Chocolate-covered strawberries are the quintessential Valentine’s Day sweet. Here they adorn a strawberry-packed no-bake cheesecake with a chocolate cake bottom — share a slice with your main squeeze.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 45 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 12 to 14 servings |
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- One 15.25-ounce box chocolate cake mix (plus required ingredients)
- Two 1-pound containers long stem strawberries
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups heavy cream
- Two 1/4-ounce packets unflavored powdered gelatin
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
- For the cheesecake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. Cut a 10-inch-by-5 1/2-inch strip of parchment.
- Prepare and bake the cake batter in the prepared pan according to the package directions for a 9-inch pan. Let cool completely on a rack, about 1 hour. Open the pan clasp, loosen the collar and slip in the parchment strip so it encircles the cake; it will come up about 2 inches higher than the edge. Close the clasp.
- Meanwhile, chop enough strawberries to make 2 cups. Toss with the sugar in a medium bowl and let sit until softened slightly, about 5 minutes. Use a potato masher to mash the strawberries and sugar to a pulp (the mixture should be mostly smooth with a few chunks).
- Beat the cream cheese and 2 cups cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and stiff peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Bring 1/2 cup cream to a boil in a small saucepan then whisk in the gelatin, stirring continuously, until dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Fold the cream-gelatin mixture into the strawberry mixture until combined. Fold the cream cheese mixture into the strawberry-gelatin mixture until combined. Pour on top of the cake and smooth out the top with an offset spatula. Chill until set, 2 hours and up to overnight.
- For the ganache: Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring the butter and the remaining 1 cup heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir until melted and smooth.
- Dip each of the remaining strawberries into the chocolate halfway, twisting to let any excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. Place on the prepared baking sheet and let harden, about 30 minutes. Reserve the remaining chocolate.
- Open the pan clasp and remove the collar and parchment. Transfer the cake to a serving platter or cake stand. Reheat the reserved ganache in the microwave until it is pourable. Pour the ganache around the edge of the cake, smoothing it with an offset spatula and letting some drip down the sides. Place the chocolate-covered strawberries around the rim with the stems facing inward. Let stand until hardened, about 15 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 14 servings |
| Calories | 509 |
| Total Fat | 37 g |
| Saturated Fat | 20 g |
| Carbohydrates | 43 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 29 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 86 mg |
| Sodium | 327 mg |
Reviews
Perfect for Valentines Day
Tasty and fairly simple although rather lengthy and involved to make with the many parts and steps. I do have a few issues with the instructions.
First, as another reviewer pointed out, the ingredients for the ganache should have twice the amount of chocolate listed or else you’ll create a runny sauce.
Second, a ten inch long strip of parchment isn’t enough to encircle a nine inch diameter pan. It’s simple math. The strip needs to be at least *29* inches long.
Third, your standard cake mix is designed to make enough cake to fill *two* nine inch pans because cakes typically have two layers. You’ll either have to figure out how to bake half the recipe listed on the cake mix box, which can be difficult when the recipe calls for things like an odd number of eggs, or do what I did and make a second pan to be used for something else.
Finally, a word of warning: This cake is a double whammy of both rich and filling and also prone to mold. I’d recommend only making it under circumstances where the cake will be fully eaten within 2-3 days. This will probably mean making it for a larger party as even someone with a big appetite like mine will probably only be able to eat a slice a day. My roommate with a smaller appetite could only do half a slice a day. It’s been a full week since I baked the cake, there’s still a slice left, the remaining strawberry garnish has developed green fuzzies, and it’s starting to spread to the cake itself. Do not let this marinate in your fridge.
It is a combination of a cheesecake and strawberries!
Fun to make. Tasty too. One problem. The recipe as written makes chocolate sauce, not ganache. Need to double the chocolate bits.