It’s not really the peak of strawberry season right now, but I’m still finding the most amazing sweet strawberries in my market. I’ve been obsessed with eating them sliced up with Honey- Vanilla Bean Greek Yogurt as a pre-workout breakfast. And they’re delicious too in my latest cheesecake cake creation: Strawberry Cheesecake Cake
So you get the idea, right? Two layers of cake with a layer of cheesecake in the middle. Covered with frosting too. I love these cakes best since you get both cheesecake and cake in the same dessert. This version sports a strawberry cake, classic cheesecake and strawberry buttercream frosting.
One of the keys to making this sort of cake successful is to make nice, even layers. Even layers can be accomplished by using insulated bake even strips. Invest in them and your cake-baking life will be changed forever. Trust me, they work!
I wasn’t super duper happy with the cake recipe I tried. It made too much batter and the resulting cake was much too dense. It was yummy, just too dense. So I’m going to go ahead and suggest you make THIS ONE from the blog- Confections of a Foodie Bride. Just print out her recipe and use those two cake layers to make this cheesecake cake. If you’re one of those “I only use box mixes!” kind of people, you can certainly use a strawberry cake box mix for this recipe too. It’s flexible… you just need two 9-inch round strawberry cake layers.
Strawberry frosting just gets plopped on top (no need to frost in between layers as you usually do for a layer cake since that cheesecake layer will be enough to sandwich the two layers together).
Spread the frosting over the sides and cover the whole cake with it. See those strips of waxed paper that are tucked under the sides of the cake? That’s my secret for making sure your platter stays clear of major frosting smudges. After you frost the cake, just slip out those pieces of waxed paper and toss them. Then you’ll have a pretty cake on a clean platter!
Decorate with a few fresh strawberries, and you’re good to go. Some white chocolate shavings would be good on here too.
Cut into slices and serve. Or refrigerate until you’re ready to do so.
I’m having a hard time deciding if this is my new favorite cheesecake cake, or if one of those others I’ve made is better. This one is sure pretty for a girl’s birthday (or baby shower), and it’s a fun summery sort of cake when the need for something summery strikes.
Oh, and don’t let the long instructions scare you. It’s very simple to pull off… just follow each step as directed and you can create this beautiful cake too. ENJOY!
You may also be interested in my other cheesecake cakes:
Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake
Chocolate Cheesecake Cake
Green Velvet Cheesecake Cake
Strawberry Cheesecake Cake
Recipe Details
Ingredients
CHEESECAKE:
- Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated white sugar
- pinch of salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
STRAWBERRY CAKE:
- I used this recipe- good, but rather dense & you'll probably have a bit of extra batter so make a few cupcakes: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/10/pink-lady-cake/
I recommend you try this one instead- it looks much lighter: http://www.jasonandshawnda.com/foodiebride/archives/1088/
See *NOTES below if you prefer to use a boxed mix.
FROSTING:
- 12 ounces (1½ packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room, temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup strawberry puree (frozen strawberries thawed and blended in a blender)
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- 2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
DECOR:
- fresh strawberries and/or slivers of white chocolate, as desired
Instructions
PREPARE THE CHEESECAKE LAYER:
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to blend the cream cheese until it is smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in the sugar and salt and blend for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure all is mixed in. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending after each addition. Finally, mix in the sour cream, whipping cream and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the cheesecake for 45 minutes. It should be set to the touch and not jiggly. It might be cracked on top- it doesn't matter. Let it cool on a wire rack for at least an hour. When it has cooled, place the pan into the freezer and let the cheesecake freeze completely (4 to 5 hours or overnight).
PREPARE THE CAKE:
- Bake two- 9-inch round strawberry cake layers (your recipe preference- see ingreds and NOTES below for suggestions)
PREPARE THE FROSTING:
- Use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese and the butter, and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla, strawberry puree and cream and continue to mix until well combined. Mix in 2 cups of the powdered sugar. Add the third cup a little at a time until you reach a consistency that you're happy with. You may not use it all, or you may use more. It just needs to be thick enough to be spreadable.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
- Place one cake layer into the center of a cake plate or platter. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, take off the sides of the pan, and slide a knife under the the cheesecake to release it from the pan. Trim the cheesecake, as needed to match the size of your cake layers (see *NOTES below). Put a little bit of frosting on top of the first layer of cake. Place the cheesecake layer on top of the first cake layer. Put a little more frosting on top of the cheesecake. Place the second cake layer on top of the cheesecake.
FROST THE CAKE:
- Apply a crumb coat layer of frosting to the cake (see *NOTES below), and refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes, or until the frosting is set. Apply the second layer of frosting, if needed. Decorate, as desired, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- *If you prefer to use a boxed mix, it will work just fine (just make two layers in two 9-inch pans). Here's a link to a jazzed up box mix that has good reviews too.
- *Measure your cheesecake layer against the cake layers. If the cheesecake layer turns out to be slightly larger size round than your cake layers, move it to a cutting board and use a knife to gently shave off some of the exterior of the cheesecake.
- *How to apply a crumb coat layer of frosting: use a long, thin spatula or knife to cover the cake completely with a thin and even layer of frosting. Wipe off the spatula each time you’re about to dip it back into the bowl to get more frosting (this way you won’t be transferring any pink crumbs into the bowl of frosting). Don’t worry at this point about the crumbs being visible in the frosting on the cake. When your cake has a thin layer of frosting all over it, place it into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to “set” the frosting. Once the first layer of frosting is set, apply the second layer.
