STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE CAKE

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Recipe

Yields:
One 3-layer 6-inch cake

Prep time:
1 hour 30 minutes (plus chilling/freezing time)

Bake time:
30-32 minutes

Ingredients

For the Graham Cracker Crust & Cake:

  • 9 whole graham crackers

  • ¼ cup packed brown sugar

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

  • 1 cup buttermilk (room temperature)

  • ⅓ cup sour cream (room temperature)

  • 4 egg whites (room temperature)

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened

  • ½ cup vegetable oil

  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1 tablespoon cream cheese emulsion (optional)

  • 1 box white cake mix

For the Strawberry Sauce/Filling:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 1 (3-ounce) package strawberry Jell-O (with 1 tablespoon of the mix removed)

For the Cream Cheese Buttercream:

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

  • 8 ounces (1 brick) cream cheese, softened

  • ¼ cup heavy cream

  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

  • Pinch of salt

  • 7 to 8 cups powdered sugar

For Decorating:

  • 1 cup sliced strawberries (for filling)

  • Enough whole strawberries to cover the top of the cake

  • Red gel coloring

  • Crumbled graham crackers (for decoration)

Equipment

  • Food processor

  • Three 6-inch round cake pans

  • Wire rack

  • Small saucepan

  • Glass container

  • Stand mixer with paddle attachment

  • Rubber spatula

  • Cardboard cake round

  • Cake turntable

  • Angled icing spatula

  • Piping bag

  • Wilton 1M piping tip

  • Wooden spoon

  • Cake scraper (optional, for smooth sides)

  • Straight icing spatula

Instructions

1. Prepare the Cake Layers & Graham Cracker Crust

  1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease and flour three 6-inch round cake pans to prevent sticking.

  2. Make the Crust: In a food processor, pulse together the graham crackers, brown sugar, and melted butter until a crust forms. Divide the mixture evenly among the prepared cake pans. Using the bottom of a glass or a flat measuring cup, press the crust mixture firmly into an even layer in each pan.

  3. Make the Cake Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, egg whites, softened cream cheese, vegetable oil, pure vanilla extract, and cream cheese emulsion (if using) until thoroughly combined. Be careful not to overmix.

  4. Add the white cake mix to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

  5. Divide the batter evenly among the pans, pouring it directly over the graham cracker crusts.

  6. Bake for 30 to 32 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.

  7. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 1-2 minutes before carefully inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once completely cool, wrap each cake layer in plastic wrap and freeze until firm (this makes them easier to handle during assembly).

2. Prepare the Strawberry Sauce/Filling

  1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together the granulated sugar and 1 cup of water. Heat until the mixture comes to a boil.

  2. Remove 1 tablespoon of the strawberry Jell-O mix and discard. Add the remaining Jell-O mix and cornstarch to the boiling sugar mixture. Stir until fully combined and dissolved.

  3. Remove from heat and continue stirring until the mixture begins to thicken slightly as it cools.

  4. Transfer the strawberry sauce to a glass container, cover, and refrigerate until completely cooled and a thick, sauce-like consistency is achieved. If it sets up too firm (like Jell-O), microwave it for 10-second intervals until it reaches the desired sauce consistency.

3. Prepare the Cream Cheese Buttercream

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened unsalted butter on medium speed until it is light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).

  2. Add the softened cream cheese and beat until fully incorporated and smooth.

  3. Add the heavy cream, pure vanilla extract, and pinch of salt. Beat again until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

  4. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar, about ½ cup at a time, until it's all incorporated. The buttercream will be very thick at this point.

  5. If needed, add more heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin the buttercream to your desired consistency.

  6. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat for about 2 minutes, until the buttercream is lighter in color and texture.

  7. Transfer ⅔ cup of the buttercream to a small separate bowl. Add 1 drop of red gel coloring and stir until the color is evenly incorporated. Set aside for decorating.

4. Assemble the Cake

  1. Place a cardboard cake round on a cake turntable. Dot a small amount of buttercream in the center of the round and spread it out with an angled icing spatula. This will help secure your first cake layer.

  2. Place the first chilled cake layer on the cardboard round, crust side down.

  3. Spread a thin, even layer of the plain cream cheese buttercream over the top of the cake layer.

  4. Using a piping bag fitted with a round tip (or simply snip off the corner of the bag), pipe a buttercream dam around the outer rim of the frosted cake layer. This dam will hold your strawberry filling in place.

  5. Arrange thinly sliced strawberries in an even layer within the buttercream dam. Drizzle about ½ cup of the prepared strawberry sauce over the sliced strawberries.

  6. Carefully place the next chilled cake layer on top, aligning it evenly with the layer below. Repeat the buttercream, dam, sliced strawberries, and strawberry sauce steps.

  7. Place the final chilled cake layer on top.

  8. Crumb Coat: Apply a thin layer of the plain buttercream around the entire cake, covering the top and sides. This is called a "crumb coat" and traps any loose crumbs.

  9. Place the cake in the freezer for 2 minutes to allow the crumb coat to set.

  10. Using a wooden spoon, beat out any air bubbles from the remaining plain buttercream.

5. Decorate the Cake

  1. Spread a final, thicker layer of the plain buttercream around the entire cake. Use a cake scraper to achieve smooth sides and clean edges if desired.

  2. Using a straight icing spatula, carefully spread the reserved red buttercream along the bottom edge of the cake. Gently pull the red buttercream upwards around the sides of the cake, creating a subtle ombre or "watercolor" effect.

  3. Press a thin layer of graham cracker crumbles onto the cake along the bottom edge, adhering them to the buttercream.

  4. Fit a piping bag with a Wilton 1M piping tip and fill it with the remaining plain buttercream. Pipe a decorative shell border around the top outside rim of the cake.

  5. Sprinkle additional graham cracker crumbles over the shell border.

  6. Arrange the whole strawberries (or additional sliced strawberries) on the top of the cake, inside the piped border.

  7. Just before serving, drizzle the remaining strawberry sauce over the top of the strawberries.

Enjoy your beautiful and delicious Strawberry Cheesecake Cake with Graham Cracker Crust!