Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Crust

01 - 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
02 - 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
03 - 5 tablespoons butter, melted

→ Strawberry Sauce

04 - 2½ cups sliced strawberries
05 - ½ cup granulated sugar

→ Cheesecake

06 - 24 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
07 - 1¼ cups granulated sugar
08 - 4 large eggs
09 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 - 1 cup full-fat sour cream
11 - ½ cup heavy cream

# Instructions:

01 - Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease the sides of a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick baking spray. Place a 3-inch wide strip of parchment paper on the sides of the springform pan.
02 - Add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter to a medium mixing bowl. Stir until the butter thoroughly coats the graham cracker crumbs. Pour the crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and firmly press the crumbs evenly into the bottom of the pan. Place in the freezer or fridge to set up while working on the sauce and cheesecake batter.
03 - Add the sliced strawberries and sugar to a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook for 10 to 13 minutes. Break the strawberries down with a wooden spoon while they cook to help speed up the process. Remove from the saucepan and place in a blender or food processor. Pulse until the sauce is a smooth puree. Set aside and begin working on the cheesecake.
04 - Add the cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat on medium until creamy. Add in the sugar and vanilla extract and continue to beat until combined. Add in the eggs one at a time and beat each egg just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl before adding the next. Once all of the eggs are incorporated, add in the sour cream and heavy cream. Beat just until the sour cream and heavy cream is worked into the cheesecake batter.
05 - Just before adding the cheesecake mixture, wrap the outside of the springform pan with 2 layers of heavy-duty tin foil. You can skip the tin foil and add the cheesecake in a slightly larger pan to keep the cheesecake dry and then place the two pans in a third pan that's filled with about 1 inch of hot water.
06 - Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the crust. Pour the strawberry puree into a sandwich bag and cut a small hole in one of the corners. Place the hole of the sandwich bag barely in the cheesecake batter and begin piping a swirl with the strawberry sauce. Don't go too deep with the filling otherwise, you won't see it on top. Add a few swirls dragging a skewer through the cheesecake and fresh strawberry puree. Adding too many swirls will create cracks in the top of your cheesecake when it's baked so keep it to a minimum.
07 - Place the cheesecake in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour 25 minutes or until the edges of the cheesecake are set and the center slightly jiggles like jello when the pan is wiggled back and forth and not like wet batter. This time may vary so always give it the jiggle test and bake longer if needed.
08 - Once done, leave the cheesecake in the oven, turn the oven off, and leave the door slightly ajar until the cheesecake has cooled to room temperature. Once the cheesecake has cooled, move to the fridge and allow to chill overnight to set up.

# Notes:

01 - This stunning strawberry swirl cheesecake features a rich vanilla base with beautiful strawberry swirls on top
02 - Allow plenty of time for cooling and chilling - this dessert needs at least 8 hours in the refrigerator to set properly

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