespoon of the cornstarch and set aside. It will thicken slightly as it stands.
Put one package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the remaining 4 Tablespoons of cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl down several times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each one. In crease the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1 cup sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Beat in 2/3 cup of the cream just until completely blended. Do not overmix. Gently spoon the batter on top of the crust.
Using a teaspoon, drop the strawberry puree in small spoonfuls on top of the batter, pushing it down slightly as you go. Using a thin, pointed knife, cut through the batter a few times in a figure-8 design, just until red swirls appear. (Don't mix in the puree completely or the whole cake will turn pink and you'll lose the swirls.)
Place the cake in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the edges are light golden brown and the top is slightly golden tan with strawberry swirls, about 1-1/4 hours. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours. Don't even touch it for the two hours. Leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cold, at least 4 hours. (I put it in the refrigerator overnight.)
Wash and hull fresh strawberries and slice them 1/4-inch thick from top to tip, reserving the biggest, prettiest berry for the center.
To serve, release and remove the sides of the springform pan, leaving the cake on the bottom of the pan. Brush the top outer rim of the cake with the remaining 1 Tablespoon cream (this helps the berries stay in place). Arrange the sliced berries in a ring on top, with tips pointing outward, angling and overlapping the berries as you go. Do not cut with a serrated knife. Use a good sharp knife to slice and wipe the knife with a wet towel after each slice.
Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake (from Junior's 50 Cheesecakes cookbook)
Makes one 9-inch cheesecake, about 2-1/2 inches high
For the Sponge Cake Crust:
1/3 cup sifted cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 extra-large eggs, separated
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 drops pure lemon extract (I didn't use the lemon extract)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
For the Cheesecake:
10 oz. (about 1 cup) dry-pack frozen whole strawberries (unsweetened, not in syrup), thawed & drained well
5 Tablespoons cornstarch
Three 8 oz. packages cream cheese (use only full fat) at room temperature
1-1/3 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs
2/3 cup heavy or whipping cream, plus 1 Tablespoon for brushing
1 quart large ripe fresh strawberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the outside with aluminum foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides.
In a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high for 3 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add 2 Tablespoons of the sugar and beat until thick light yellow ribbons form, about 5 minutes more. Beat in the extracts.
Sift the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in by hand, just until no more white flecks appear. Blend in the melted butter.
For this step, make sure your mixing bowl and beaters are very clean--if even a little fat is left, this can cause the egg whites not to whip. Put the egg whites and cream of tartar into the bowl and beat with the mixer on high until frothy. Gradually add the remaining sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the whites will stand up and look glossy, not dry). Fold about one-third of the whites into the batter, then the remaining whites. Don't worry if you still see a few white specks, as they'll disappear during baking.
Gently spread out the batter over the bottom of the pan, and bake just until set and golden (NOT wet or sticky), about 10 minutes. Touch the cake gently in the center. If it springs back, it's done. Watch carefully and don't let the top brown. Leave the crust in the pan and place on a wire rack to cool. Leave the oven on while you prepare the batter.
Pulse the thawed strawberries in your food processor or blender until smooth (you need 3/4 cup of strawberry puree). Stir in one tablespoon of the cornstarch and set aside. It will thicken slightly as it stands.
Put one package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the remaining 4 Tablespoons of cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl down several times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each one. In crease the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1 cup sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Beat in 2/3 cup of the cream just until completely blended. Do not overmix. Gently spoon the batter on top of the crust.
Using a teaspoon, drop the strawberry puree in small spoonfuls on top of the batter, pushing it down slightly as you go. Using a thin, pointed knife, cut through the batter a few times in a figure-8 design, just until red swirls appear. (Don't mix in the puree completely or the whole cake will turn pink and you'll lose the swirls.)
Place the cake in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the edges are light golden brown and the top is slightly golden tan with strawberry swirls, about 1-1/4 hours. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours. Don't even touch it for the two hours. Leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cold, at least 4 hours. (I put it in the refrigerator overnight.)
Wash and hull fresh strawberries and slice them 1/4-inch thick from top to tip, reserving the biggest, prettiest berry for the center.
To serve, release and remove the sides of the springform pan, leaving the cake on the bottom of the pan. Brush the top outer rim of the cake with the remaining 1 Tablespoon cream (this helps the berries stay in place). Arrange the sliced berries in a ring on top, with tips pointing outward, angling and overlapping the berries as you go. Do not cut with a serrated knife. Use a good sharp knife to slice and wipe the knife with a wet towel after each slice.
