I’ve said this so many times now, but my best recipes tend to be the ones that I think up on the day of making. They’re the ones that are never planned or thought out. They’re usually inspired by what’s in my fridge, what’s surrounding me outside, or family and friends. This cheesecake wasn’t supposed to be today’s recipe. But when one recipe idea falls flat, I gotta pivot and try something new. Enter this cheesecake. I realized that the ice cream recipe I’m working on needed more time than I had planned for. The thing about ice cream recipes? They need lots and lots of time for testing because they need plenty of time to freeze. This freezing time always gives me issues because I never plan for it. So, while I’ve got some ice cream in the works, it’s currently in my freezer “chilling out”. Since ice cream clearly wasn’t happening for today, I figured cheesecake was a very good swap. Scratch that, an extra delicious swap. But guys, as mentioned above, this is not your average cheesecake…
(strawberry layer of cheesecake)
(after adding the “plain” layer and swirling)
The idea.
A couple of things inspired this recipe, but it was really built in my head. I wanted to use the strawberries in the fridge and the chamomile from the garden. So I knew right away that my flavor profile was strawberry chamomile. With that in mind, I also knew I wanted to keep this simple…no stressing about cracks on top of my cheesecake…this needed to be “no fuss”. I thought back to last year’s blueberry basque cheesecake and decided to steal a few elements from that recipe, but also incorporate elements of a classic cheesecake. So I used a puff pastry crust instead of graham cracker. But I kept the filling a little more similar to a classic cheesecake with no heavy whipping cream. Instead of blueberries on top, I swirled in homemade strawberry chamomile jam…or really saucy jam. It’s the best of the two and it is very delicious.
(just after baking, before adding the reserved jam)
The details.
As I said, this is pretty simple. Start with that saucy strawberry chamomile jam. Boil together fresh strawberries, honey, and lemon juice until the strawberries release their juices and the sauce becomes “jammy”. Add a few chamomile tea bags and let the jam sit for a bit to allow time for the chamomile tea to be infused into the berries. When you open up the pot, you’ll immediately be hit with the sweet smells of strawberries and hints of chamomile. It is oh so wonderful!
Now, a few things. First, this is a saucy jam, so while it will thicken up as it cools, the berries should still have some sauce around them. Second, if you’d prefer not to use chamomile, that’s totally fine. You can simply skip the tea and make strawberry cheesecake. That will be great too. Lastly, if you’re not into the chamomile tea idea and also don’t want to mess with making the jam (even though it’s super easy), you can use store-bought jam. That should work nicely too.
Now, let’s finish it up.
Onto the filling. It’s pretty classic…cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla, with a bit of sour cream. Whip it all together and that’s your filling. Simple. The jam is swirled into half of the filling, then pour the filling over that puff pastry crust. The plain fill ing is then poured over the berry filling causing it all to immediately swirl together. This creates the prettiest strawberry swirls throughout the cake.
And now you bake. And honestly? The waiting time is probably the trickiest part, but the outcome is well worth it. When the cake comes out of the oven it will be a little jiggly in the center and puffed up on top…with most likely a crack or two. This is OK and exactly what you want. This is a cheesecake that embraces the cracks, so don’t stress. As the cake cools, it will settle down a bit. Chill the cake until ready to serve, then top with the remaining strawberry jam just before serving.
And that’s it. Every bite is a little flaky, has creamy cheesecake, and is swirled with sweet strawberries and hints of warming chamomile tea. This simple cheesecake is every bit as delicious as it sounds. A great Tuesday night baking project, don’t you think? Yes, yes. Let’s make…and then be sure to share a photo on Instagram. I love seeing everyone’s creations!!
Looking for other cheesecake recipes? Here are a few ideas: Simple Blueberry Basque Cheesecake Whipped Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake No-Bake Eton Mess Berry Cheesecake Lastly, if you make this simple strawberry chamomile cheesecake, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