- *If you are serving this cake at a party, it’s perfectly okay to leave the cake at room temperature for a couple of hours (the cheesecake thaws very quickly). Otherwise, keep it stored in the refrigerator. It also freezes perfectly. Freeze it as is, then wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the freezer until it is needed. Leftover slices may also be wrapped and frozen.
Hi! Whilst surfing the web for something to do with the 500g of strawberries I had sitting in my fridge, my heart skipped a beat when I saw the words “strawberry cheesecake cake.” My 3 favourite things in 1! I had to make it! And I did and it’s just the most delicious thing I’ve ever baked.
However, as I’m a brit and work in grams instead of cups, I pretty much guestimated all of the measurements as it’s really difficult to find acurate conversions. I keep meaning to invest in some cups, but it’s just not how I’m used to baking and it’s such a shame because I see fabulous recipes all the time on US websites and blogs but usually skip past them the moment I see the word “cup”. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who does this. So, I’m writing to ask if you could give the ingredients in grams, not just for this recipe but for all your future recipes. It would be very much appreciated. Thanks 🙂
Hi Shelley, I’m afraid I don’t know how to do conversions so I can’t be of help there 🙁 You can substitute yogurt for the sour cream if you cannot locate SC.
I hope you can see it, it’s really important – I want to know if I have to make 2 of the recipe here http://www.jasonandshawnda.com/foodiebride/archives/1088/ (extra amount) or is it enough to fill 2 layers? because I’m buying the stuff before starting to bake, and I don’t really want to get stuck with tones of extras later! And what mold size should I use?
Thank you!
That recipe makes one 2-layer cake, so you can just make it as instructed. I use 9-inch pans and a 9-inch springform pan for the cheesecake too.
I just made this cake to take to Easter dinner and it came out amazing! I followed the directions to the T and had no issues. I will def be making this again! THANK YOU!!!!
Made this last night for my daughters birthday. It was a huge hit! Thank you for sharing.
Yumm! I have a brother who is obsessed with strawberry cake, so I make him one every year for his bday. I too made the one from SK and found it to be way to heavy for my liking. I’m actually glad I found your post because usually Deb can do no wrong by me, so I thought that I must have messed it up some how. So it is good to know I am not the only one who got this result.
Have you made the cake by Foodie Bride? I am looking for a new recipe for my bro’s bday this year and it would be good to know if this one has been successful in other kitchens 🙂
I don’t think I have…
Is the cheesecake sturdy enough to be cut by biscuit cutters? I am looking to make strawberry cupcakes which I will than cut in half and put a cheesecake round in the center and frost. It will be a mini version of the cake 🙂
Thank you for your time and help on this.
I’m not sure about that one. Might be an awfully messy experiment! Let me know if you try it though!
I made this for my BF’s Birthday Party yesterday! It was such a success! And wowed everyone! Love this idea!
Exactly what I’ve been looking for for a few birthdays that are coming up!
What’s so amazing is all the comments about how wonderful the cake looks and only 1 person tried to make it. Who cares how it looks? How does it taste!!!!
I made this cake for a friend’s birthday, and I can say honestly that everyone loved it! Even people who don’t particularly like cake went bananas over this confection. I’m making the chocolate version of this for another friend’s birthday this week!
Does anyone know if this cake recipe (just the cake, not the cheesecake too)will hold fondant well? This cake looks absolutely B-E-A-U-TI-FUL and delicious, I would love to make it. I have a cake to do on Wednesday but need to cover with fondant. Thanks.
Tomorrow is my birthday and this cake would be the perfect gift! Hope my mom will take the hint!
Planning to make this Strawberry Cheesecake Cake this weekend and was wondering what cream cheese and whipping cream to use?
Also is the sour cream the same as soured cream?
🙂
Here in the US, “cream cheese” is sold in block form. “whipping cream” is also just referred to as cream. And “sour cream”… I’m not sure how else to describe it. It comes in a tub, the texture a little thicker than Greek yogurt. It’s what we use to add to Mexican food as a garnish. Does that help?
This looks delish & I am planning on making it for my friends Tickled Pink baby shower this weekend. One question: How long before serving should I frost the cake? I want to make sure the cheesecake layer has time to thaw before we serve, but want to wait as long as possible so that it will be super fresh! Thanks for the great idea!
How did I miss this? I was hunting for a birthday cake to make for myself and was checking out your other cheese cake cake, but I chickened out and made a non-cheesecake cake. Still craving, however, and this is gorgeous!
I’m using the one you recommended. It did crack a little, but as it cooled it seemed to be fine. Ill let you know how it turns out. I’m making for my son’s birthday
I am making this now, and when I took the cheesecake out the oven, I realized that I didn’t put it in the water bath. I put the water on the rack below. Do you think it will make a difference?
I guess you’ll know when you take it out! It’s okay if it cracks because it’s hidden between the cakes. Did you use the cake recipe I recommended or another?
Cheesecake and cake! And strawberries. With icing! I’m so impressed and wish I had a slice right now… Amazing and so beautiful… I’m featuring this post in today’s Food Fetish Friday (with a link-back and attribution as always). Thank you so much for keeping me inspired with such delicious creations…
My daughter wants to do cheesecake for her Flip Flops Summer’s Fading Fast 10th party next week….do you think that the cake and cheesecake would cut into flip flops? Or maybe I should do a beach scene around it and on top? Any ideas? Love the cake w/ cheesecake idea….
Well, since I’m not recommending using the recipe that is pictured and recommending you use the one I linked to, I can’t say for sure. I would think it might be tough to cut into flip flops, but that’s totally your decision!
Lori, this looks AMAZING!!!