Whoever invented no bake cheesecake: What a genius. Summer or winter, it’s such a great dessert and the best is that you can just swap a few ingredients for a healthier and lighter version. Like this one. I used non-fat Greek yogurt and half-fat cream cheese, and instead of cookies with melted butter as crust (which I have to admit tastes really awesome tough) I used sponge cake, which is naturally (almost) fat free. And this sponge cake recipe by Martha Stewart is really really good, I promise. Makes this roasted strawberry cheesecake super light and extra refreshing. And it’s pretty, too!
Layered Roasted Strawberry & White Chocolate Cheesecake
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Melina Thompson
Serves: 12
INGREDIENTS
- FOR THE SPONGE CAKE:
- 1 cup / 120g all-purpose flour
- 0.5 cup / 60g cornstarch
- 6 large eggs, separated
- 1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup / 170g sugar
- pinch of salt
- FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLINGS:
- 3 cups fresh strawberries
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 lb / 450g nonfat greek yogurt
- 8 oz / 250g / one package cream cheese
- 1.5 cup / 180g powdered sugar
- 2.5 packs gelatin
- ¾ cup water
- 6 oz / 180-200g white chocolate
- You also need three 6-inch cheesecake pans and one 11 x 17 inch baking sheet, as well as a 6 inch cookies cutter.
INSTRUCTIONS
- SPONGE CAKE: Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C and butter your 11 x 17 baking sheet. Beat egg yolks, vanilla, and sugar on high speed in your stand mixer until thick and pale, about 3 minutes.
- Combine the egg whites and salt in a separate bowl and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 1½ minutes.
- With the mixer running, slowly add the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar. Continue beating until stiff and glossy, about 1 minute.
- Fold the egg-white mixture into the egg-yolk mixture. Then fold in the flour and cornstarch in three additions.
- Pour the batter onto the baking sheet and bake until light golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
- Let the cake cool down for at least 15 minutes and then cut out 2 circles with the cookie cutter, and 2 half circles (You will have to stick them together later).
- STRAWBERRY FILLING: Start with roasting the strawberries. Spread the washed strawberries on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar on top.
- Bake at 350°F / 180°C for about 20 minutes until strawberries are soft. Transfer them into a blender and puree.
- Combine the Greek yogurt and the cream cheese in the bowl of your stand mixer and mix on medium-high speed until well combined.
- Spoon out 1 cup and set aside.
- Mix in the strawberry puree and sift in the powdered sugar, continue to mix on low speed until well combined.
- WHITE CHOCOLATE FILLING: Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler. Once it's melted and cooled down a little bit, mix it into the reserved cup of yogurt-cheese mixture.
- Sprinkle the gelatin over ¾ cup of water and let it dissolve. Then slowly warm up the gelatin on your stove over low heat for about 1-2 minutes.
- Spoon 2 tablespoons of the gelatin into the white chocolate filling and the rest into the strawberry mix. Stir until well combined.
- ASSEMBLE CAKE: Line the sides of each cheesecake pan with parchment paper. Put the sponge cake circles on the bottom of each pan.
- Divide the white chocolate cheesecake filling on top of the sponge cakes and even it out.
- Put the pan in your freezer for just 10 minutes to let the layers set.
- Then divide the strawberry cheesecake filling amongst the pans and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Once the cakes are set and firm, stack them on top of each other and garnish with fresh strawberries!
Such a beautiful looking cake! i can’t wait to try this recipe
what a lovely cake and it sounds so delish!
This is beautiful! I love the idea of using a cake instead of a biscuit crust!
Thank you!
@Jenny: I love it, too! It really tastes amazing and is so fluffy and moist 😉
Melina, you seriously make the most GORGEOUS cakes!!! And your photography is phenomenal. What kind of camera do you use? Or photo editing software? I just adore the light in these photos!!
Thank you Erika! I’m using a Sony Nex C3 (http://amzn.to/17r0JOd) which is actually about 4 years old already but I’m thinking about getting a real DSLR with mirror 😉 I’m also using Photoshop Elements and Lightroom 4.
I just came across your blog and I’m loving the recipes. This looks so tasty and I love that pink hue of the cake
I tried… I failed…. tastes delicious, but didn’t set right. 🙁
Is the time for the gelatin to heat up 1-2 minutes or 1-22 minutes? Don’t want it not to turn out.
Its 1-2 😉
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Thank you a million and please carry on the enjoyable work.
I would please like the recipe for the Strawberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake, and the Pisatchio and Streawberry Cheesecake. Thanks .
Kind Regards Anica
Wow this cake is really looking so awesome, thank you for sharing your blog
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