Beautiful cheesecake made fancy by marbled strawberry and chocolate filling. Smooth strawberry and chocolate cheesecake batters are easily layered to create a marbled cheesecake look.
Preheat the oven to 325 and grease a 9 inch spring form. You will need a large roasting pan (one that’s bigger and longer than the spring form. I use the aluminum foil disposable ones.) If you are not sure about your springform holding up in water, you can wrap the outside of the springform pan in heavy duty aluminum foil from bottom up to the sides. I recommend wrapping the outside of the springform in foil before adding the crust and cheesecake batter.
Strawberry sauce:
Chop strawberries and add them to a medium sauce pot, heating over medium heat.
Add sugar and lemon juice. Stir well.
Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring often.
Use your immersion blender to puree strawberry mixture. (If you don't have an immersion blender, use a regular blender or a food processor.) Set aside to cool.
Crust:
In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, vanilla extract and brown sugar. Mix very well.
Spread crumb mixture in the bottom on the spring form, evenly, pressing it over the bottom and half way up the sides.
Cheesecake:
In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy. Scrape sides and bottom on the bowl and beat for another minute.
Add corn starch and sugar and mix until combined.
Beat in eggs until well incorporated.
Add sour cream, vanilla extract, and heavy cream and beat until smooth. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and mix until combined.
Divide the batter in two.
Add 1/3 cup of strawberry sauce to one half of the batter. Mix well.
Melt the chocolate bar and slowly add it to the other half of the batter, while slowly mixing. Add cocoa powder and make sure the batter is all smooth and mixed with chocolate.
To make marble layers start by scooping some chocolate batter in the center of crust. Then, add a couple of scoops of strawberry batter in the middle of chocolate batter. Add a couple more scoops of chocolate batter in the middle of strawberry batter. Repeat alternating batters. Do not mix the batter, just keep adding one in the middle of another. The batter will spread in layers.
Gently tap the springform on the counter a couple of times to help the batter spread evenly.
Place roasting pan into the oven and place cheesecake springform inside the roasting pan. Carefully add water to the roasting pan, about half way up the side of the spring form.
Bake for 85-90 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door half way. Let cheesecake rest for 10 minutes and take it out of the oven.
Let it rest for 10 minutes on the counter and then gently run a greased butter knife between sides of the cheesecakes and the springform to carefully separate it. (You don't actually have to take the cheesecake out of the pan until ready to serve.)
Cool cheesecake for an hour and then place it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.
Decorate:
You can use leftover strawberry sauce to decorate the cheesecake on top.
Use whipped cream, strawberries and chocolates to decorate your cheesecake.