Strawberry Cheesecake

You know I always look through all the reviews of any recipe I try here but have never written one, however, this cheesecake is so good I've decided to break my silence. I found this recipe about a year ago and my friends and family honestly cannot get enough of it. I make very few minor changes - I cut down the cream cheese from 3 packages to 2, increase the amount of gram crackers to 2 cups and add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to the crust. I use low fat everything and no one can tell the difference. Lastly, I would also suggest baking this in a water bath, I've always done so and have never had a problem with the cheesecake cracking (though I am also very careful not to over mix). So that's it, that's my review! I would absolutely, positively, 100% recommend trying this recipe... you won't be disappointed

Good cheesecake, very easy to make, just don't overwhip or you get the cracking. I found out the hard way =( Will definately make again.

This cheesecake was amazing! I took it to a birthday party the first time I ever baked it and it was a smash hit. It serves 8, there were only 6 of us there and the cheesecake was all gone in less than 3 minutes. I only added 2 packages of cream cheese and I added some vanilla. The taste and texture were perfect and better than any restaurant I have ever had!

Thanks to this recipe, I became as the " cheesecake expert " in my little town. Everyone DEMANDS for this cheesecake, everytime we have dinner, a potluck or a party! It's so easy to make ( after the 2nd or 3rd time ), because you tend to get used to the steps that are necessary to make it just like a cheesecake that is bought at gourmet bakeries. This cheesecake is extremely beautiful and it has a very smooth, wonderful texture. I have always sworn by the water bath method though, when making cheesecakes, bc it gives it that smooth, creamy texture, without browning the top. The best way to achieve this is put very hot water into a metal bowl, then place the spring pan carefully ( while wrapped in foil at the sides ) in the metal bowl. I bake it at the required temperature for only 30 mins and leave it overnight in the oven, to set. In the morning, I see the sides of the cheesecake separating from the spring pan, so it's easier and prettier to spring out. I also learned that overbeating the cheesecake creates cracks. DO NOT OVERBEAT! You can avoid this by making sure that the cream cheese is at room temperature. Also, once you put the eggs in, you can forego the electric mixer and mix by hand for a few seconds, so bubbles won't appear. You will end up with a very smooth finish and a creamy cheesecake!

WOW! This is a wonderful recipe. The only change I made was using fresh strawberries instead. A new family favorite!

This is a seriously tasty cheesecake!!! I just added 1 tbs. of vanilla extract to the cheesecake base.

Very good recipe and it was quite easy to make!!!! I actually omitted the butter and the sugar because I had bought 2 graham cracker pie shells and divided the recipe between the two. I put the 1 T of water into my pot that I used to boil the strawberries (so the bottom would not burn)and it turned out GREAT! The family enjoyed it and I am headed to the store to pick up more ingredients to do a few more for some friends. Thank you so much!

It was beautiful! And very tasty! I made it for a gathering at home and everyone loved it! My hubby is a huge fan of cheesecake and is very picky as well and he loved it!!! My brother in law too! (He asked which bakery did I buy it from ;p) I'm so impressed. This is my 1st cheesecake and it came out so good. I followed the recipe except I cut down the cream cheese to 2 packages, added vanilla in both cheese mixture and base. Used unsweetened strawberries and added sugar myself so that I have a control of the sweetness (I don't want it to be too sweet). The lemon juice was great! I added some in the strawberry mixture and of course the cheese mixture too. I can't say enough good things about this recipe! If you're a cheesecake lover, don't miss it!!! Highly recommended ;)

This was fantastic! It wasn't too rich, and the strawberry flavor was just right. I made this for a Valentine's Day dessert and dropped a little sauce in circles around the edges and then ran a toothpick through them to make them look like hearts. I will definitely make this one again!

This recipe was very easy and tasted great. I didn't have time to chill for the full recommended amount of time. It was only in the fridge for about 4 hrs. and it was a tad bit soft in the middle but everyone liked it that way and it really wasn't a big deal.

I slightly altered the recipie to make up for ingredients that I didn't have...very yummy!

VERY GOOD! Everyone loved it!

