A sweet-tart lemon cheesecake with a beautiful berry swirl - a perfect dessert for a special occasion!
Ingredients
CRUST
1 package Golden Oreos (about 12 oz/340 grams)
¼ cup + 1 Tbsp butter, melted
CHEESECAKE:
500 grams (2 packages) full fat cream cheese, completely softened to room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons heavy cream/whipping cream
⅓ cup sour cream
Zest of two medium lemons
Juice of 2 medium lemons (about ⅓ Cup)
¼ tsp lemon extract (optional)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
STRAWBERRY PUREE:
6-8 oz fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed if frozen
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
WHIPPED CREAM:
1 cup whipping cream
2-3 Tbsp icing sugar/confectioner's sugar
⅛ tsp cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
Instructions
**Make sure your cream cheese is fully at room temperature before starting - 2-3 hours on the counter in a fairly warm kitchen. This is important for the cream cheese to whip up properly. You can take your eggs out at the same time to reach room temperature. Also, allow yourself 3.5 hours to prepare/bake/cool the cheesecake, and consider that it is best chilled overnight in the fridge before serving.
Lightly grease a 9" springform pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
MAKE THE CRUST: Dump the Oreos into a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs. Alternatively, put them in a large freezer bag and smash them with a rolling pin or hammer - more fun, but slightly less effective :) In medium bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Stir in the Oreo crumbs and press the mixture into the prepared pan, fully covering the bottom and going slightly up the sides. Set in the fridge while you prepare the rest.
FOR THE CHEESECAKE: In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese for 3 minutes on medium to high speed, until very creamy. Add granulated sugar and beat on medium for another 3 minutes. Add heavy cream, sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice and lemon extract, if using. Mix until fully combined. Add in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter should be very creamy with no lumps. Pour batter into prepared pan.
STRAWBERRY PUREE: In small food processor or blender, blend together berries and sugar until smooth. Spoon dollops of the strawberry puree on top of the cheesecake batter and pull a knife back and forth through the batter to swirl the dollops around.
Wrap the bottom of the springform pan with a layer of foil, being careful to avoid tears. Do a double layer if you're unsure. Place the foil-wrapped pan onto a large baking sheet or in a large baking pan and fill the larger dish about halfway with water.
Carefully put the pan in the oven and bake for 60-70 minutes. The middle of the cheesecake should jiggle just a little bit, and the rest should look set. Turn the oven off, crack the door open with a wooden spoon to let some heat escape, and let cool in the oven for 1 hour.
Remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature for 1-2 hours. Wrap with plastic wrap and let cool in the fridge overnight, or for at least 6 hours before serving.
Once the cheesecake is chilled, beat whipping cream with icing sugar, cream of tartar, and small pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Transfer to piping bag (I used a 1mm tip) to decorate.
Recipe by Hidden Ponies at https://hiddenponies.com/2020/08/lemon-cheesecake-with-strawberry-swirl/