This beautiful Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake combines three of my favorite things – cake, strawberries, and cheesecake – into a sweet and refreshing dessert that’s just perfect for celebrating. Every bite of this creamy delight is like a sunny summer afternoon wrapped in deliciousness. The velvety cheesecake mingles with fresh strawberries, while the tender shortcake base adds a delightful crunch that ties everything together. Trust me, after making this Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake, it will become a family favorite, and I promise it will impress every single guest at your next gathering!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake is a delightful twist on the classic dessert, offering a rich and creamy flavor that will make your taste buds dance!
- While it’s indulgent, it’s surprisingly easy to make, perfect for those who love sharing homemade goodies without spending all day in the kitchen.
- Loaded with fresh strawberries, it’s a wonderfully refreshing dessert that feels extravagant yet simple.
- It’s a showstopper at parties and gatherings—the visual appeal along with the delicious taste will leave guests raving about it!
Ingredients
For the shortcake, we’ll need all-purpose flour for that perfect cake structure, sugar to sweeten, and baking powder and baking soda to give it that lighter, fluffy texture. A sprinkle of salt from salted butter helps enhance the flavors, while heavy whipping cream adds richness to the mix.
For the luscious strawberry sauce, sugar will help sweeten those juicy ripe strawberries, and cornstarch will help it thicken up just right. We’ll also need some water to help bring it all together and fresh strawberry puree for that vibrant flavor.
The creamy cheesecake filling calls for an abundance of luscious strawberries and cream cheese, which provides that rich, velvety texture. Sugar will sweeten the mix, and we’ll need some heavy whipping cream along with powdered sugar to create that delightful light and airy consistency. A dash of vanilla extract will round off the flavors beautifully.
For the finishing touch, whipping cream, more powdered sugar, and a hint of vanilla extract will make a delightful topping to crown our masterpiece.
Full ingredient list with measurements is provided in the printable recipe card below.
How to Make the Recipe
First things first, preheat your oven to 375°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides to ensure easy removal later.
For the shortcake, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in the bowl of a food processor. This is an important step as we want to get the dry ingredients perfectly blended.
Next, toss in the salted butter and pulse in the food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. This part is super simple, and it’s when I start to get really excited!
Gradually add in the heavy whipping cream while continuing to pulse until just moistened. Hey, don’t stress if it looks a bit crumbly—that’s how it’s supposed to be!
Gather the dough into a ball; it should still feel a touch loose. Gently knead it on a non-stick surface for just about five turns until it’s smooth.
Now, press the dough into an even layer in the springform pan and bake for around 20 minutes or until the edges turn a lovely golden brown.
Once it’s baked, let that serene shortcake cool completely on a wire rack while we work on the strawberry sauce.
To make the strawberry sauce, combine the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Stir in the strawberry puree and water, then cook over medium heat while stirring constantly until it thickens and comes to a gentle boil.
Allow it to boil for one minute—watch it bubble! Then, remove it from the heat and let it cool completely.
Now, to prepare the heavenly cheesecake filling! Wash the springform pan from any leftover residue from baking, spray it with non-stick spray, and reassemble it with the shortcake at the bottom. To prevent sticking, line the inside edge of the pan with parchment paper.
Slice about 6-10 strawberries and place them around the outer edge of the shortcake, standing them on top. They should press against the inside of the pan—this will look stunning!
In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and sugar, beating until smooth. It should be creamy and delicious!
In another bowl, whip the cold heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. This is where the magic happens—the cream becomes light and airy!
Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in two parts, blending until well combined.
Now, spread about ½ cup of this heavenly cheesecake filling on top of the cooled shortcake, smoothing it into a thin layer.
Cut the green tops from another 18-24 strawberries and arrange them top-down on the cheesecake layer, leaving some space for more filling.
Drop spoonfuls of the remaining cheesecake filling on top of the strawberries, ensuring it fills in all the spaces. Spread it evenly, and if the strawberries poke through, embrace it!
Refrigerate the cheesecake until firm—this should take about 4-5 hours. Patience, my friends, it will be worth it!
Final Assembly
Once your cheesecake is firm and settled, remove it from the springform pan and place it on a serving platter. Let’s finish it off with some luscious whipped cream! In a large mixing bowl, whip the cold heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
Pipe this delightful whipped cream around the outer edge of the cheesecake, and then slice the remaining strawberries to arrange beautifully on top. Drizzle that luscious cooled strawberry sauce over the arrangement, and watch how your guests swoon!
Make Ahead and Storage
If you’re planning for an event, you can definitely make this Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake a day in advance—it’s perfect for chilling in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Just keep it covered in an airtight container.
For storing leftovers, it’s best to keep them in the fridge, and I’d recommend finishing it within 3-4 days to enjoy the flavors at their peak. Freezing might alter the texture a bit, so if you do, remember to slice it first!
So, there you have it—my delightful Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake that’s sure to become your go-to dessert! I can’t wait for you to make it. Happy baking!
Delicious Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake
Equipment
- 9-inch Springform Pan
- Food Processor
- Saucepan
- Mixer
Ingredients
Shortcake
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 5 tbsp salted butter
- ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
Strawberry Sauce
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¾ tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp water
- ¼ cup strawberry puree (from about 10 strawberries)
Cheesecake Filling
- 2 lbs strawberries
- 24 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream cold
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Whipped Cream
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream cold
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides.
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a food processor. Pulse in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, then slowly add heavy cream until just moistened. Gather the dough into a ball and gently knead until smooth.
- Press the dough into the bottom of the springform pan and bake for about 20 minutes until golden. Cool completely on a rack.
- For the strawberry sauce, combine sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan, stir in puree and water, and cook over medium heat until thickened. Cool completely.
- Prepare the springform pan again, lining and spraying it. Arrange sliced strawberries around the outer edge of the shortcake.
- In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. In another bowl, whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
- Spread 1/2 cup cheesecake filling over the shortcake, place whole strawberries on it, and fill spaces with more filling. Refrigerate until firm (4-5 hours).
- Once firm, remove from pan, pipe whipped cream around the edge, arrange remaining strawberries on top, and drizzle with cooled strawberry sauce. Refrigerate until served.