This is the FIRST cheesecake I ever made and it was such a hit that in the last week, I have made four already, because people keep on asking for them! However, I made a few changes and followed some very careful steps, so as not to have a ` faulty ` cheesecake...and the steps and tips I read on here, worked fantastically well! a) I only put it for 140 degrees, but for a longer time of 55 minutes. This seems to have made it perfect and not brown it on the top whatsover. b) I also cooked it with the water bath method and it was amazing. No cracks, no bubbled on top and the patterns stayed on well. c) I added a vanilla extract, lessened the amount of lemon juice, added a bit more condensed milk and used 1 3/4 of the Philadelphia cream cheese brand. This made a very rich, creamy cheesecake!

1. A bit too creamy for my liking - and I actually make cheesecakes a lot. I think this has something to do with the sweetened condensed milk. 2. The cheesecake itself lacks in strawberry flavor, though it smells great when pulling it out of the oven. Without the extra strawberry sauce, it would be disappointing. But the sauce shouldn't be what makes a cheesecake. It should serve only to complement the cheesecake. 3. As a tip, just nuke the strawberries with the cornstarch, then blend it or food processor it. No need to boil on the stove, saves energy and preserves more nutrients this way. Also, you don't need sweetened strawberries. I think it would have been sickly. 4. Although I didn't try it, I suspect fat free sweetened condensed milk would have been just as good. 5. I'm not 100% convinced about the baking time. It appeared to set fine though it was a tad more jiggly than I usually like (and I let it sit an additional hour or two after the baking time with the oven off), but usually recipes call for that amount of time at 325 degrees (50-60 mins) or 350 degrees (approx 40 mins), and those recipes don't have the added moisture from lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk. My suggestion would be to make Chantal's New York Cheesecake and use the strawberry sauce from this recipe. Also add more sauce to the cheesecake itself. Ironically, I haven't made Chantal's cheesecake before, but if I try a strawberry cheesecake again, this is what I would do.

I used this recipe to make my first cheesecake ever and it turned out EXCELLENT! I read many reviews before attempting such a feat. Just to contribute, I followed the recipe EXACTLY, with the exception of adding about a tsp vanilla extract to the cream cheese base (before mixing in eggs), like other reviewers have done. I put a glass plate of water on the bottom shelf of the oven just to keep the heat in there moist. I had no cracking problems. I also feel like the recipe has you make a lot more sauce than you need, but that's just personal preference. By having some in the middle and on top of the cheesecake, it was sufficient strawberry taste, in my opinion. This was GREAT and I can't wait to make more, maybe changing things up with another berry flavor :)

This recipe was a total hit! Instead of making one large cheesecake I made a few individual ones (by putting them in cupcake tins) and took them to work. My co-workers love cheesecake, but they all proclaimed that this was THE BEST cheesecake they've ever had. Halfway through I ran out of strawberry glaze though, so I used some frozen mixed berries (raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry mix) and that turned out quite well also (some of my co-workers like the mixed berries better!).

wonderfully delicious cheesecake and it was fun to make!

It was delicious! The only problem I found is that it tastes a little bit like lemon pie, i guess it is because of the lemon juice next time I'll add less of it and a little bit more sugar to the crust but other than that it's realllllllllllllly good!!!

This was a great recipe. The crust was amazing (although I ended up doubling the crust to hold all the cheesecake). I usually have problems with my cheesecakes cracking, but this one didn't, and I cooked as directed. Cook time was spot on. The only change I made was I couldn't find sweetened strawberries, so I made it with unsweetened and added about two tablespoons of sugar. The cheesecake was not very sweet, but I actually was glad, it was much lighter. I also used both reduced fat cream cheese and non-fat condensed milk, and everything still came out great!

Wow, great recipe. The only changes I did were: added vanilla to the batter and added strawberries to the strawberry sauce to top the cake; I also found that 1 bad of frozen strawberries was enough for both.

This was one of the best cheesecakes i made, i used a jar of Strawberry jam, a little bit of water, some white sugar and cornstarch, this made a perfect sauce for decorating the cheesecake and to drizzle over it

Awesome Recipe! I used 1 tsp of vailla in with the cream cheese, used room temp eggs, extra gramham cracker and lowfat butter. I made 8 mini cheese cakes in oven for 50min with a small pan of water on bottom rack. No cracking!

