Learn how to make this easy Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake recipe with homemade strawberry curd, which will surely impress your family and friends this summer. Made with fresh strawberries.
I sure do love cheesecake. At its core, classic cheesecake is a blank canvas. You can turn it into chocolate cheesecake, scale it down and make cheesecake for two, or add German chocolate frosting on top.
This Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake with strawberry curd was inspired by a good friend who no longer blogs. We do keep in touch through Facebook, although our chats are sporadic now. We used to talk all the time on Twitter, but things change and people are busy living.
She loves curd, which is a soft custard used as a dessert spread or sauce. Considering it’s strawberry season, Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake with strawberry curd was the perfect recipe for the occasion.
Finding a good base recipe that you know works is a great way to adapt recipes. You know the original recipe worked, so you can focus on developing the recipe you want it to be. One where the recipe can only be improved with your imagination.
That is how I developed this Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake recipe by taking my trusted cheesecake recipe and making it elegant with a strawberry curd swirled on top. Rich, creamy, and guaranteed to brighten your day.
There is a specific pan you need to use for a successful cheesecake. It is called a springform pan, which is a deep pan where the side detaches from the bottom. You can’t use a regular round cake pan as it wouldn’t be deep enough and impossible the remove the cheesecake all in one piece. Cheesecake is very delicate dessert. You can’t just flip out like a normal cake.
Traditionally curd is made with lemons, but I figured out how to make strawberry curd without eggs. Once you add the cheesecake batter to the pan, drop spoonfuls of the curd on top then swirl it around with a knife. If your swirls start to peak, smooth it out as much as possible.
Looking for a smaller recipe? Check out my Small Batch Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars made in a loaf pan, which makes only 6 bars!
Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 24 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened (do not use fat free)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup strawberry curd (homemade or store bought)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Have an 8.5 or 9 inch springform pan ready.
- In a small bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press into the bottom and sides of the pan. Place on a cookie sheet.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, roughly 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla.
- Pour the batter into the pan. Add spoonfuls of curd on top and swirl with a knife. Bake for 35-40 minutes minutes or until the center is almost set (it will still move slightly when shaken but the top should be firm). Cool for 10 minutes then take a knife and run it around the edge of the pan to loosen it. Cool for another 50 minutes in the pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove the pan side before serving.
Source: Adapted from Taste of Home
Renee says
I am heading over to Juanita’s Cocina to check out the recipe.
Oh, and I nominated you for an award…check out my pinto beans post today for details.
Carla says
Thanks Renee! Too kind :)
Javelin Warrior says
I actually saw this on Juanitas Cocina before I spotted it here, so just wanted to drop by and let you know how beautiful this turned out. I love cheesecake of all varieties, but the classic combinations can’t be beat! Mmmm…
Carla says
Thank you :) I don’t think I’ve met a cheesecake I didn’t like!
Javelin Warrior says
Just an FYI, I’m featuring this in today’s Food Fetish Friday (with a link-back and attribution). I hope you have no objections and I’m glad I had a reason to drop by again ;)
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says
This is absolutely gorgeous! And I am so jealous that there are no cracks!
Carla says
You’ll have to give this recipe a try! Don’t give up. Thanks :)
Mei-i @ gastronomic nomad says
Oh so jealous! You’re cheesecake looks good. Heading over to Juanita’s to check it out. :)
Carla says
Thank you :)
Jen @ Juanita's Cocina says
Thank you so very much for guest posting for me. This may be the most fabulous thing on my little blog.
Carla says
No, thank YOU for hosting me :D
Jennie @themessybakerblog says
What a beautiful cheescake, Carla. It looks absolutely delicious. I love that you swirled it with your strawberry curd. I have only made one cheesecake that didn’t crack, and I was pretty proud of myself. I’m going to have to try your no-fail, no-crack cheesecake recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Mikey says
First off… The recipe in and of itself was wonderful – easy to follow, simple, and practically perfect. The blog is great, my first time here after Googling strawberry swirl cheesecake. I instantly trusted the recipe given the site’s look, feel, and well shot desserts.
I made this cheesecake last night, following the directions to the letter, yet mine did not cook fully. The first time ever in the history of my cheesecake making did one not get done. After the recommended baking time, I found it a little jiggly, which is normal, but still rather firm to the touch. Yet, when slicing it the next day, the center portion, about three inches in and all around that area, was rather soupy – like thick melted ice cream. The area around the crust was fine/normal. So, my advice would be for any and all making this recipe to strongly consider bumping up the baking time from 35mins to a full hour (as with most other cheesecake recipes). Otherwise it was nearly perfect. Well, I think more butter could have been used for the crust, as it was way more crumbly that I am used to.
