Strawberry shortcake cheesecake bars layered with a graham cracker crust, vanilla cake, no bake cheesecake and juicy strawberries on top
So thus this strawberry shortcake cheesecake was born. Layered with:
- Graham Cracker Crust β Itβs just not a cheesecake without a graham cracker crust. But this one is baked underneath a layer of vanilla cake.
- Vanilla Cake β Stay true to a traditional strawberry shortcake, a thick layer of cake is baked right on top of our graham cracker crust.
- No Bake Cheesecake β Once the cake has cooled, a thick and creamy no bake cheesecake is spread on top. Itβs spread with deep swirls for the strawberries and juices to sink into.
- Macerated Strawberries β Fresh sliced strawberries are piled high! These are heated with a bit of sugar to release even more sweetness and flavor.
These four homemade components may seem like a lot of work, but each individual portion is very quick and easy to make. We arenβt using any special or fancy methods here β just standard baking used in a very unique way!
Strawberry shortcake cheesecake bars baking tips
Each section of this dessert is very straight forward, but here are a few tips to ensure your bars turn out just right:
Graham Cracker Crust
- Make sure to tightly back in the crust in order to create a strong base for the many layers on top.
Vanilla Cake
- Weigh the flour if possible, otherwise spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level it off. Scooping directly into the flour can pack it down into the cup, thus adding too much flour to the batter.
- Really mix the butter and sugar until itβs smooth and lightened in color. This creates little air pockets which allows the baking powder to lift the cake.
No Bake Cheesecake
- Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature before starting, otherwise you will have a lumpy layer of cheesecake on top.
- Use good quality white chocolate when possible. I prefer Lindt white chocolate bars as they provide a very mild and not overly sweet flavor.
Strawberries
- Slice the strawberries about 1/8 inch thick. Too thin and the strawberries will turn to mush, but too thick and theyβll be too firm.
- Once the sugar is dissolved, allow the strawberries to heat for another 5 minutes. This extra heat will release even more flavor out of the berries.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 cup (140g) ground graham cracker crumbs (about 1 sleeve)
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1/4 cup (55g) unsalted butter, melted
Shortcake
- 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120g) milk
- 1 1/2 cups (195g) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Strawberries
- 32 oz container strawberries, sliced
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
Cheesecake
- 16 oz full fat cream cheese, room temp
- 1 cup (110g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 oz white chocolate, melted
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Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease and line the bottom and all sides of an 8Γ8 baking dish.
- Mix together all of the crust ingredients and press into the bottom of the baking pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
Shortcake
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mixing by hand or with an electric mixer, mix together the softened butter and sugar until smooth and lightened in color.
- Then mix in the egg and vanilla.
- Roughly mix in half of the dry ingredients, then the milk, then the rest of the dry ingredients.
- Spread the batter over the baked crust and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Strawberries
- While the cake bakes, prep the strawberries. Cut the tops and slice the strawberries, then give them a good rinse.
- Transfer the berries to a large saucepan and add the sugar.
- Place over medium-low heat for gas or medium for electric and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Then allow the strawberries to heat for about 5 minutes or until bright red, slightly tender, and glossy.
- Transfer the berries into a heat safe dish and store in the fridge.
Cheesecake
- When the cake has cooled, make the cheesecake layer.
- Mix together the cream cheese and powdered sugar either by hand or with an electric mixer.
- Then mix in the vanilla, followed by the melted white chocolate. To melt, heat in the microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth.
- Spread the cheesecake over the cooled cake and create deep swirls all over the surface. These swirls will create little cavities for the strawberries and juices to sit.
- Chill the cheesecake bars for at least 2 hours or until set. It can also chill overnight.
- To serve, remove the bars from the pan and slice into 9 squares.
- Spoon a hefty amount of strawberries over a slice and enjoy!