This cheesecake was easy and delicious! Make sure you read the instructions and make it at least a day before you need it! I wish whoever wrote the recipe had put it in a numbered list instead of one long paragraph; it's hard to follow. Anyway, great easy recipe. Everyone loved it.

Perfect Cheesecake! Better than store bought. I put a dish of water in the oven on the rack below the cheesecake while cooking, which helped it to not crack. Everyone loved it. I will definitely make this again.

This was amazing! I had one pre ready graham cracker crust and I knew from experience that 3 packages was too much so I reduced to 2 ( the premade store crusts pans ARE smaller then your regular glassware at home. So you made need 3 depending on size) Since I reduced the cream cheese I did not use the whole can of milk. I approximate about 3/4 w/o measuring. Only thing I would do different is too only puree the strawberry that will be worked into the cheesecake and leave the rest with whole pieces of sweet strawberry. RAVE reviews !!

I baked this cheesecake twice... This is a wonderful recipe! This time I cut the preparation time in half by buying an already made crust and using the nectar from the can of strawberry filling. The only reason I gave it a four star oppose to a five is because the direction says 45 minutes for cook time, but it spent over an hour in the oven. I think this happened because I used the spreadable cream cheese instead of the block. I would recommend this recipe to anyone who is trying to impress the dinner table with a fine dessert. WARNING:: MUST BAKE A DAY BEFORE

Very good! I didn't use the sweetened strawberries, I used frozen, whole strawberries, about 10 large strawberries, added 1/3 cup sugar, and pureed in the blender. This amount was plenty, and it seems to me that 2 (10 oz) packages of frozen strawberries would be more than what is needed for this recipe. It has a very nice "fresh" strawberry taste, and is restaurant quality. the finished product is visually appealing and tastes great. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

This is the first cheesecake I have ever made and I was so impressed with how well it turned out. I am a fanatic about cheesecake and this was as good as any I have ever had. I accidentally bought unsweetened strawberries so I added some sugar with them and it turned out great. I was sad to see the last piece go!

best ever cheesecake

I loved this cheesecake. I did make a few modifications out of necessity. I made mine blueberries and I put a bit of lemon zest in as well. I didn't have any sweetened condensed milk so I mix 1 c. milk (warmed), 2/3 c. sugar, 2 tsp. cornstarch and 3 tbl. butter as a substitute. The cheesecake came out beautifully and was oh so creamy. It was wonderful. Thank you for sharing the recipe because I now have it in my file of favorites.

This was my first attempt at a cheesecake and I am absolutely in love with it and so is my family. I will defiantly make it again with no hesitation.

this was the best cheesecake I have ever made! It was so soft and creamy, it was a big hit after Easter dinner. I boiled my berries first and then put them in a blender. I added a bit of vanilla and an extra 1/4 cup of lemon juice to the filling. I also used only 6 ounces of condensed milk and slightly more butter. I would bake this again

Really good and really easy, but when you taste it without the added strawberry sauce, the strawberry that was added to the actual cake really doesn't come through. It really needs the added sauce for the strawberry flavor. I used fresh strawberries and added a little sugar and water to the cornstarch. I overcooked mine by about 10 minutes, because I went outside and didn't hear the timer and it still came out nice and creamy. I think the condensed milk really helps make it goof proof.

This tastes OK, but it doesn't seem to have the right texture that a real cheesecake is supposed to have. It has a rubbery-like feel to it or something.

This is the best tasting cheesecake I've ever made! I made a few attempts using other recipes found on this website, however this recipe proved to be the best of all the ones I tried. I only made a few modifications. I used 2 cups of Peak Freans cookie crumbs instead of graham cracker crumbs, and omitted the sugar (because the cookies were sweet enough), and 1/4 cup margarine instead of butter for the crust. For a 9 inch springform pan, I reduced the cream cheese to 1 and a half (8 ounce) packages, and used low-fat cream cheese (you can't even taste the difference!). I also used 2 large eggs instead of 3 (to keep the cheesecake from tasting "egg-y", and added a bit of vanilla. I served it after chilling overnight with the strawberry sauce as in the recipe and sliced fresh strawberries from the local Farmer's Market. Not only does this cake look fabulous but it tastes even better! Will definitely make this recipe again!

