Cheesecake with roasted strawberry swirl

A wonderful cheesecake swirled with roasted strawberry purée and packed with fruit. The strawberries are roasted beforehand to remove excess moisture, which means there’s no need to thicken them with extra starch. The resulting purée is naturally thick, intensely flavoured and wonderfully aromatic. This is a relatively shallow cheesecake baked on a simple biscuit base. It keeps well at room temperature (except during very hot weather). Highly recommended!

Ingredients for the base:

• 2 packets of petit beurre biscuits

Ingredients for the roasted strawberry purée:

• 500 g strawberries, hulled and halved
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 4 tablespoons light brown sugar

In a wide ovenproof dish, combine the halved strawberries with the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar.

Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C for approximately 35–40 minutes (frozen strawberries may require a few extra minutes), uncovered. Remove from the oven, allow to cool, then blend until smooth.

Ingredients for the cheesecake filling:

• 750 g full-fat or semi-fat curd cheese, triple-ground
• 250 ml double cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1½ tablespoons potato starch
• 1¼ cups caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, vanilla extract, or 1 sachet vanilla sugar

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place all the filling ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix only until combined, or whisk together by hand. Do not overmix, as incorporating excess air into the mixture will cause the cheesecake to rise too much during baking and then sink afterwards. The finished cheesecake should remain perfectly level.

Line a 33 x 23 cm baking tin with baking parchment. Arrange the biscuits over the base of the tin in a single layer. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the biscuit base. Spoon the roasted strawberry purée over the top of the cheesecake filling in large circles or dollops, gently allowing some of the purée to sink deeper into the cheesecake mixture. Using a skewer or the handle of a teaspoon, swirl the strawberry purée through the cheesecake mixture to create a marbled pattern.

Bake at 160°C for approximately 45–50 minutes. The cheesecake is ready when the entire surface is set and no longer wobbly when lightly touched with a skewer. If necessary, extend the baking time slightly. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely before serving.

Enjoy!