Lemon Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake

Directions

1. Graham Cracker Crust: Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. Process 14 of the Graham Crackers in a food processor until fine crumb. Mix the sugar with the Graham Cracker crumbs and add the butter. Mix to combine. Pour the graham cracker mixture on the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch springform pan. Use a cup to press the crust down the bottom and up sides of the pan (about 2 inches). Bake the crust for 10 minutes – in the pre-heated oven. Remove from the oven and let it cool down.

2. Cheesecake Batter: Grease the exposed sides of the cheesecake pan (read notes). Beat Cream cheese for 3 minutes on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar and beat for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add Lemon zest. Scrape the bowl and beat for another 30 seconds. Add Sour Cream and mix to combine. Scrape bowl. Make sure to scrape bowl several times during mixing process to avoid cream cheese from lumping. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated. Along with last egg, add the vanilla and salt. Add lemon juice. Avoid over mixing after the eggs are added to prevent cracking of the cheesecake.

3. Assembly: Pour 1/2 of the cheesecake batter on the bottom of the baked and cooled graham cracker crust. Add about a cup of the Grandma Hoerner’s Strawberry Rhubarb filling in spoonfuls on top of the batter. Use a knife to swirl the fruit filling. Pour the last half of the cheesecake batter over the filling. Add the other cup of the Strawberry Rhubarb filling in spoonful’s on top of the batter. Swirl it with a knife. Wrap the bottom of the pan with a few layers of foil. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan and add hot water to the roasting pan to form a water bath. This is important so the cheesecake doesn’t crack. Bake the cheesecake in the pre-heated 325F oven for 60-75 minutes. Check the cheesecake by giving the pan a little wiggle. It should jiggle slightly in the center but the edges should look set. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in there for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool down. Don’t remove the ring of the pan yet. Place the cheesecake in the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours.

4. Whipped Cream: Beat the heavy cream with the powdered sugar and the vanilla with a mixer on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until it forms peaks. 

5. Decorate: You may want to use a cake lifter tool to place the cheesecake from the pan on a cake stand. Before serving , top the cheesecake with the whipped cream. It’s best to use a piping bag fitted with a 4B piping tip. Top the piped cream with a few fresh strawberries and a couple lemon slices.

6. Notes: To avoid cracks in the cheesecake, don’t over mix the eggs once they are added to the batter. Don’t skip the water bath. Leave the cheesecake in the oven once it’s done baking so it cools down slowly. Before opening the springform pan, run a knife around the edges of the cheesecake to ensure it won’t be stuck to the sides and make the cheesecake split.

7. Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature to ensure they get nicely incorporated together.

8. Mini Cheesecakes: You can bake the batter in cupcake tins to make mini cheesecakes. You will be able to obtain 24 mini cheesecakes, and baking time will be around 25 minutes for the mini cheesecakes. No water bath needed.

9. Greasing the Cheesecake Pan: I like to grease the exposed sides of the pan after baking the crust, because if I grease the cheesecake pan before adding the crust in, I have a hard time making the crust stick to the sides of the pan, and it makes the crust soggy.