Delia Smith Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe

Delia Smith’s strawberry cheesecake uses fromage frais and curd cheese instead of cream cheese, which makes it lighter than any strawberry cheesecake recipe I have come across. It bakes at 150°C (300°F) for just 30 minutes, cools slowly in the oven, then gets piled with fresh strawberries and a homemade strawberry coulis.

I make this every summer when British strawberries are in season and cheap. Delia writes that she is always filled with longing when she sees cheesecake on a menu but worries it will be cloying, and this one is her answer to that: light enough to finish a whole slice without regret.

More Cheesecake Recipes:

• Baked Vanilla Cheesecake
• No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake
• Philadelphia Cheesecake

Strawberry Cheesecake Ingredients

For the base:

• 175g (6 oz) sweet oat biscuits (or digestives), crushed
• 50g (2 oz) hazelnuts, toasted and crushed
• 50g (2 oz) butter, melted

For the filling:

• 350g (12 oz) fromage frais (8% fat)
• 350g (12 oz) full-fat curd cheese
• 3 large eggs
• 175g (6 oz) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping:

• 450g (1 lb) fresh strawberries
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar for the coulis

How To Make Delia Smith Strawberry Cheesecake

1. Make the base: Toast the hazelnuts until golden, crush roughly, then mix with the crushed biscuits and melted butter. Press into the base of a 23cm (9 inch) springform tin and chill.
2. Mix the filling: Whisk the curd cheese, fromage frais, eggs, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Pour over the chilled base.
3. Bake: Place in the oven at 150°C (300°F/Gas 2) for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside until completely cold, which prevents cracking.
4. Make the coulis: Weigh out 225g of the strawberries, sprinkle with the sugar, leave for 30 minutes, then blitz in a food processor and push through a sieve to remove the seeds.
5. Serve: Arrange the remaining strawberries over the top and drizzle with the coulis.

Why Fromage Frais Instead of Cream Cheese?

Delia uses fromage frais because it is lower in fat than cream cheese and gives the filling a lighter, almost yoghurty texture that does not sit heavy after dinner. Combined with curd cheese it sets firm enough to slice but melts on your tongue instead of coating your mouth the way a Philadelphia-based cheesecake does.

If you cannot find curd cheese, Delia says cottage cheese sieved until smooth works as a substitute, though the texture will be slightly grainier. I would not use ricotta here because it changes the flavour too much.

Do Not Skip the Coulis

The cheesecake on its own is deliberately mild, so the sharp strawberry coulis poured over the top is what brings everything alive. I tried serving it with just fresh strawberries once and it tasted flat, pleasant but forgettable, because there was nothing acidic to cut through the fromage frais sweetness.

The coulis takes five minutes and you can make it while the cheesecake cools. It keeps in the fridge for 3 days separately, so you can pour it fresh over each slice instead of soaking the whole top at once.

Keeping It

This strawberry cheesecake keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, though the strawberries on top soften after the first day. Add fresh fruit each time you serve if you want them looking their best.

Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 350 kcal
• Fat: 18g
• Carbohydrates: 36g
• Fibre: 1g
• Protein: 12g

Nutrition is estimated per serving based on 8 servings.

FAQs

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