Strawberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake

This rustic small-batch homemade strawberry and white chocolate cheesecake consist of a creamy white chocolate cheesecake layer infused with a strawberry compote, sitting on a buttery biscuit base.

Valentine's day happens to be a few days away, and what better way than to make a small-batch white chocolate cheesecake infused with a strawberry compote?

Why small-batch? This cheesecake comfortably makes 4-6 slices, which I find is more manageable for the average household, without having too much extra cheesecake in the house. Especially with us working from home more often these days, smaller batches satiate the sweet tooth without being too much.

This particular cheesecake recipe is based on my Mini Blueberry Cheesecakes (which are delicious little cheesecake morsels!). I wanted a white chocolate cheesecake base, so I swapped out some sugar for white chocolate and went with a strawberry compote because strawberries are delicious, they are pink, they scream romance, and they are in season.

And if you are looking for a quicker yet still very cutesy Valentine's recipe, why not try our my White Chocolate Red Velvet Cookies!

What You Need for this Recipe

Equipment

This recipe requires a regular loaf pan, baking paper, a stand mixer or electric handheld mixer and a spatula.

Ingredients

Biscuit Base

• Biscuits - I like malt o'milk, ginger nuts, Nice biscuits, or Lotus Biscoff biscuits for the base here in New Zealand.
• Butter binds the biscuit crust together.

Cheesecake Filling

• Cream Cheese - firm cream cheese is needed for a really good cheesecake. Here in New Zealand, I suggest using Philadelphia cream cheese blocks.
• Sour Cream - light or regular cream cheese or creme fraiche adds to the tang of the cheesecake and adds to the freezing capability of the unbaked cheesecakes.
• Eggs bind the filling together.
• Caster sugar adds sweetness to this cheesecake without adding additional flavour. Granulated white sugar will also work.
• Vanilla Extract and Lemon Juice give a nice flavour to the cheesecake.
• Flour thickens the batter as a whole.
• White Chocolate gives a delightful white chocolate flavour - you can use chips, discs or a bar of chocolate, but use the best quality you can. If you are unsure of the quality of white chocolate chips or discs - stick with bar of white chocolate (like Lindt or Whittakers).

Strawberry Compote

• Strawberries: Fresh or frozen strawberries- the choice is yours. If using frozen strawberries do not defrost them ahead of time. Just toss them in the pot.
• Sugar sweetens the compote.
• Lemon Juice adds a nice brightness to this compote. If you do not have fresh lemon juice, a teaspoon of concentrated lemon juice will work.
• Corn starch to thicken the compote when cooking.

Salt is a crucial ingredient in all baked goods. I use table salt in all my recipes. One teaspoon of table salt equals 1.5 teaspoons of Morton Kosher Salt equals 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal.

Making the Strawberry Compote

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized pot and simmer over medium heat, until the mixture begins to bubble a bit. Reduce the heat slightly and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon mashing some of the berries in the cooking process.
2. The compote is finished when a spoon is dragged across the bottom of the pot and leaves a trail for a few seconds before rejoining.
3. Allow the berry compote to cool before placing it into a glass jar, or another fridge-suitable container. The compote can be made 2 to 3 days before the rest of the cheesecake.

Making the Biscuit Base

1. Grease and line a loaf tin with two slings of baking paper, one across the wide part of the tin and one across the narrow part of the tin. This will allow easy removal when the cheesecake is baked, and cooled. Preheat the oven to 160°C or 140°C fan assisted.
2. Crush the biscuits or process in a food processor until you have a sandy crumby mixture. Add the melted butter and mix until just combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared tin and bake for 10 minutes.

Making the Cheesecake Filling

1. Allow all the ingredients to come to room temperature. This will take about an hour and is crucial for a smooth creamy cheesecake. Cold ingredients will result in lumps. Preheat the oven to 160°C or 140°C fan assisted.
2. Place the white chocolate into a heatproof bowl, and zap in the microwave at 20-second intervals, stirring and repeating until the chocolate has melted.
3. Whisk or beat the cream cheese using a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer, sugar, flour and lemon juice on a medium speed for about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add in the sour cream, cooled melted chocolate and vanilla, beat until fully combined. On a medium speed add in the eggs and beat until just combined.
4. Pour about half of the white chocolate cheesecake mix over the biscuit base and smooth over using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. Spoon half the strawberry compote over the cheesecake layer and swirl into the cheesecake filling. Top with the rest of the cheesecake filling and finish off with a swirl.
5. Place the loaf tin into a larger roasting tin, fill it halfway with water and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges have set but the centre still has a bit of a jiggle. Switch off the oven and prop the door open with a wooden spoon and allow it to cool into the oven for at least 30 minutes before removing and allowing it to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
6. Pop the cheesecake in the fridge to cool for at least 6 hours to overnight before serving.

TIP - the cheesecake will most likely crack because of the swirl but this gives the cheesecake a nice rustic look.

TIP - Instead of pouring the second half of the compote over the cheesecake before baking, keep it aside and serve as a sauce.

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Pro Tips for the Strawberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake

The temperatures stated are for conventional ovens. For convection, fan-forced, fan-assisted, or air-fryers, the temperature must be reduced by 20°C/25°F.

For baking, make sure the oven is fully preheated, and that the rack is in the middle of the oven. Open the oven as little as possible. For best baking results use an oven thermometer.