Rave reviews from boyfriend, friends, etc. this is delicious and pretty easy to make. I am pretty sure I added more strawberry to swirl into the cake than it called for, and I used fresh strawberries and added a little bit of sugar. The fresh strawberry taste was to die for.

I've made both this and Chantal's cheesecake, and I prefer Chantal's over this recipe. However, the presentation is very pretty with all the strawberry swirls. As another review stated, I would make Chantal's cheesecake and use the strawberry sauce from this recipe next time.

I followed the recipe exactly and it was beautiful!!! When my family first saw it they didn't believe that I had made it, they though I bought it! Easy to make and good directions. Looked great and tasted even better!!!

If I could I give this 6 stars. This is the BEST recipe I have found on this site thus far. Easy to make, hard not to eat. I have people begging me for my cheesecake now. Have used both frozen and fresh berries. When using fresh, add a tbs of sugar. Also made it with blueberries...still divine.

This is the easiest recipe and the best tasting homemade recipe I have EVER tasted!

I recently made this Strawberry Cheescake for a family Birthday party.....it was a hit. Very simple to make as it was my first time making cheesecake! It looked very appealing as well.

I used a home-made shortbread base for this cheesecake, as well as a pound of fresh strawberries for the swirl, but otherwise followed directions. Very good cheesecake, and beating the creamcheese with the condensed milk gives the mixture a surprising amount of volume...

I made this for Easter. It was very easy, and it seemed like everyone was rushing dinner to get to the cheesecake:) I only used 2 pks. of cream cheese and added a little vanilla, but this was a very good recipe! Better than any store cheesecake

This cheesecake was a hit at the house! I used a 16 oz can of frozen sweetened strawberries instead of the recommended 20 oz and stil had plenty left over for topping. I also added about 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the recipe and made a little more crust to fit the springform pan. I baked the cheesecake a little over 50 minutes and it turned out perfect! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!

This cheesecake was so delicious! The only part I changed was I added some sugar (to taste) to the blended strawberries. Otherwise, it came out great!

I had baked this cake for a birthday. This is the first cheesecake I have baked. I followed the recipe pretty much exactly. I made the following changes: 1. I used just two packages of cream cheese. 2. I used fresh strawberries. I think I used the whole standard 12 oz pack that you generally get. One could use more strawberries if they want more fruity taste. I actually forgot to put sugar while making the strawberry sauce. It was good anyways. 3. I followed the water bath method too. Meny reviewers have suggested that. A friend of mine who bakes very well also suggested that. There were no cracks in my cake. 4. I think I added some vanilla in the crumbs too. Some suggestions: Do not forget to grease the pan. I did not grease the pan so the lower layer of crumbs was stuck too the pan and it was difficult to cut the cake. Take care that the lower layer also comes out clean. Overall, this is a very pretty and tasty cake. It is a little time consuming and one has to be careful too. Reading the reviews helped a lot! Loads of thanks to the one who uploaded the recipe !! Cheers !

My very first cheesecake and the prettiest cake I've ever baked. I only had half the strawberries and I could only find whole strawberries, unsweetened so I added 1/2 cup of sugar to the strawberry sauce and it was not overly sweet (there was still so much sauce that I had to freeze half of it). I used the water bath method, you'll find a video on this site showing you how to do this. It's quite simple and there were no cracks in my cake. I'll make this again on the next special occasion.

Amazing! The only thing I have changed is I used fresh strawberries instead of frozen. Delicious

Absolutely delicious and perfect

This is quite possibly the best and most flexible berry cheese cake recipe ever. I have made this for birthday parties and office potlucks and it is always the first thing eaten. I like to switch out the strawberries for blackberries when they are in season, I do add a about a quarter cup more sugar to the sauce though as blackberries tend to be a little bit more tart. I have started running my berry mix through a fine strainer to separate out all the seeds because man, blackberries and strawberries seem to be mostly seeds. I also like to mix it up when it comes to the gram cracker crust, using chocolate or cinnamon gram crackers have worked very well. Five stars only because i can't give it 10.

