Ingredients
Method
- Cheesecake: Mix cream cheese, sugar, flour, sour cream, vanilla, and eggs. Bake at 325°F for 60–70 mins. Chill.
- Cake: Cream butter, sugar, sour cream, and extract. Add egg whites. Mix dry ingredients and add alternately with milk and purée. Bake in two pans at 350°F for 25–30 mins.
- Frosting: Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Slowly add cold cream until fluffy.
- Assemble: Layer cake, cheesecake, then cake. Frost and top with berries.
Nutrition
Notes
Room Temperature Ingredients: I cannot stress this enough, let your cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream sit out for about an hour before you start.
Cold ingredients create a lumpy cheesecake batter and a dense cake.
I learned this the hard way when my first cheesecake came out with a grainy texture.
Baking the Cheesecake: Place a pan of hot water on the rack below your cheesecake while it bakes.
This creates steam and prevents cracks from forming on top.
I also let the cheesecake cool in the oven with the door cracked open for an hour before moving it to the fridge.
This gentle cooling is key to a silky smooth surface.
Strawberry Purée: Use fresh or frozen strawberries that you cook down with a little sugar until soft, then blend until smooth.
Strain the seeds if you want a perfectly smooth cake.
I skip the straining when I am in a hurry and it still tastes wonderful, just with tiny seeds throughout.
Food Coloring: A tiny drop of pink gel food coloring goes a long way.
I use just enough to give the cake a soft blush.
Too much and it looks artificial.
You can also skip it entirely for a more natural look.
Make Ahead: This cake is a dream for planning ahead.
Bake the cheesecake and the cake layers up to two days in advance.
Wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator.
The frosting can be made a day ahead too, just give it a quick whip before assembling.
Storage: Keep this cake in the refrigerator, covered, for up to three days.
The flavors actually meld together beautifully overnight.
I always make it a day before I plan to serve it for the best taste and texture.
Serving: Let the cake sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before slicing.
This softens the cream cheese frosting just enough for clean, beautiful slices.
A hot, dry knife wiped between cuts also helps prevent the cake from tearing.
