Meet Your New Valentine: A Chocolate-Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe
This Valentine's Day, express your love in the sweetest way possible.
This chocolate-strawberry cheesecake from Pastry & Baking Arts Chef-Instructor Chelsea Burgess is perfect for gifting, sharing or leaving on the doorstep of your secret crush.
Inspired by the timeless romance of a chocolate-covered strawberry, Chef Chelsea considers this cheesecake a step above the classic confection. “The recipe is beginner-friendly and the perfect Valentine’s Day treat,” she says.
The cake gets its dreamy pink hue from freeze-dried raspberries.
“Raspberries provide a punch of flavor and a bit more acidity than strawberries, which complements the richness of the cheesecake,” says Chef Chelsea.
3 Tips to Make this Cheesecake
- Use softened cream cheese: Allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature so you don't have to mix the batter as much to fully incorporate. (This goes for all cheesecakes, not just Chef Chelsea’s recipe.)
- Avoid overmixing: “Cheesecake isn't meant to be a light and fluffy product; it should be thick and smooth,” explains Chef Chelsea. “Air bubbles will expand in the oven, creating cracks and potentially causing the cake to sink as it cools.” Excessive mixing can also break the emulsion in the cream cheese, resulting in a grainy texture.
- Bake in a water bath: “It’s important to bake the cheesecake using indirect heat,” says Chef Chelsea. “Cheesecake is a type of custard batter, so without a water bath, the direct heat from the oven can cause the eggs to overcook.” To set up a water bath, wrap the bottom of a springform pan in aluminum foil and place it on a sheet tray. When ready to bake, put the tray in the oven and pour in boiling water.
Chef Chelsea dives deeper into baking science when teaching her Pastry & Baking Arts students. “We make a variety of cheesecakes using different fats and baking styles as a way to compare and contrast the difference between, say, a ricotta cheesecake and one made from sour cream,” she says.
Give your sweetheart the gift of a homemade dessert this year — here's how to make it.
Ingredients
- 200 grams chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs
- 70 grams butter, melted
- Non-stick baking spray
- 374 grams cream cheese, room temperature
- 10 grams freeze-dried raspberries, finely ground
- 187 grams granulated sugar
- 379 grams sour cream
- 110 grams eggs
- 10 grams egg yolks
- 8 grams vanilla extract
- 200 grams strawberry puree
- Melted chocolate (if desired)
- Strawberries, sliced (if desired)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 9” springform pan and line bottom with parchment paper.
- Mix cookie crumbs and butter until well combined. Add mixture to pan, covering the bottom evenly.
- Bake approximately 8 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Spray sides and top rim of pan with non-stick spray.
- Beat cream cheese, raspberry powder and sugar with paddle attachment in a stand mixer on low speed until smooth. Scrape bowl often to make sure there are no lumps. Do not overmix batter or incorporate too much air.
- Add sour cream, eggs, yolks and vanilla gradually, mixing only until they are absorbed. Stop and scrape bowl between additions. Add strawberry puree last.
- Pour batter into pan. Wrap bottom of pan in aluminum foil and place in oven in a water bath. Bake at 325° F approximately 40 minutes until cake is set and firm, except at center.
- Remove pan from hot water and cool completely.
- Chill overnight before unmolding.
- If desired, drizzle with chocolate and top with strawberries to serve.