Very, very good. Made it a day ahead of time, following recipe exactly, except for the addition of a little cinnamon to the graham cracker crumbs. I baked it in a water bath and was careful not to overmix. There was not problem with cracking. I did have extra strawberry sauce left over, so I think you could safely cut back to 16 oz of strawberries.

This is a good strawberry swirl cheesecake, but I would reccomend using more strawberry. I actually reserved about 1c, and found that I was wanting more. The cheesecake part was good too..as with all of my cheesecakes, I did a water bath, and it came out very smooth and creamy.

The best cheesecake recipe I've found. I made two and followed the recipe exactly. They were perfect.

Absolutely fantastic! This was my first attempt at baking and I got rave reviews. I'm going to use this as my new specialty for get-togethers where I need to bring something.

This was one of the best cheesecakes I've ever had. It was the perfect mixture of sweet and creamy. I followed the recipe exactly. We ended up with a ton of strawberry extra sauce, so next time i will just make enough to put in the cheesecake since we didnt really need any on top.

Amazing. My family said it was the best cheesecake they've ever had - my father wants me to go into the cheesecake business now! :)

excellent recipe although it took a lot longer to cook mine than the recipe said

Big hit at easter dinner this year!! I read alot of the reviews for this recipe and like MANY others I cut the cream cheese down to 2 blocks instead of 3. I also added a bit of vanilla. Also, with the strawberry sauce that was put aside for serving, I added a bit of simple syrup to it...first to thin it out a bit and secondly to sweeten it since the frozen strawberries I used were unsweetened. To add a little something special since it was a holiday I added a chocolate dipped strawberry to each slice....people raved about taste and appearance saying it looked like a proffessional bakery had done it. Will DEFINATELY make again.

love this recipe i always add sugar to my topping and batter and use 2pkgs of cream cheese im more of a crust girl..thks!

I absolutely love this recipe although my only complaint is it's difficult to get the pie out with the crust still attached. My swirly design never looks as good as the picture above!

My first cheesecake. It tasted great but definitely wasn't the best looking thing I've ever created. I tried not to overmix the ingredients as others said this caused cracks... but I definitely had a cracked out cheesecake.

This turned out fabulous for me! I actually used raspberry puree instead of strawberry and it looked just like the picture and was smooth and creamy.

Loved this! Simple and delicious. My husband even commented in surprise and how light it was. A definite favorite. Planning to do mini cheesecakes with this for my next party.

I used 2 blocks of cream cheese as others suggested. It tasted OK, not outstanding, and there were craters along the strawberry marble. I think I may have inserted the knife too deep when creating the swirls. 20 oz is way too much strawberry for this recipe. I would recommend cutting it down to perhaps 12 or 16 oz.

Oh yea! This one is a keeper. I will make this one again and again and again.

Great Recipe good for a new cook to try a tip keep the oven closed the whole time while cooking to avoid cracks

This Cheesecake is Soooooo Good, I couldn't believe I made it. It tastes like a high end, NY Bakery style. I used 2 pkgs of cream cheese instead of the 3. I doubled the recipe (I only picked up 4 bars) and omitted the Strawberries because I'm not crazy about them. No cracks in the ones I've made. I did take the advice of others and when it was just about done, I just turned the oven off (didn't open it) and left it there for about two hours + to cool. I ended up letting the mixer run for a while too when the kids were acting up so I'm sure it got over beaten. I did have everything at room temperature when I put it together. Hope that helps!

This was way more simple than I thought it would be... I followed the recipe exactly, however baked it a little differently following recipes and tips from other cheesecake websites. The way I baked it was: Baked it in a water bath for closer to the 50+ minutes. Turned off oven, opened door, and let it sit for about an hour... Took it out and let it rest for a few more hours then put it in the fridge over night. There was no cracking and it was an instant hit with the fiance and her family. Already planning to bake another for Thanksgiving.

