Light and Airy Strawberry Cheesecake
This Light and Airy Strawberry Cheesecake has all the taste but isn't heavy like a traditional cake. It won't weigh you down like cheesecake usually does and yet is decadently tall and slices wonderfully. Served with a strawberry sauce right on top and decorated with whipped cream. This cake is a winner for any occasion.
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Total Time3 hours hrs
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cheesecake, light and airy cheesecake, strawberry cheesecake
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 519kcal
- 1 1/4 cup vanilla wafer cookie crumbs
- 3 Tbsp. butter melted, plus more for the pan
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3-8 oz. pkg. light cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 2 cups sour cream
- 5 eggs divided
Strawberry Topping
- 1 1/2 lbs. strawberries sliced
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp. water
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
- I cup whipping cream with 2 Tbsp. berry sugar optional
Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 9" springform pan with butter. Mix the cookie crumbs and butter together. Press the cookie crumb mixture into the prepared pan, coming up the sides to 1/3 of the way.
Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a standup mixer with a paddle attachment and whip. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the lemon juice and sour cream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Add the egg yolks one at a time and mix well after each. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks. Remove the bowl from the standup mixer and fold in the egg whites.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan; it will fill it but be careful not to overfill. Place the cake in the oven and bake for 30-45 min., until just starting to brown. Reduce the heat to 300F. and continue to bake for another 15-30 minutes for a total of an hour. Reduce heat to 200F and bake for an additional hour. Turn the oven off and let sit in the oven for 1/2 hour while the oven cools. Total of 2 1/2 hours. Cool completely on a rack. Cover loosely with foil, leaving an area open to vent, so condensation doesn't form.
For the strawberry sauce, this can be made at any time and refrigerated until ready to use. I decorated the cake for you today but would serve the cheesecake with the sauce at the time of serving each piece.
Place the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small saucepan. Stir and cook over medium heat for 5 min. Skim off the foam. Mix the water and cornstarch together and add to the pan, stirring. Bring back up to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened. Let the sauce cool, and then refrigerate for up to 3 days. Serve with the cheesecake and with whipped cream if desired. Whip cream in a cold bowl with a cold whisk until thickened, add the sugar and mix well.
Serving: 1 | Calories: 519kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Sodium: 308mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 49g