Anders Birthday Trilogy: #1 No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

On Sunday it was Anders birthday, so, we had a party on Saturday to celebrate among friends and family. I made strawberry cheesecake, cupcakes and nutella-chocolate balls. This cheesecake is my boyfriend’s favorite and it is also very easy to make. I have made it a few times and experimented with the ingredients, until I managed to achieve the proportions we prefer. So, here is the recipe:

No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

Cookie base:

1 packet Digestive cookies (400 g)

100g (1/2 cup) butter

Cheesecake filling:

800 g cream cheese in room temperature

400 ml (1 ½ cups) whipping cream (35% fat)

3 ½ tablespoons icing sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

Strawberry topping:

500 g (about 11/2 cup) strawberries

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon corn starch

1 teaspoon gelatin powder

Start by preparing the cookie base. Pulse the cookies in a food processor or blender until they become finely ground. Melt the butter in a pan or the microwave. Mix the cookie crumbs with the butter in a bowl until all the crumbs are moist from the butter. Put the crumbs in a 24 cm springform pan and press down with your fingers or the bottom of a glass, until they are a nice even layer. Put the pan in the fridge for about half an hour.

Put the cream in a bowl with the sugar and the vanilla sugar and beat until it becomes like yoghurt. In another bowl beat the cream cheese for a few seconds until it gets softened. Put the cream in the bowl with the cream cheese and beat for a few seconds in low speed until the cheese and the cream are well blended. Do not overbeat, it will become like butter. Pour the mixture in the springform pan over the crumbs and spread it evenly with a spatula. Place again in the fridge. I usually leave it overnight and in the morning I prepare the topping but you can leave it for 2-3 hours, it will be ready.

To make the topping put the strawberries and sugar in a pan, in medium heat for about 15 minutes. Put in a small glass the cornstarch with a little water and mix it so that it will be dissolved. When the strawberries start thickening mash them a little with a wooden spoon or a masher, put the cornstarch mixture and stir. Low the heat and after 5 minutes remove from heat. If you want your topping to be jelly-like mix one teaspoon of gelatin with one tablespoon of cold water in a glass. Let it be there for 5 minutes and then add it to the strawberry mixture. Let it cool.

When the topping is cool, spread it over the cheesecake and let it stay in the fridge until you serve it. When it is time to serve the cheesecake, run the side of a blunt knife or a spatula between the edge of the cake and the pan and unmold it.