Strawberry-Flavored Ganache Cheesecake has an Oreo crust, strawberry cheesecake filling, is topped with chocolate ganache, and decorated with homemade whipped cream.
This treat is life-changing and PERFECT for special occasions. When I tell you this one is impressive, I mean it. I'll be honest, there are several steps to making this gorgeous treat, but I'm here to tell you that every single one is worth it. I promise, just breaking it down a bit will help you to create this absolutely gorgeous and insanely yummy treat!
How to Make Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake
- Prepare the strawberry reduction (20 minutes)
- Make the Oreo crust (10 minutes)
- Make the Cheesecake filling (15 minutes)
- Chill cheesecake (at least 4 hours in the fridge)
- Make chocolate ganache (10 minutes)
- Allow ganache to set (30 minutes in the fridge)
- Decorate (10 minutes)
Strawberry Reduction
A reduction. Wow. That's a daunting word if you ask me. Don't worry- it's just a fancier way of saying "thicken". Really, a reduction is taking a liquid and boiling it to thicken the mixture and intensify the flavor!
It's referred to as a reduction because its volume will shrink! In this recipe, you'll start with a rather large amount of strawberry puree and end with ½ cup of thick, strawberry paste!
It's really quite simple! You'll puree your strawberries in a food processor, stir a few extra ingredients into it, and heat and stir for 15-20 minutes over medium/low heat. You should test how much mixture you have at about 15 minutes by pouring it into a measuring cup. If you have more than ½ cup of reduction, return mixture to the heat to further thicken.
No-Bake Filling
You heard that right. You'll notice there aren't any eggs in this recipe, a normal ingredient in cheesecake. This baby is NO-BAKE. It will need to be in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving, but there is no need to bake this in the oven!
This filling is inspired by my No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake Bars. It uses a thick cream cheese base but adds, basically, a homemade whipped cream to lighten, soften, and smoothen the cheesecake. I think it makes for the perfect texture, so I thought the technique would be perfect to incorporate in this strawberry-flavored ganache cheesecake recipe too!
Serving and Storing
Before Serving:
- Run a knife under warm water for about 30 seconds. After you have dried it, run it around the edges of the pan to help remove the cheesecake from the sides of the pan. Then, remove the cheesecake from your springform pan.
- You may need to use the knife to help loosen the Oreo crust from the base of the pan. Simply angle your knife so that is between your crust and pan. Run it around the whole cheesecake to help remove the cheesecake from the base of the pan!
Slicing
- Use a sharp knife to cut the cheesecake when it is COLD. If you try to cut the cheesecake when it has been out of the fridge for too long, you will end up with a mess.
Storing
- Store covered, in an airtight container or with aluminum foil/ cling wrap, in the fridge for up to 3 days!
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Strawberry-Flavored Ganache Cheesecake (No Bake)
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Chill Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes:
- Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Yield: 9 inch cheesecake 1x
- Category: Cheesecake, Chocolate Cheesecake, Strawberry Cheesecake, No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Strawberry-Flavored Ganache Cheesecake has an Oreo crust, strawberry cheesecake filling, is topped with chocolate ganache, and decorated with homemade whipped cream. It's fun to serve and absolutely incredible to eat!
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Reduction
- 2 ½ cups chopped strawberries (about 12 oz)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
For the Crust
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 30 Oreo cookies
For the Strawberry Filling
- 24 oz cream cheese
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- optional: drop of pink food dye
For the Ganache
- 6 oz semi sweet chocolate
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
For the Whipped Cream
- 1 ¼ cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Strawberry Reduction
- Place chopped strawberries in a food processor. Blend until smooth to create a puree. You do not want thick pieces of strawberry when making the reduction!
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, stir strawberry puree, sugar, lemon juice, and corn starch. Stir until the mixture reaches a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low heat. Stir constantly to avoid burning. Continue cooking until the mixture is reduced to ½ cup, about 15-20 minutes. Pour reduction into a measuring cup once you see it thicken. If the reduction is over ½ cup, return the mixture to your saucepan and continue cooking.
- Allow mixture to cool.
For the Crust
- In a food processor, blend Oreo cookies until they are reduced to fine crumbs. Add melted butter to the cookies, blending until fully combined.
- Press mixture into a 9 inch round springform pan lined with parchment paper. Freeze for 10 minutes or bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes for a stronger crust.
For the Filling
- In a large bowl or in the bowl of your electric mixer, beat softened cream cheese for 3- 5 minutes on medium speed until smooth, creamy, and light.
- Add the powdered sugar and beat for another 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure that the cream cheese and powdered sugar fully combine.
- Mix salt and vanilla extract into the batter.
- Add the strawberry reduction, beating until fully incorporated.
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat heavy whipping cream and 1 ½ tablespoons of powdered sugar until medium peaks form. The mixture will be bubbly and then turn smooth, creamy, and almost foamy. It may take a few minutes, but be patient. A beater removed from the mixture will create a peak that stands with a slight curl.
- Fold the heavy whipping cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture until smooth and fully combined.
- At this point, you can stir in a drop or two of pink food coloring if you would like a deeper pink color!
- Pour the cream cheese mixture into your prepared pan. Chill cheesecake for at least 4 hours. After the cheesecake has completely chilled, prepare the chocolate ganache topping.
For the Ganache
- Place chocolate chips in a heat-proof glass bowl.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat heavy whipping cream until the cream just begins simmering.
- Pour heavy whipping cream over chocolate chips, ensuring the chips are fully covered by the heavy whipping cream. Allow the mixture to sit for 3-5 minutes before stirring.
- Using a whisk, begin mixing the ganache, starting in small circles in the center of the bowl. As the mixture begins to come together, continue stirring towards the outside of the bowl. Pour the ganache over the cheesecake, and and allow the ganache to set.
For the Whipped Cream
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat heavy whipping cream and 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar until medium peaks form. The mixture will be bubbly and then turn smooth, creamy, and almost foamy. It may take a few minutes, but be patient. A beater removed from the mixture will create a peak that stands with a slight curl.
- If desired, transfer whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. I prefer the Wilton 1M.
- At this point, you may want to remove the cheesecake from the pan. Read above for tips on doing so.
- Pipe swirls around the cheesecake.
Keywords: Strawberry Cheesecake, No Bake Cheesecake, Chocolate Ganache, Homemade Whipped Cream
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