Strawberry Cheesecake with Homemade Strawberry Sauce Recipe

Is there a more quintessentially British treat than strawberries and cream? Or cream cheese, in this case. A delicious recipe for any summer dinner party you've got coming up, this indulgent strawberry cheesecake recipe is perfect for entertaining guests.

Summertime is nearly upon us, and we're already dreaming of al fresco dining situations, with a jug of Pimms and an extensive platter ofdesserts. This strawberry cheesecake recipe, decorated with fresh fruit and an irresistible homemade strawberry sauce, is sure to take centre stage of any summery spread.

The special strawberry cheesecake recipe sauce

For those who are daunted by the prospect of whipping up your own homemade sauce, fear not. The secret is that while it sounds super impressive, but it's actually really easy. You only need three ingredients to create a wonderfully tangy strawberry sauce. The key to the perfect fruit sauce is preparation. Team fresh strawberries with lemon and sugar then leave tomacerate for 1/2 an hour before blending, then we recommend letting the sauce chill in the fridge overnight to chill and intensify in flavour.

You can experiment with different flavours to add to the strawberry sauce. A little black pepper will enhance the taste and fresh basil works really well with strawberries.

Decorating your strawberry cheesecake

When it comes to decorating your strawberry cheesecake we urge you to get creative. We like to layer on the sauce and then pile a generous portion of halved fresh strawberries on top, but for those who prefer a more refined style, thinly sliced strawberries could be placed around the edge of the cake to create a circular pattern. For a sweet retro style, try trimming the tops off your strawberries and arranging them upside down on the cake. And, of course, you don't have to restrict yourself to strawberries. Blueberries and blackberries will also make terrific toppings for this crowd-pleasing dessert.

And the best bit? Once your prep is out of the way, this tasty no-bake cake will take hardly any time at all to whip up. Then all you need to do is to leave it to chill in the fridge overnight. Easy! Just make sure that you save us a slice...

STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE RECIPE WITH STRAWBERRY SAUCE

Ingredients

For the base:

• 175g digestive biscuits, finely crushed
• 75g butter, melted

For the filling:

• 225g strawberries, hulled and halved
• 75g caster sugar
• 2 gelatine leaves, softened in cold water
• 300g cream cheese
• 150ml double cream, whipped
• 150ml natural Greek yoghurt

For the strawberry sauce:

• 450g strawberries, hulled and halved
• 75g caster sugar
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Extra strawberries to serve

To make your strawberry cheesecake you will need

:

• a 20cm (8in) springform cake tin, base lined with baking parchment

Method

1. Place the biscuits and butter in a bowl, mix well and press into the base of the tin. Chill whilst you make the filling.
2. For the filling, place the strawberries, 25g of the caster sugar and 2 tbsp water in a saucepan and cook on a moderate until the strawberries are very soft. Puree the mixture in a blender and push through a fine sieve back into the saucepan that you cooked them in. Warm the strawberry puree again and when hot, squeeze the excess water from the gelatine leaves and add to the strawberry puree. Swirl the pan to make sure that the gelatine is completely dissolved. Set aside.
3. Place the cream cheese and remaining sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Add the cooled strawberry and gelatine mixture and beat again. Add the yogurt and double cream and fold in until thoroughly combined. Pour over the biscuit base and chill for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight.
4. To make the strawberry sauce, place the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a bowl and leave to macerate for ½ hour. Puree the strawberries in a blender and push through a sieve. Chill until ready to serve.
5. To serve the cheesecake, run a round bladed knife around the outside of the tin and release the tin. Transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate. Decorate the top with a few halved strawberries and serve the sauce on the side. Your strawberry cheesecake will keep for 3 days, covered in the fridge.