Pink strawberry cheesecake
For the base
- 200g digestive biscuits
- 100g unsalted butter, melted
For the filling
- 3 sheets of leaf gelatine
- 142ml carton single cream
- 300g full-fat soft cheese
- 100g golden caster sugar
- finely grated zest of half a lemon
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 300g strawberries, hulled and chopped
- 142ml carton whipping or double cream
- 1 medium egg white
For the sauce
- 250g strawberries, hulled and chopped, plus about 200g/8oz extra to decorate
- finely grated zest of half a lemon
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp golden caster sugar, or more to taste
-
Cook: 45 mins
Moderately easy
Serves 8
- Seal
the biscuits in a plastic bag and crush them to fine crumbs with a
rolling pin. Tip into a bowl and stir in the melted butter, mixing
thoroughly so that all the crumbs are soaked. Now tip the mixture into a
loose-bottomed 24cm round cake tin, at least 5cm deep, and press down
with the back of a metal spoon to make an even layer over the bottom of
the tin. Chill in the fridge while you make the filling.
- Submerge
the gelatine leaves in a dish of cold water, and leave to soak and
soften for 5 minutes. Pour the single cream into a pan and bring just to
the boil, then take off the heat. Take the gelatine leaves out of the
water, give them a good squeeze to get rid of excess water, and stir one
by one into the cream (they will dissolve instantly). Leave to cool for
a few minutes.
- Beat
the cheese in a bowl with the sugar, lemon zest and juice until smooth
and creamy. Mix in the cream and gelatine mixture and the chopped
strawberries.
- In
another bowl, lightly whip the whipping or double cream so it falls in
soft peaks, then fold it into the strawberry mixture. Whisk the egg
white in a clean bowl until it forms stiff peaks, then fold gently into
the cheese mixture. Pour into the cake tin and smooth down lightly.
Chill for at least 21⁄2 hours until set.
- To
make the sauce, blitz all the ingredients in a food processor or
blender. Taste and add more sugar if needed, then pour into a jug and
keep in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. (Both cheesecake and
sauce can be made a day ahead.)
- To
serve, run a knife between the cheesecake and the tin to loosen it,
remove it from the tin, then take it off its base and put it on a
serving plate. Halve the extra strawberries lengthways, pile them in the
middle and serve with the jug of sauce.