Strawberry Cheesecake

So it is my desserts phase.. And I experimented making a strawberry cheesecake.

In restaurants and cake shops, it looked & tasted so delicious! I always thought it would be so complicated to make..

I went through a number of recipes online and made my version of this cheesecake. 

It is very easy, yummy and everyone will love you for making it!

This cake hardly took a day to finish. My cousin loved it.. so did my neighbours.. My sister was kinda mad at me because at the end of the day only 2 pieces were left out of which I had one.. hehe.. I promised her to make an entire cake soon!

I have used a lot of ready-made ingredients in this. 

But I am planning to make it from scratch the next time I make it. Ill update this recipe accordingly.

Unlike normal cakes, where we demould by turning it upside down, Cheesecakes cannot be demoulded. For this recipe you need a springform cake tin (6"). I got mine from Arife, Mumbai. Its available accross all  Arife stores.  This will help you cut into pieces as seen outside. 

Alternatively, you can make this in ramekins, dessert glasses or bowls. Just that you cannot demould.

I don't think that is really a problem. In fact you could use this in parties or while hosting dinners. It looks elegant and serves the purpose of many servings too. 

Cutting may get messy!

So here it is then:

Preparation Time: 30 mins. Setting time: 4 hrs min. Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

220 gms cream cheese (1 packet 'Philadelphia' cream cheese)

100 ml whipped cream (unwhipped)

½ cup powdered/castor/icing sugar

1/3 cup (80 gms) salted butter, melted

1 cup digestive biscuits, coarsely crushed ( I used Marie biscuits)

3-5 tbsp of strawberry crush

1 tsp red food colour

For Garnish:

Fresh strawberries, sliced, as required

4 tbsp Strawberry Crush
½ cup water
1 tsp (5gm) agar - agar/ china grass/ vegetarian gelatin, powdered

Method:

1. Crush the biscuits coarsely and place them in your cake mould. Pour in the melted butter and mix it well with your fingers. Now, gently press it into an even layer. Place this in the deep freezer for about 30 mins.

2. In a separate bowl, whip the whipped cream as per packet instructions. Keep in the refrigerator.

3. In another bowl, take the cream cheese and whip it till it looks smooth. About 3-5 mins. 

4. Now add the strawberry crush and whip for about 30 seconds. 

5. Now mix in the sugar. Do not add all since the crush & whipped cream will have its own sugar. Whip for about 30 seconds to a minute. Check for sugar. Add and whip if required. 

6. Now add the colour and whip for about 15 seconds. It may seem a little dark, but we are yet to mix the whipped cream. 

7. Take the whipped cream and gently fold it into this mixture of cream cheese. DO NOT STIR OR WHIP. 

8. Get your mould out from the freezer and pour this mixture on top. Tap it slightly and even out the surface using a palate knife or any flat knife. 

9. Put it back into the freezer for another hour. 

10. After an hour, heat the ½ cup water and dissolve the powdered agar - agar. Stir it continuously while it is hot. Don't let the water cool. Once dissolved, it will resemble a hazy and little thick liquid. Get it off heat. In another bowl, get the desired amount of crush,  and pour this water and china grass mixture into it. Mix it well. Spread this mixture immediately on top of the cheesecake. Move around so it spreads evenly.

* This will ensure that the strawberry crush sets as against my first attempt and picture shown above.

11. Place it back in the refrigerator now for 2 hrs.

12. Now, demould it. Just before serving, garnish it with sliced strawberries.

Cut and enjoy! Remember to share! :)

Notes & Tips:

1. You may put it in the refrigerator instead of freezer. the total duration will increase to 6 hrs. 

2. The crush meant for garnishing, will drip eventually.

 So I made many more cheesecakes after this. And finally figured how to get the crush to set using china grass. I have updated the same above!

Incase, the water and china grass mixture sets before mixing the strawberry crush, do not worry. Heat it again and if required add little water. China grass melts when heated but cools quickly at room temperatures. So one needs to be quick. Yet avoid the possibility of reheating.

Also, ensure, your crush is at room temperature and not from the fridge.

3. This can be replicated for different fruits. So experiment and let me know! I tried with blueberry and fresh strawberries. It works equally good!

4. The butter has to be enough to mix well with the crushed biscuits. So you may reduce the quantity or use a low fat butter too! You will need minimum 4 tbsp of any butter for this recipe.

5.The next time I make it, I plan to make cream cheese at home. I will update it accordingly!