Great recipe, it was very delicious!!!

Oh my gosh! this was so fun and easy my whole family loves it and this was my first ever cheesecake! I substituted raspberries and it was awesome! I'm saving this recipe!

This is fabulous!! I also used 2 cups graham crackers but other than that didn't change a thing! Wonderful!!

This is only my 3rd cheesecake ever made. It was super easy and AMAZING tasting. My 14 year old son even gavd me a hug and kiss for another Piece! For those new to baking cheesecakes- this recipe is easy to follow, but make sure you bake in hot water bath (not mentioned in recipe). Cheesecake was moist and sweetness was perfectly balanced. Enjoy!

Using this recipe restored confidence in my cheesecake-making abilities! Modifications: I used two ready-made crusts instead of a springform pan. Like other reviewers, I cut down the cream cheese to two packages. I substituted blueberries for strawberries and it turned out well. I also added vanilla extract.

My first attempt at cheesecake..ever!! Was fantastic!! I used fat free creme cheese and condensed milk, I thought is was just as good if not better than any full fat cheesecake. It was a hit with my family and our friends. I will definitely make this again.

This was an awesome and easy cheesecake recipe. The only thing I decided to use fresh strawberries and should have added some sugar to them.

I have tried SEVERAL different cheesecakes and my husband is literally a cheesecake "conessuer" and all I can say is this exact recipe is the ABSOLUTE best one ever!! Anyone who has eaten it has gone crazy over the delisiousness of it and I'm not exaggerating! It is so highly requested by my family and friends is is famous among anyone who has tried it! I must reiterate how awesome this particular one is and it is actually quite simple when it comes to the amount of ingredients and not complicated at all to make! I've noticed one thing that's important in having it come out the very best it can and that is to make sure you get the cream cheese beaten REALLY REALLY well so it becomes very creamy, and almost fluffy.... Letting it get to room temperature before beginning is a great idea. Also I found a great optional thing to add to it is some lemon zest throughout that I add just before the eggs, & one thing I do to this recipe for my own personal taste, is I actually leave out the strawberry part because that's the only thing that I believe takes away from the best it can be!

This was a good recipe. I did omit the lemon juice and instead used grated lemon zest. Worked well. Also, instead of the condensed milk, I used heavy whipping cream. It made for a cheescake that was less sweet, and had a light texture. The baking was on the money, except, my cake fell in the middle a little after it settled, but it was wonderful. The strawberry sauce was on point.

I make a lot of delicious desserts, but this one was nothing like I expected. My husband and I love cheesecake. I followed the recipe exactly. It had no flavor at all and was very bland. It definitely needed sugar or some other sweetener in the filling.

I really liked this recipe. Following others' advice I only used 2 packages of cream cheese instead of 3, and it tasted great, although I guess it did make it smaller (shorter). I also used fresh strawberries instead of frozen ones (the reason I made this - I bought strawberries on sale) and I used one pound of fresh strawberries and didn't add any sugar to that. I figured that the cheesecake will be sweet enough (especially with the one less block of cream cheese). Baked in water bath, left in oven for additional hour etc. made sure it didn't crack. The four stars is because I don't find it particularly special - but definitely a solidly delicious recipe. All my friends loved it and it was gone very quickly!

Easy and delicious! Used 2 packages of cream cheese, added 1/4 tea spoon vanilla extract to the cheese mixture (both suggested by other reviewers). It turned out great and everybody loved it!

Great recipe! I used 2cups of cracker crumbs as we always like thick crusts, subbed low fat yoghurt in place with condense milk and added 1 cup of sugar. I put batter in water bath and my cake turned out wonderfully smooth without cracking. Perfect balance of sweetness from sugar with a tinge of sourness from lemon juice and strawberry! Received raves from whoever I served, my boss even volunteered to sponsor 2KG of cheese for my next cheese cake upon tasting while other co-workers fought over the last piece of cake brought, just imagine… Will make again definitely!!

Delicious, and so pretty. Made this for Easter 2012. Everyone loved it.

I made the 9" cheesecake and felt there was plenty of strawberry sauce so whipped up another 8" cheesecake while the first was in the oven. I baked the 8" cheesecake for closer to an hour, maybe a little longer. I also did a water bath. No cracks and these taste wonderful!

