Strawberry, Ginger and Ricotta Cheesecake

By Dana Sims on September 10, 2020 in Food

Honouring an old favourite. Photo: Dana Sims, instagram: @stone_and_twine

A bright, sweet cheesecake is a great way to kick off spring, especially this year! I love a dessert that hits the sweet and savoury notes, and the mix of strawberry, ginger and ricotta is a delicious way to honour this old favourite. The strawberries have been macerated, creating enough of a syrupy drizzle to pour over the entire dish. It’s fun to be decorative with your desserts, so pull out your favourite ceramics and set the table for an afternoon of high tea.

Ingredients
Base
250g (1pkt) ginger nut biscuits
80gm butter, melted
Cheesecake filling
500g fresh ricotta
225g cream cheese, softened
400g marscarpone
2 tbsp ground ginger
½ cup strawberry jam
150g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste
4 eggs
1.5 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water
Topping
2 x 250g punnets fresh strawberries, tops removed, quartered
4 tbsp icing sugar, sifted
A good squeeze of lemon juice

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees fan forced. Grease and line the base of a 20cm springform round baking tin. Place gingernut biscuits in a food processor and pulse until they are broken down to even and fairly fine crumbs. Add the butter and pulse to combine. Remove and press into the base of your tin and chill in the fridge for half an hour.
2. To prepare the filling, place ricotta, cream cheese (softened), marscarpone, strawberry jam, caster sugar, lemon zest, vanilla paste and ground ginger into a food processor and pulse until smooth.
3. Add the cornflour/water mix and the eggs to the food processor and pulse until combined. The ingredients should be well incorporated and smooth.
4. Pour the mixture over the chilled base and bake for 1 hour. Without removing the cheesecake from the oven, turn off the heat and allow the cheesecake to rest and cool in the oven for a further hour, then remove from the oven and leave in the tin until completely cool.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the strawberries for the top of the cheesecake. In a bowl, combine the cut strawberries, a generous squeeze of lemon juice and icing sugar and toss to coat the strawberries. Let them sit for at least half an hour to macerate. This will provide a syrup amongst the softened strawberries (they should still be firm, not mushy).
6. Remove the cheesecake from the tin and transfer to a serving plate. Spoon the strawberries and syrup over the cheesecake and serve.
7. The cheesecake can be made in advance and refrigerated overnight, however only prepare and add the macerated strawberries when you are ready to serve.

Dana Sims is a Sydney-based food and prop stylist who has grown up in the Eastern Suburbs and loves to create delicious food for entertaining and family. She is inspired by the fresh produce we have access to here in Sydney. For ideas, recipes and styling inspiration, check out her Instagram @stone_and_twine.