Roasted Strawberries-and-Cream Cheesecake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Left to my own devices this cake never would have happened, but the Silver Fox made a request that I couldn't refuse. He loves cheesecake and was taken with the notion of one made with roasted strawberries. He had seen the cake on Martha Stewart's site and ask me to try it. He rarely makes such specific requests and I felt duty bound to give it a try. I must also admit to some curiosity about the combination of roasted strawberries with cream cheese, and that, coupled with this picture from her site, completely hooked me. So? Let me begin by saying this is a nice cake, and those of you who enjoy cheesecake should consider giving it a try. The deeper flavor of the roasted strawberries certainly makes the cake interesting and worth a one-shot, if nothing more. The cake is not without problems. Fortunately, they can be overcome with a little patience and some common sense. My cake needed a full 70 minutes of baking to barely set and, by that time, the surface of the lovely creamy layer had turned a decidedly beige hue. I was still not convinced it was done enough to hold together when released from the pan, so I let in stay in the oven, heat off, until it cooled. Fortunately that, plus a full 24 hours in the refrigerator, did the trick. Strawberries-and-beige lacks the panache of strawberries-and-cream, so I put a glaze on the top of my finished cake to hide a less than stellar color. If I make this again, I'll opt for a sour cream topping rather than the glaze, which I think, in retrospect, provides too much contrast with the muddy pink of the strawberry layer . While the cake gains flavor the longer it sits, I would also add some strawberry extract to boost its taste next time around. That of course begs the question. Would I make the cake again? Probably not. I'm glad I tried it, but there are lots of cheesecakes out there that I prefer. Here's the recipe for those of you I haven't scared away.

Roasted Strawberries-and-Cream Cheesecake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

Ingredients:
1 pound strawberries, hulled
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup finely ground graham crackers (about 4 sheets)
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 pound plus 13 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and reserved
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place strawberries in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with corn syrup, and toss gently to coat. Bake until syrup thickens and strawberries turn deep red and shrink slightly, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer strawberries and syrup to a medium bowl, and mash with a potato masher. Let cool completely.
2) Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and the melted butter in a small bowl. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan to make an even layer. Bake until crust is firm to the touch and has just darkened, about 10 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let crust cool completely.
3) Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Put cream cheese into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium-low speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl, then gradually add remaining cup sugar and the salt. Scrape down sides of bowl; add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl, and mix in vanilla bean seeds and mascarpone until very creamy and no lumps remain, about 3 minutes. (Reserve vanilla bean for another use.)
4) Transfer 5 cups cream cheese mixture to bowl with mashed strawberries; stir to combine. Pour strawberry-cream cheese mixture on top of crust; smooth with an offset spatula. Carefully spoon dollops of plain cream cheese mixture on top, smoothing with an offset spatula.
5) Wrap the exterior of the springform pan in 2 layers of foil; set in a large roasting pan. Fill roasting pan with boiling water until water reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake cheesecake until set, about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath, and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours (up to overnight). Yield: 8 to 10 servings.






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This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.