This cheesecake was amazing. It's so rich and decadent that it makes lots of servings. It was pretty simple to make and the strawberry swirls were beatiful. This would be amazing with other sweetened fruit flavors. I give it a A++++

I made these in a 9x13 pan instead and cut them into bars. WHAT A HIT! I'm now making this by request for the third time. I've started adding melted semisweet chocolate chips on top of the crust, under the cream cheese filling. Adds a wonderful, luxurious, extra-indulgent dimension to this awesome dessert. Just melt about 8 oz chocolate with a TBS or so of veg oil or butter and spread on top of crust before pouring in filling. However, as the recipe is written it is perfect. I have sense started cutting out some steps to save time. I just puree berries in my blender with a bit of sugar for the sauce, no need for the cornstarch or to do all that cooking and what not. Plus I've been leaving the sugar out of the crust as it's really not needed. But some may prefer it. Still, an AMAZING and fail-safe recipe that will get rave reviews from everyone who tries it!! Thanks for sharing this with the world!

I made this for Christmas and my daughter begged me to make it again. This is one of the best cheesecakes I've ever tasted! Thanks!

Rating this recipe with 5 stars while taking the suggestions to only add 2(8 oz.) pkgs of cream cheese & 1 tsp. of vanilla. Made this for my son's 16th birthday!

I made this cheesecake for the first time today and it turned out wonderful!!! The only thing I would do differently is to leave the ring on overnight, I took it off too soon and it cracked. We enjoyed every bite of it anyway!! I will be making it again!

This cheesecake is SO good, and it was pretty easy to make! It is the first one I've ever made, and it came out perfect!

Made this for a Sunday family dinner dessert and it turned out Great! Definately a keeper! Everyone loved this cheesecake. Thanks for sharing!

Just had a slice of this and I must say...BRAVO to me! hahaha Considering this is the very first time I made a cheesecake, this was very easy...and tastes pretty darn good! However, the next time I make this I will change a few things: 1. Skip the lemon juice. I prefer it less tart...but it was still GOOD! 2. Press the graham cracker crust a little more as it started to crumble after I served it on the plate. 3. Not use as much strawberry. I didn't even need the strawberry sauce to serve with it. What I had in the cheesecake was enough. I also took a reviewer's advice and baked it in a water bath. NO CRACKS AT ALL!!! BEAUTIFUL!!!! Great recipe!

I haven't eaten this yet, I'm relying on the others terrific reveiws. It was easy to make,and it also looks really pretty. I'm freezing it for x-mas. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I finely got a chance to have a piece of this cheese cake. It is so creamy, I loved it. I will diffently be making again.

Delicious recipe, I made it for my dad's 50th birthday party it was a huge hit! Very beautiful cake, turned out great!

Ok, so this was my first cheesecake, the family circled the kitchen like vultures waiting for it to be finished. My only problem was the crust was too oily, I am not sure what went wrong, but the filling is tasty and the fruit sauce was really good. The only thing I did different was to put it in a water bath because of fear of the dreaded cracking. Generally, I would make again with some tweeks

I mistakenly made this in an 11" pan and it even turned out! DELICIOUS! Beautiful presentation!

i dont like cheese cake at all but this was good. We just made it regular and put fruit on top. My husband gave it 4 out of 5. says its good but not the absolute best but its up there

Followed the recipe as is plus cooked in a water bath and the cheesecake came up beautifully. The extra sauce really sealed the deal for me!

I made this exactly like the recipe states and it was absolutely terrific. Have made may times since. It is wonderful and everyone asks me to make it.

I was nervous to make my 1st cheesecake but this was wonderful and surprisingly simple. I only used 2 packs of cream cheese and mixed with a wood spoon so as not to overmix. I baked it in a water bath with foil wrapped around the pan (so no water seeped in). After it was done baking i turned the oven off and left it in there for about 2 hours then cooled at room temp and then fridge overnight. This came out picture perfect, no cracks and the texture was dreamy. definitely a great recipe to try even for a novice!