The baked cheesecake with strawberries and sour cherries is not just a dessert, it’s a true indulgence you must try! Creamy and delicate, with a truly delicious cookie base and such a beautiful top that invites you to take a bite!
It’s a cake I often make when I’m in the mood for something special but not too complicated, just like my after-dinner desserts that you know and love so much.
But how do you prepare the baked cheesecake with strawberries and sour cherries?
Mix ricotta, mascarpone, cream, eggs, sugar, and flour, then pour over a base of cookies and butter. Bake for about 60 minutes, let cool, then decorate with jam, strawberries, and sour cherries.
This cheesecake is perfect for birthdays, holidays and occasions, but also Sunday lunches to enjoy with family.
And that’s exactly why I made this beautiful and delicious cheese cake, to celebrate my Aunt Eva’s 100th birthday. She loves sweets, she’s a true dessert lover, and I couldn’t not spoil her with something special!
That’s why the quantities are quite generous! I had to double my classic recipe to get a large cheesecake, perfect for a family celebration.
But don’t worry! For a “normal” occasion, a more intimate birthday, or an after-dinner treat, you can easily halve each ingredient and return to a standard size cheesecake! You’ll find the halved quantities at the bottom 😉
Over the years, I’ve experimented with many versions of cheesecake, from the single-serving one perfect for hosting, to the fresher no-bake tiramisu, to the one without a cookie base that you can whip up in a flash!
If you want to discover all the secrets for a perfect cheesecake, from baking to storage, from variations to the most common questions, I recommend reading the article to the end: you’ll also find a box dedicated to wine pairing and many useful tips to customize it according to your needs.
But first, here are some other delicious recipes to try!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: about 20-25 slices
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
DOUBLED QUANTITIES for a larger cheesecake (for halved quantities, read below)
- 400 g Digestive cookies
- 200 g butter
- 400 g ricotta (well drained)
- 400 g fresh liquid cream (or pre-sweetened liquid vegetable cream)
- 500 g mascarpone
- 4 eggs (medium whole)
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or cornstarch, about 40 grams)
- orange zest
- 120 g sugar
- 1 jar raspberry jam (or flavor of choice)
- 200 g strawberries (or fruit of choice)
- as needed syruped sour cherries
Tools
- Hand whisk
- Bowl
- Brush
- Springform pan
- Spatula
- Parchment paper
Which mold to use for this cheesecake? 🍰🍓👩🍳🥣
✔️For the large version, you can use a rectangular mold 12×9 inches or 11×8.5 inches or a round mold 11-12 inches
✔️For the standard version (halved quantities) round mold 9-9.5 inches or rectangular 8.5×7 or 9.5×7.5 inches
Steps
Crumble the digestive cookies finely and put them in a bowl. Add the melted butter and mix well until you get a moist mixture.
Transfer everything into the mold (rectangular or round), compact with the back of a spoon, and refrigerate for 10 minutes (no need for the freezer).
In a large bowl, mix ricotta and mascarpone with a simple hand whisk. Then, add the sugar and blend well.
Now, add the medium whole eggs, incorporating them with the hand whisk. Flavor with orange zest (or lemon if you prefer).
Add the fresh liquid cream (do not whip it, use it as is). You can choose either the pre-sweetened vegetable one with long shelf life or the fresh one.
If you use the pre-sweetened vegetable one, you can remove a tablespoon of sugar from the total 😉
Finally, add the flour (or cornstarch) through a sieve. Mix until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous cream.
Pour the whole mixture onto the cookie base and level it with a spatula.
Bake in a static oven preheated to 338°F for about 60 minutes. The cake is ready when the edges are firm and the center is slightly “wobbly.”
Leave in the oven OFF with the door slightly open for about ten minutes to prevent cracks.
Cool completely and then transfer to the fridge for at least 4 hours. Put it directly on a serving plate to make it easier to decorate later.
Before serving, spread the jam on the surface using a spatula. I chose raspberry jam, but any marmalade or jam you like will work just fine.
To make this cheesecake more scenic and super delicious, I used strawberries and sour cherries, arranging them as my creativity guided me at the moment!
Feel free to use seasonal fruit or whatever you love most 🍇🍊🥝🍎🥭🫐🍓🍒
Finally, you can admire your work! The baked strawberry cheesecake is ready to be enjoyed 🍓💝
If my cheesecake made your mouth water, save it and try it soon! 😍
Leave me a comment below to let me know how it turned out and follow me to not miss the next sweet treats! 🍰🍓✨Article protected by copyright © – Gabriella Geroni © All Rights Reserved
STORAGE
❄️In the refrigerator lasts 3-4 days
Cover it with plastic wrap or a dome lid to avoid absorbing fridge odors;
place it on the less cold shelf of the refrigerator (usually the middle one).
🍓🥣👩🍳Decoration:
if possible, add fresh fruit and jam only before serving, so they won’t release liquids.
❄️In the freezer lasts up to 2 months
Freeze the cheesecake without decoration, cut it into slices, separate them with parchment paper, and store them in an airtight container. If you need to present it whole and have space in the freezer, that’s perfectly fine, but place it in a freezer-safe container.
How to thaw:
let it rest in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours or overnight and add the fruit only shortly before serving.
HALVED QUANTITIES:
Base: 200 g digestive cookies + 100 g butter
Cream: 200 g ricotta + 200 g fresh cream + 250 g mascarpone + 2 eggs + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or starch) + 60 g sugar + citrus zest
Decoration: marmalade + strawberries + sour cherries
Decoration: marmalade + strawberries + sour cherries
📝 Important notes for a perfect cheesecake
Do not whip the cream: just mix.
Tap the mold on the table to remove any air bubbles.
The cheesecake is ready when the center is slightly wobbly.
Cool slowly in the oven with the door ajar to prevent cracks.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Why does the cheesecake remain liquid in the center?
The most common causes:
oven too low; cream excessively whipped; insufficient cooling time
👉 Remember: the center should be slightly wobbly, then it stabilizes as it cools.Can I use other types of cookies instead of digestive?
Absolutely yes! Great alternatives:
✔️cocoa cookies (for a dark base like American cheesecake)
✔️classic shortbread
✔️integral cookies
✔️Lotus speculoos type (give a crazy caramelized taste!)
✔️whole grain for a more rustic base
✔️gluten-free cookies for the gluten-free versionIs it possible to bake the cheesecake in an air fryer?
Yes, but with some precautions:
use a mold (8-9 inches) that fits in the basket and bake at 300°F for 35-45 minutes; check after the first 30 minutes and cover the surface with foil if it darkens too much.
The air fryer tends to brown a lot, so the temperature should stay lower compared to a traditional oven.Why does the cheesecake crack on the surface?
It often happens when the oven is too hot or the cream has been whipped too much. Bake at 338°F and mix without incorporating air.
Can I make it the day before?
Absolutely yes! In fact, it’s even better after resting for an entire night.
Better cow’s milk or sheep’s milk ricotta?
Cow’s milk is more delicate and blends better: highly recommended for this recipe.
Can I eliminate the eggs?
Not for this cheesecake, as it’s a baked recipe. Eggs are necessary to give structure to the cream.
How do I know when it’s really done?
✔️Firm edges
✔️Center that wobbles slightly
✔️Light surface and golden edges
If you have a thermometer: 👉 internal temperature 158-162°F.Can I reduce the sugar?
Yes, up to 90 g without changing the consistency.
Can I use light cheeses?
Better to avoid: they make the cream less stable and more watery.
