Sugar Pusher's Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake

If you're a fan of cheesecake and strawberries, then you're in for a treat!

Sugar Pusher's Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake is a delicious dessert that combines the best of both worlds: the sweet, creamy (and tangy!) nature of cheesecake mixed with the flavor of fresh strawberries--courtesy of our incredible (might we add) Wild Strawberry Swirl, It's the perfect dessert for any occasion, whether you're hosting a dinner party or just want to treat yourself to something special. 

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 8 whole graham crackers, crushed 
• 1 TBSP granulated sugar 
• 5 TBSP unsalted butter, melted 

For the Filling:

• 40 oz full fat cream cheese, softened to room temp 
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
• Pinch of kosher salt 
• 1/3 cup full fat sour cream
• 2 tsp lemon juice 
• 2 tsp Amoretti® Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract (2x)
• 2 large egg yolks, RT
• 6 large eggs, RT 
• 1 TBSP butter, melted - for brushing sides of pan 
• Amoretti® Wild Strawberry Swirl, to swirl on top of the cheesecake

Directions

For the Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees farenheit. Combine graham cracker crumbs & sugar. Once combined, add melted better and mix. Press into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan that has a parchment round on the bottom. Bake for 12 minutes or until it starts to smell toasted and browns a bit around the edges. Remove from oven. Transfer to a cooling rack while preparing the filling. 

For the Filling:

1. Increase oven temp to 500 degrees farenheit. 
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add 3/4 cup sugar & pinch of salt. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl again and add remaining 3/4 cup sugar. Beat for 1 minute. 
3. Scrape down the bowl and add sour cream, lemon juice, and  Amoretti® Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract (2x). Beat on low speed for 1 minute. 
4. Scrape down the bowl then add yolks and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Then, add the eggs 2 at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition (all of this scraping prevents a lumpy mixture). 
5. Without touching crust, use a silicone brush to brush melted butter all around the sides of the pan before pouring in the cheesecake mixture. 
6. Once you’ve added the cheesecake mixture to the pan, carefully add on your Amoretti® Wild Strawberry Swirl and gently swirl into the batter with a toothpick or a knife, making sure you don’t dig down too deep past the surface to avoid cracking while baking.  
7. Before baking, take a rimmed baking tray and add water then put it on the lower rack of your oven. Make sure your middle rack is free for the cheesecake. 
8. Place the cheesecake in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Do NOT open the door! After 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 200f and continue to bake 1.5-2 hours. Do not even consider opening the oven door until you’re sure the cheesecake is almost finished or you’ll risk cracking it. 
9. Once it reaches an internal temp of 150f and is no longer super wobbly in the middle, remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (better if you let it chill for 8 hours/overnight). 
10. Unmold cheesecake and serve!

Now that you know how to make a delicious Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake, it's time to indulge in this sweet and creamy dessert. Whether you're sharing it with friends and family or enjoying it all to yourself, this homemade treat is sure to impress!