| Servings | serves |
Ingredients
CHEESECAKE:
- 2 packages Cream Cheese at room temperature
- 2/3 cup White Sugar
- pinch Salt
- 2 Eggs
- 1/3 cup Sour Cream
- 1/3 cup Whipping Cream
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
STRAWBERRY CAKE:
- 1/4 cup Milk at room temperature
- 3/4 cup Strawberry Puree
- 6 Egg Whites room temperature (4 whole eggs can be substituted)
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups Plain Flour sifted
- 1/4 cup Custard Powder sifted
- 1 3/4 cup Sugar
- 4 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 12 tablespoons Unsalted Butter at room temp
FROSTING:
- 12 ounces Cream Cheese softened
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter softened, 1 stick
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 cup Strawberry Puree (frozen strawberries thawed and blended in blender)
- 1 tablespoon Whipping Cream
- 2 to 3 cups Icing Sugar
Ingredients CHEESECAKE:
STRAWBERRY CAKE:
FROSTING:
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Instructions
Prepare the cheesecake layer:
- Preheat the oven to 160C. Place a large roasting pan on the lower third rack of the oven. Place a kettle of water on the stove to boil. Spray a 9-inch spring form pan with non-stick spray. Wrap a double layer of heavy duty foil around the bottom and up the sides of the pan (you want to seal it so the water from the water bath doesn't seep into the pan).
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to blend the cream cheese until it is smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in the sugar and salt and blend for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure all is mixed in. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending after each addition. Finally, mix in the sour cream, whipping cream and vanilla (and pink food colour, if desired to make cake pink). Mix until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Set the pan into the roasting pan in the pre-heated oven. Carefully pour the hot water from your kettle into the roasting pan. Pour enough water so that there is about an inch of water coming up the foil along the sides of the cheesecake pan.
- Bake the cheesecake for 45 minutes. It should be set to the touch and firm. Remove the cheesecake from the roasting pan and let it cool on a wire rack for at least an hour. When it has cooled, place the pan into the freezer and let the cheesecake freeze completely (4 to 5 hours or overnight).
Prepare the cake:
- Preheat oven to 160c and prepare two 9-inch round pans: spray inside with baking spray.
- In small bowl, combine puree, milk, egg, vanilla and mix with fork until well blended. In bowl of stand mixer, add sifted flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and mix to combine. Continue beating at slow speed and add butter. Mix until combined and resembling moist crumbs.
- Add wet ingredients and beat at medium speed for about 1 minute or until full and evenly combined. Stop mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl and hand beat for 30 more seconds.
Note:
- The batter will not get any pinker in the oven so if you're disappointed in the colour from your berries, maybe consider adding a drop or two of pink or red food colouring.
- Divide the batter evenly among the pans and smooth tops.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cakes rest in pan for about 10 minutes and turn out onto wire racks. Let cakes cool completely (about 2 hours).
Prepare the frosting:
- Use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese and the butter, and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla, strawberry puree and cream and continue to mix until well combined. Mix in 2 cups of the icing sugar. Add the third cup a little at a time until you reach a consistency that you're happy with. You may not use it all, or you may use more. It just needs to be thick enough to be spreadable.
Assemble the cake:
- Place one cake layer into the centre of a cake plate or platter. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, take off the sides of the pan, and slide a knife under the the cheesecake to release it from the pan. Trim the cheesecake, as needed to match the size of your cake layers (see *Tips). Place the cheesecake layer on top of the first cake layer. Place the second cake layer on top of the cheesecake.
Frost the cake:
- Apply a crumb coat layer of frosting to the cake (see *Tips), and refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes, or until the frosting is set. Apply the second layer of frosting, if needed. Decorate, as desired, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Recipe Notes
*Measure your cheesecake layer against the cake layers. If the cheesecake layer turns out to be slightly larger size round than your cake layers, move it to a cutting board and use a knife to gently shave off some of the exterior of the cheesecake.
*How to apply a crumb coat layer of frosting: use a long, thin spatula or knife to cover the cake completely with a thin and even layer of frosting. Wipe off the spatula each time you’re about to dip it back into the bowl to get more frosting (this way you won’t be transferring any pink crumbs into the bowl of frosting). Don’t worry at this point about the crumbs being visible in the frosting on the cake. When your cake has a thin layer of frosting all over it, place it into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to “set” the frosting. Once the first layer of frosting is set, apply the second layer.
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