Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake #FantasticalFoodFight

Welcome to the April edition of the Fantastical Food Fight. I love this event coordinated by Sarah of Fantastical Sharing of Recipes. For more information about it, click here.

This month, we were given the challenge of making a recipe inspired by strawberry shortcake. So you can read all about my journey to this dessert through recipe testing: Laminated Biscuit Strawberry Shortcake and Sour Cream Pound Cake Strawberry Shortcake. But first...

The Strawberry Shortcake Line-Up

An InLinkz Link-up

Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake

This dessert was the end of a wonderful food day to celebrate my 18th wedding anniversary. We had already indulged in quiche, rhubarb pie, bouillabaise, and a great bottle of wine. 

I created the crust with leftover biscuits from my Laminated Biscuit Strawberry Shortcake!

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 C crushed graham crackers
• 1 C biscuit crumbs (or just use more graham crackers)
• 3/4 C ground almonds
• 1/4 C crushed freeze-dried strawberries
• 8 T butter, melted and browned*
• 2 T organic granulated sugar

Filling

• 3 - 8 oz. packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 C organic granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 C organic sour cream
• 1 T pure vanilla bean paste

Topping

• 2 C organic sour cream
• 1 t pure vanilla bean paste
• 1 T organic granulated sugar

Macerated Strawberries

• 2 C organic strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 2 T organic powder sugar
• 1 t freshly squeezed lemon juice

Serving

• unsweetened whipped cream
• crushed freeze-dried strawberries

Procedure

Crust

*To make beurre noisette (browned butter): place butter in a pan over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally to be sure the butter is cooking evenly. As the butter melts, it will foam and begin to darken. The color will progress from a pale lemon yellow to golden straw hue and, finally, to a hazelnut brown. Once you achieve the color and aroma you want, pour the beurre noisette into a glass container. The milk solids will continue to brown - and eventually burn - if you leave it in the pan

Mix all of the ingredients together until moist clumps form.

Press crumb mixture onto bottom of a springform pan that's been wrapped in foil. Chill crust while preparing filling.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F.

Filling
Beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in sugar. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in sour cream and vanilla paste.

Transfer filling to prepared crust. Place springform pan in large roasting pan or a rimmed baking sheet. If your springform fits in the roasting pan, pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan. If it doesn't (my springform is too big), place ramekins filled with boiling water around your pan.

Bake until cheesecake puffs around edges, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn off oven. Let cake stand in oven 1 hour, leaving oven door ajar.

Topping
Mix the ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Spread this evenly over the cheesecake and bake in a 350°F oven again for 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer cake to rack. Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Cool completely.

Remove foil from pan sides. Cover cake and chill overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Remove pan sides to serve.

Macerated Strawberries
Place all of the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Toss until the sugar is completely moistened. Let stand for, at least, 20 minutes. Toss one more time before serving

Serving

Sprinkle crushed freeze-dried strawberries over the top of the cheesecake. 

Place wedges on individual serving plates. Garnish with whipped cream, macerated strawberries, more whipped cream, and a final sprinkle of crushed freeze-dried strawberries. Serve immediately!