Strawberry cheesecake delight: Simple recipe for summer sweetness

Whenever the first sweet strawberries become available, I immediately plan for homemade baked goods. One of my all-time favourites has been the cheesecake with strawberries, which not only looks appetizing but also provides a good dose of protein, thanks to the addition of cheese. The best part is that its preparation takes a short time, and the result impresses every guest. Fluffy, delicate, moist, and wonderfully fruity – that's what this cake is like.

This cake appears in my kitchen during family gatherings and lazy weekends. I love it because it doesn't require complicated ingredients. Cottage cheese (or mascarpone), seasonal fruits, and a few basic pantry items are ready! The cottage cheese makes the cake more filling and gives it a distinctly milky, creamy taste and a wonderful texture. And because it's pretty firm, I can easily take it to a picnic or bike ride without worrying – it doesn't fall apart or crumble.

Ingredients for Cheesecake with Strawberries:

      
• 400 grams of strawberries,
• 1 tablespoon of potato starch.

For the Crumble:

          
• 30 grams of cold butter,
• 20 grams of powdered sugar,
• 50 grams of all-purpose flour.

For the Cake:

                              
• 200 grams of soft butter,
• 175 millilitres of sugar,
• 1 package of vanilla sugar (about 17 grams),
• 250 grams of ground cottage cheese (or mascarpone),
• 4 eggs,
• 500 millilitres of all-purpose flour,
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder,
• Powdered sugar for decoration.

Preparation:

1. First, prepare the crumble. In a bowl, mix the all-purpose flour with powdered sugar. Add the cold butter and cut into pieces. Rub these ingredients with your fingers until small lumps form. Place the prepared crumble in the fridge while you prepare the cake.
2. Now, handle the strawberries. Rinse them under running water, dry, and cut them into halves or quarters, depending on their size. Gently mix them with potato starch.
3. Sift the all-purpose flour through a sieve into a bowl and mix it with baking powder. Set it aside.
4. In a large bowl, cream the soft butter with sugar and vanilla until it forms a smooth, fluffy mass. Use a mixer, setting it to the highest speed.
5. Next, mix the ground cottage cheese (or mascarpone) until the ingredients combine.
6. Add the eggs, one by one, mixing thoroughly each time to ensure the ingredients combine well.
7. Finally, mix the sifted flour with baking powder at the lowest speed until the ingredients are combined. Avoid mixing for too long to prevent the cake from becoming tough.
8. Spoon the prepared batter into a rectangular pan (about 20x25 centimetres) lined with parchment paper. The batter is quite thick, so spread it evenly across the bottom of the pan.
9. Spread the prepared strawberries on top of the cake, pressing them gently into the batter.
10. Take the crumble out of the fridge and sprinkle it over the top of the cake, trying to cover the fruit evenly.
11. Place the pan in an oven preheated to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) at 4:00 PM Eastern Time and bake for about 50 minutes. Check with a skewer to see if the cake is baked—the skewer inserted in the centre should come out dry.
12. After baking, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely. Before serving, generously sprinkle it with powdered sugar, sifting it through a sieve.

This cheesecake with strawberries and crunchy crumble is a perfect choice for any occasion – from a family BBQ to a park picnic or a bike ride, as it holds its shape after slicing and doesn't crumble.