Remember that all ovens work slightly differently and bake times may need to be adjusted for your specific oven.

Making the Cheesecake Ahead of Time

Cheesecakes are great because they are meant to be made the day before serving. Make the strawberry compote two days before the event, and the actual cheesecake a day before.

Storage and Freezing

This whole cheesecake can be frozen by wrapping a cold cheesecake in cling film and then foil, for up to 30 days. Allow the cake to thaw for at least 2 hours before serving.

Individual slices can be placed in the freezer on a plate and allowed to freeze for an hour or two before wrapping in plastic wrap and foil for up to 30 days. Allow the slice to thaw for an hour before serving.

Strawberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake FAQ

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Recipe Card

Small-Batch Strawberry White Chocolate Cheesecake

Mary-Lou

This rustic small-batch homemade strawberry white chocolate cheesecake is a baked cheesecake that consists of a creamy white chocolate cheesecake layer infused with a strawberry compote, sitting on a buttery biscuit base.

4.7 from 3 votes

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Prep time.Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook time.Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total time.Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

CourseCourse Dessert

CuisineCuisine American

Servings 8 slices

Equipment

• Loaf Pan (9x5 Inch - 23x13cm)

Ingredients

 

MCUPS

 

½x1x1.5x2x3x

Strawberry Compote

• 1 cups strawberries Fresh or frozen - do not defrost frozen berries, slice fresh strawberries into 8ths
• 30 grams white granulated sugar (granulated or caster)
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice

Biscuit Base

• 160 grams malt/ginger biscuits
• 85 grams melted butter

Cheesecake Filling

• 150 grams white chocolate
• 500 grams cream cheese
• 75 grams white granulated sugar (caster/granulated)
• 120 grams sour cream
• 1 tablespoon plain flour (all-purpose/standard grade)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

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Instructions

Strawberry Compote

• Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized pot and simmer over medium heat, until the mixture begins to bubble a bit. Reduce the heat slightly and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon mashing some of the berries in the cooking process.
  1 cups strawberries, 30 grams white granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• The compote is finished when a spoon is dragged across the bottom of the pot and leaves a trail for a few seconds before rejoining.
• Allow the berry compote to cool before placing it into a glass jar, or another fridge-suitable container. The compote can be made 2 to 3 days before the rest of the cheesecake.

Biscuit Base

• Grease and line a loaf tin with two slings of baking paper, one across the wide part of the tin and one across the narrow part of the tin. This will allow easy removal when the cheesecake is baked and cooled. Preheat the oven to 160°C/320F.
• Crush the biscuits or process in a food processor until you have a sandy crumby mixture. Add the melted butter and mix until just combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared tin and bake for 10 minutes.
  160 grams malt/ginger biscuits, 85 grams melted butter

Cheesecake Filling

• Allow all the ingredients to come to room temperature. This will take about an hour and is crucial for a smooth creamy cheesecake. Cold ingredients will result in lumps. Preheat the oven to 160°C/320F.
• Place the white chocolate into a heatproof bowl, and zap in the microwave at 20-second intervals, stirring and repeating until the chocolate has melted.
  150 grams white chocolate
• Whisk or beat the cream cheese using a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer, sugar, flour and lemon juice on a medium speed for about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
  500 grams cream cheese, 75 grams white granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon plain flour, 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Add in the sour cream, cooled melted chocolate and vanilla, beat until fully combined.
  150 grams white chocolate, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 120 grams sour cream
• On a medium speed add in the eggs and beat until just combined.
  2 eggs
• Pour about half of the white chocolate cheesecake mix over the biscuit base and smooth over using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. Spoon half the strawberry compote over the cheesecake layer and swirl into the cheesecake filling. Top with the rest of the cheesecake filling and finish off with a swirl.
• Place the loaf tin into a larger roasting tin, fill it halfway with water and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges have set but the centre still has a bit of a jiggle. Switch off the oven and prop the door open with a wooden spoon and allow it to cool into the oven for at least 30 minutes before removing and allowing it to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
• Pop the cheesecake in the fridge to cool for at least 6 hours to overnight before serving.

Notes

For fan-forced or fan-assisted ovens decrease the temperature by 20°C/25F.

The cheesecake will most likely crack because of the swirl but this gives the cheesecake a nice rustic look.

Instead of pouring the second half of the compote over the cheesecake before baking, keep it aside and serve as a sauce.

Cheesecakes are great because they are meant to be made the day before serving. Make the strawberry compote two days before the event, and the actual cheesecake a day before.

This whole cheesecake can be frozen by wrapping a cold cheesecake in cling film and then foil, for up to 30 days. Allow the cake to thaw for at least 2 hours before serving.

Individual slices can be placed in the freezer on a plate and allowed to freeze for an hour or two before wrapping in plastic wrap and foil for up to 30 days. Allow the slice to thaw for an hour before serving.

I decorated this cheesecake with some chantilly cream (whipped a cup of double cream with 2 tablespoons of icing sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract) and white chocolate shavings.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 587kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 42g | Sodium: 434mg

Nutrition information is an estimate. If scaling the recipe remember to scale your cook and bakeware accordingly. All temperatures stated are conventional, unless otherwise stated. Recipes tested in grams and at sea level.

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