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This Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake Cake is perfect in every way! With two layers of strawberry cake and a creamy layer of vanilla cheesecake in the middle, this cake is no joke.
If you like this cheesecake recipe, you’ll also love my Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake!
Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake Cake
So you may or may not have noticed that I added a new little section to the blog towards the end of last year. If you view the site on a desktop computer, it’s easier to find (top left). If you view it on mobile it’s more difficult, but I’m working on fixing that. It’s a new lifestyle section. It’s what I’ve been calling my section. It’ll ebb and grow with time, but for now it’s my place to share all the other things I’d like to share. Life beyond the baking, so to speak. So if you’ve ever enjoyed reading my Stitch Fix posts, or getting the newest update in our journey to try and start a family, or want to follow any other shenanigans, that is now where you will find those things. In fact, the most recent update on our [in]fertility journey went up yesterday, so be sure to check it out if you’re into that sort of thing. 🙂 You can even sign up to get emails for those new posts now.
And if all you want are the cakes and recipes, then you are already in the right place! This cake today is two cakes in one – cake and cheesecake. Does it get any better than that?!
When I decided to make this cheesecake cake, I looked back to see what other cheesecake cakes I had on the blog and to my dismay, I found only ONE – this Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake! There’s even two of them in my cookbook! How are there not more on the blog?! Well today we fix that, my friends. Starting with this fabulous combination of strawberries and cream.
How to Make This Strawberry Cake
This cake really isn’t hard to make, but it does take some time because of the two different cake elements. I usually make my cheesecake layer first and let it set overnight. Then the next day I bake the cakes and put everything together. You could do it all in one day, but waiting for the cheesecake to set can take a bit.
One thing you want to be sure of when making the three layers is that they are all the same size. If you have a springform pan that doesn’t leak (they are hard to come by for me), then bake all the layers in that. If not, or if you just would prefer a regular cake pan, you can also use 9 inch cake pans. I did that this time around and it was a breeze. To set the pan up for the cheesecake, I just pressed aluminum foil into the bottom of the cake pan and had it sticking up over the sides of the pan. I used the foil to lift the cheesecake out of the pan once it was cool and firm. Easy peasy and the perfect size to make the cake layers.
To frost the cake, I used a cream cheese whipped cream. Because the cake is fairly heavy with the cheesecake layer in the center, I decided to go lighter on the frosting. The whipped cream is super light and has a subtle cream cheese flavor to it. It’s nice and stable, so no worries about it “melting”. It can soften when it sits out though, so when applying it to the cake, don’t let it sit out for an extended period of time or it’ll be a little harder to work with.
Because the frosting is a whipped cream and therefore is softer than my normal frostings, I wasn’t able to use my typical paper towel method of smoothing a cake. I used my offset spatula to apply the cream to the sides of the cake and smoothed it with my icing smoother. I finished the cake off with some fresh slices of strawberries. If you are going to be serving the cake at a later time after putting it together, you may want to add the strawberries shortly before serving so they don’t dry out.
This cake was a HUGE hit! Not only did the hubs and I love it, my mom was dying over it. My nieces also came over and dug right in. We were all big fans and found it hard to resist! The strawberry cake paired with the creamy vanilla cheesecake and cream cheese whipped cream was delicious! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Watch How To Make It
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Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake Cake
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 14-16 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake Cake is perfect in every way! With two layers of strawberry cake and a creamy layer of vanilla cheesecake in the middle, this cake is no joke.
Ingredients
VANILLA CHEESECAKE
- 24 oz (678g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (207g) sugar
- 3 tbsp (24g) all purpose flour
- 1 cup (230g) sour cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
STRAWBERRY CAKE LAYERS
- 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (310g) sugar
- 3/4 cup (173g) sour cream
- 2 tbsp strawberry extract
- 6 large egg whites, room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups (325g) all purpose flour
- 4 tsp (18g) baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
- 1/2 cup (120ml) strawberry puree*
- 7–8 drops pink food color
CREAM CHEESE WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING
- 16oz (452g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 cups (720ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 1/4 cups (144g) powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 6–10 strawberries, sliced
- 3 strawberries, cut in half
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 300°F (148°C). Line the entire inside of a 9-inch (23cm) cake pan with aluminum foil. Press it into the pan to get it as flat as you can. You’ll use the aluminum foil to lift the cheesecake out of the pan when it’s baked and cooled.
2. In a large mixer bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar and flour together until combined. Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add the sour cream, and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until well combined.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.
5. Pour the cheesecake batter into the lined cake pan.
6. Place the cake pan inside another larger pan. I use a larger cake pan, but you can use a roasting pan or any other larger baking pan. Fill the outside pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for 1 hour.
7. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed for 30 minutes. Do not open the door or you’ll release the heat.
8. Crack oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 30 minutes. This cooling process helps the cheesecake cool slowly to prevent cracks.
9. Remove cheesecake from oven and chill until firm, 5-6 hours.
10. To make the cake layers, preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Line the bottoms of two 9-inch (23cm) cake pans with parchment paper and grease the sides.
11. In a large mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
12. Add the sour cream and strawberry extract and mix until combined.
13. Add the egg whites in two batches, mixing until well combined after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is combined.
14. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the milk and strawberry puree in a measuring cup.
15. Add half of the flour mixture to the batter and mix until combined.
16. Add the milk mixture to the batter and mix until combined.
17. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is being combined. Stir in the food coloring.
18. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 27-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few crumbs.
19. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, then remove from pans to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
20. To build the cake, make the frosting. Add the cream cheese to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth, then set aside.
21. Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to another bowl and whip until soft peaks form.
22. Add the cream cheese to the whipped cream and whip until stiff peaks form. It will happen fairly quickly. Set whipped frosting in the refrigerator.
23. Use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes.
24. Place the first layer of cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round. Spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly on top of the cake layer.
25. Use the aluminum foil to lift the cheesecake out of the cake pan, remove the foil and place the cheesecake on top of the cake.
26. Spread another cup of frosting evenly on top of the cheesecake, then add the second layer of cake on top. If the sides of the cake don’t line up, use a serrated knife to trim off the excess cake or cheesecake.
27. Frost the outside of the cake.
28. Pipe swirls of the whipped frosting around the top edge of the cake. I used the Ateco 844 icing tip.
29. Place sliced strawberries around the bottom edge of the cake. Place strawberry halves on top of the cake around the inside of the swirls.
30. Pip a small shell border around the bottom edge of the cake.
31. Store the cake (in an airtight containter, if possible) in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Cake is best for 2-3 days.
Notes
* If you’ve never made a strawberry puree before, don’t worry, it’s very easy. All you need to do is place them in a food processor and pulse them until the berries are smooth.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 700
- Sugar: 48.2 g
- Sodium: 403 mg
- Fat: 41.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 69.6 g
- Protein: 14.8 g
- Cholesterol: 168 mg
Categories
Enjoy!
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Can you color this frosting? I need it blue so can I add food coloring to it without messing it up?
Yes, you could add color to it. I’d use gel icing color, not food coloring.
I made this for Mothers Day lunch yesterday and it was a hit. It was easy to make. I used a 9″ cake and springform pan. I followed someone’s suggestion and put thin sliced fresh strawberries between two of the layers on top of the frosting. It was a hit!
Awesome! Glad it was a hit!
Do you purée your own strawberries or do you buy something already made at the store?
I puree my own.
This was seriously the best cake I have ever made! Every one loved it!. The cheese cake layer was perfect and I loved the strawberry extract to add extra flavor. I am not usually a strawberry dessert fan, bur this was delish!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi, I need to make this in a 13″ pan feeding a lot if people.
Should I double or triple the cheesecake recipe?
Gosh, I’m not really sure. I would probably triple it.
Can the cheesecake be made in a springform pan?
Sure. You just don’t want it to leak out of the pan without a crust and the size may be slightly different than the cake pans you use for the cake layers.
I made mine in a spring form pan, but I still lined it with foil to make it easy to come out. It wad flawless, and then I didn’t need to wash another dish.
I’m trying this cake for first time for 50th birthday on 12/09. Can I prepare the whipped cream frosting a few days before and store airtight in fridge and do you have an easy strawberry puree recipe? Thank you,
I’m sorry I’m late to answer you! The whipped cream frosting won’t do well sitting and then being stirred back up. You want to make it right before you add it to the cake. For the strawberry puree, just puree strawberries in a food processor/blender.
Will the cheesecake layer fit in a 8in pan or will I have to half the recipe?
It would be pretty tall as an 8 inch. Here is my guide to adjusting cheesecake sizes, which might be helpful. Depending on how tall you want your middle layer, you could reduce things by 1/3, like I show for a 7 inch cheesecake, and then bake it in an 8 inch. It would be a little less tall, but that might just right for the cake.
Hi, I would like to make this cake for my daughter’s birthday. Do you think it will be ok if I make the entire cake the day before her birthday and chill it? So I will need to make the cheese cake layer two days before so it will set.
Yes, that should be totally fine.
Thanks Lindsay.
I’m wanting to make this fit a little girl’s birthday – if I make it Friday evening – will it be ok to serve Sunday? I’m out of town Saturday and won’t be be back for party.
Yes, that would be fine.
I’m planning to make this for my daughters birthday but I’m wanting to add gumpaste and fondant designs. Is this possible with the whipped cream cheese icing or will it cause them to weep or ruin them at all?
I suppose it depends on what kind of decorations you’re adding. There is plenty of moisture in the frosting and it’s not as stiff as buttercream. If they are flat decorations, that you just press up against the frosting, it’d probably be fine. But if it’s something 3D and standing, it may not be OK if it’s on there for too long and soaks up lots of moisture.
I made this cake for granddaughter’s sweet 16 birthday and it came out beautiful and was a huge hit with everyone. It was delicious. By following your directions to a tee didn’t get one crack in the cheesecake portion of the cake!
Awesome! I’m so glad it was a hit!
I made this for my daughter’s birthday and it was a HUGE hit. Everyone loved it!!
Awesome! So glad it was a hit!
Super excited to try this cake! What do you use for “strawberry purée”? I can’t find anything called that specifically!
You add strawberries to a food processor or blender and puree them. 🙂