Strawberries & Cream Cheesecake

Recipe from The Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days

Strawberries & Cream Cheesecake

serves 8-12 

Ingredients:

For the base

220g digestives

100g unsalted butter, melted

½ tsp salt

For the filling

200g strawberries, hulled and chopped

180g caster sugar

600g cream cheese

2 eggs

For the topping

100g mascarpone

20g icing sugar

100ml double cream

100-200g strawberries, halved

     

Method:

1. For the base, crush the digestives with a rolling pin or in a food processor and mix in the butter and salt. Once well combined, press into the bottom of a 20cm (8 inch) springform pan.

2. For the filling, heat the strawberries in a saucepan with 80g of the sugar and 30ml water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook until the strawberries have softened and the liquid has reduced by a half. Set aside and leave to cool.

3. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F/mark 3. Beat together the cream cheese and remaining 100g sugar. Add in the eggs, one at a time and mix in the strawberries and strawberry syrup.

4. Wrap the pan in two layers of foil and sit the pan in a roasting tin filled with boiling water (the height of the water should not exceed the heat of the foil). Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is firm, but the centre slightly wobbly. Leave to cool, then refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

5. For the topping, whip the cream to soft peaks. In a separate bowl, beat together the mascarpone and icing sugar. Fold in the cream and spread the topping over the cheesecake. Refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight. Top with the strawberry halves before serving.