I did add the zest of the juiced lemons to the cheesecake batter, and found that to be a welcomed addition. And I am thrilled the curd recipe used in this recipe and found on this site is vegan. So many curd recipes call for ridiculous amount of eggs, but this one worked out marvelously. I plan to use it and other fruit variations again and again. I did skip the straining part, though.
So, had the cheesecake cooked fully, and the crust not been as crumbly, it would have been perfect. I can’t wait to make it again to see how it turns out.
Thanks!
Carla says
Hi mikey,
first I must ask – is your oven at the correct temperature? Have you tested it lately with an oven thermometer? I have made this recipe multiple times as written. I even had someone made it as written and posted on his blog (http://cookinwluv.blogspot.com/2012/08/tuesday-tutor-featuring-chocolate-moosey.html), so I’m not sure why yours did not cook all the way through. how big is your pan? Is it 9 inches as directed or is it bigger? And I must ask if you have made any changes at all to the ingredients? Most of the time when recipes didn’t work, the person substituted this or didn’t have enough that, so I have to ask.
Mikey says
Oh wow! Hi! Thanks for personally checking in and inquiring. I hope i didn’t come across too negatively – as it was an awesome recipe all in all.
I do have an oven thermometer that is always dead on to what my dial states (I bought one given the age of my gas oven). I also followed the directions perfectly, with the exception of adding in the zest. My pan is indeed nine inches, so I’m good there.
The only thing I can think of, now that you have me thinking more intensely, is that I could have used a smidgeon more of the strawberry curd than called for – but not that much more. I wonder if that could have done it? Though, my curd content looks less or the same as the pictures on your site and the one you linked to. However, I didn’t strain the curd either time – I tried, but it just wasn’t straining! Otherwise, I made no changes, and set timers and everything.
Given your baking prowess, I suppose it was bold of me to claim the temperature can’t be right, as someone such as yourself whom has baked way more than I would surely not miss something like the timing, but that was the kicker for my attempt, anyway.
I will definitely be making this again, and will watch my post-pureed curd measurement more closely.
Thanks again for checking in!
Carla says
It’s not a problem checking in. I read all of my comments. I’m not sure what else could have messed it up. What about the rack you used in the oven? I know when I use my top rack, it cooks a lot faster than my middle rack. With my parent’s oven, their bottom rack cooks faster than their top rack. You can do the toast test, where you put some slices of bread on a cookie sheet and bake until brown. Do it for both racks and see if the shades of brown are equal. Also it lets you know if one side bakes faster than the other side, known as oven hot spots. That’s why some recipes say rotate the tray halfway through baking.
The amount of curd shouldn’t matter. I’ve used this cheesecake recipe as a base and altered with different flavors. If you check out the original recipe where I adapted it from, it says 35-40 minutes. I’m not sure why yours would’ve taken a lot longer. Hope you figure it out!
Sara C says
Such gorgeous photos! Thanks for letting me post this on my blog!
Stacy says
What a beautiful cheesecake, Carla! Any time this is on the table would be a special occasion. It’s just that pretty!
Caroline says
Carla would strawberry jam work instead of curd? If not, do you have a recipe for the curd?
Carla says
Yes jam will work, although you may need to microwave it for 10-15 seconds if it’s too thick to swirl. I did post the link to the curd in one of the paragraphs, but here is the link: https://www.chocolatemoosey.com/2012/06/04/vegan-strawberry-curd/
Caroline says
Thanks so much!
linda says
My favorite type of cheesecake !!!, Now I can make my own, my local grocery store cheesecakes are $17.99 which I think is expensive , I plan on making myself this cheesecake for my 23rd birthday on 6/28 !!!!
Carla says
Wow that is definitely expensive! You can probably make 2-3 homemade cheesecakes for that price lol Happy early birthday to you! Enjoy!
[email protected] says
Made this for my birthday over the weekend. SO good. Great strawberry flavor in the easy curd. I added a chocolate ganache on mine to splurge a little and it was awesome!
Carla says
Ohhh loving the ganache idea! Will need to borrow that idea for myself. Happy Birthday!
S says
Hi, I was wondering if the strawberry curd could be made in a food processor instead of the blender since I don’t have one?
Carla says
It should still work as long as you puree the strawberries as smooth as possible.
Gerry says
I was wondering if you could make the curd from frozen strawberries. In juice/syrup?
Carla says
I haven’t personally tried it, but I would let the strawberries thaw, discard any extra liquid, then proceed with the recipe. If they were frozen with syrup, you’ll have to taste for sweetness before adding any extra sugar.