CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 1 cup stroopwafel cookie crumbs

  • 3 packages strawberry Pop-Tarts, crumbled

  • 1 stick (113 g) unsalted butter, melted

For the Batter

  • 24 oz (680 g / 3 blocks) cream cheese, room temperature

  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

  • 3 large eggs, room temperature

  • 1 cup (240 ml) half-and-half

  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

For the Filling

  • About 1 cup (150 g) strawberries, hulled and finely chopped

  • 3 tbsp (35 g) granulated sugar

  • 1 tsp lemon juice

  • 1 tsp cornstarch

  • 1 tbsp water

For the Cream Drizzle

  • 4 oz (120 g) white chocolate, chopped

  • ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides.

  2. Combine strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until softened and juicy, 5–6 minutes.

  3. Mix cornstarch and water, stir into strawberries, and simmer 1 minute until thick. Remove from heat and cool completely.

  4. Mix stroopwafel crumbs and Pop-Tart crumbs. Add melted butter and combine until evenly moistened.

  5. Press crust firmly into the bottom and sides of the pan. Bake 8–10 minutes, then cool. Reduce oven to 325°F (165°C).

  6. Add cream cheese, sugar, eggs, half-and-half, and vanilla to a bowl. Mix until smooth. Do not whip.

  7. Pour batter over cooled crust. Spoon small amounts of strawberry filling on top and lightly swirl.

  8. Bake at 325°F for about 75 minutes, until edges are set and center is slightly jiggly.

  9. Turn oven off, crack the door, and cool inside 45 minutes. Cool at room temperature 1 hour, then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

  10. Heat heavy cream until steaming. Pour over white chocolate, let sit 1 minute, then stir smooth. Drizzle over chilled cheesecake.

Additional Notes

  • The strawberry filling did not need the cornstarch slurry. It thickened sufficiently just by simmering. Next time, I would skip the cornstarch entirely.

  • I’m not sure why the cream cheese refused to fully break down until it was pushed through a sieve. More research on cheesecake technique is needed here.

  • The white chocolate sauce was too thin and will need to be adjusted in the future.

  • Overall, this was a disaster to put together, but it did come out tasting like cheesecake. I don’t believe the process itself is difficult—there’s just a learning curve, and more practice is needed.

  • The decorative sugar melted after the cake was placed in the fridge. It looked unpleasant even though the cake tasted good. If presentation matters, it’s better to add decorative sugar per slice instead of over the entire cake.

  • The crust was a bit thick. Not a complaint, but I’ll likely use slightly less next time.

  • I didn’t end up adding all of the strawberries. Next time, I would prefer to include the full amount.

  • This cheesecake was extremely dense, which is how I like it. It was also very rich, so keep that in mind—this is not something you’re eating alone.