Gluten-Free Strawberry Marble Cheesecake

Summer is rapidly slipping away from us, so I just had to squeeze in one more summery fruit recipe before autumn has us full-on in her blustery grasp.  Cheesecake is truly one of the best cakes.  I mean, cheese AND cake... what more could you want?

Well, how about juicy strawberries!? Cheesecake is incredible on its own, and you can add just about anything sweet to make it even more delicious.  In fact, you could make this coulis with any other kind of fruit using the same recipe - the sky's the limit!  But for this end-of-summer treat, I went with a classic strawberry.  

Swirl the strawberry together with the cheesecake batter, and the end result is a beautiful marble top and a creamy, light-as-air cheesecake.  Don't forget to save some of the coulis for serving!

A couple of notes about the process:  First and foremost, you absolutely need to wrap the bottom of the springform pan in aluminum foil.  I crucially forgot that step the first time I made it and I ended up with a gigantic mess!  Make the foil wrap water-tight by putting two pieces of foil side by side and creating a seam in the middle by folding one piece over the other about a centimeter, crimping, folding again and crimping (repeating this several times).  If you have large, heavy-duty foil, this works even better and you should be able to cover the whole pan, up the sides, with one sheet.

Also, don't skip the water bath!  Another mistake I've made in the past was taking the lazy way out, but the bain marie really makes a huge difference in making it cook evenly.  I use a large roasting pan and fill it about 1/3 of the way up with water.  I let the water preheat with the oven before placing the cake inside.  This will help ensure that your edges aren't over-baked.

Lastly, to avoid sinking or cracking, cut the edges away from the pan immediately after baking (before you let it cool).  This will help the cake solidify without holding it to the edges and allow it to keep an even top.  Et voila!

Ingredients:

For the coulis:

• 1 pound fresh strawberries
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

For the crust:

• 6 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 3/4 cup gluten-free graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

For the batter:

• 24 oz cream cheese (3 bars), softened
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper, and grease the sides.  Place a water bath in the oven (read note above), and allow it to preheat.  
2. Make the coulis: slice the strawberries in half and puree them with the lemon juice in a blender or food processor.  
3. Mix the strawberry puree together with the cornstarch and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil and then lower the heat.  Simmer until the mixture has thickened and darkened, about 20 minutes.  When it's thickened and sticks to the back of a spoon, remove from the heat and refrigerate to cool.  It will thicken more as it cools.  
4. While the coulis cooks, make the crust:  combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl.  Stir together with a fork until well combined.  It should reach the texture of wet sand.  
5. Press the crust mixture firmly into the bottom of the springform pan.  Create a smooth layer by pressing tightly with your knuckles or fingertips.  Freeze the crust until the batter is ready, at least 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, make the batter:  using an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth.  
7. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
8. Add the sour cream and vanilla, and beat the mixture until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary so that all ingredients are incorporated.  
9. Pour the batter on top of the crust and smooth with a spatula.  Use a teaspoon to drop dots of the strawberry coulis on to the top of the batter, until about half of the coulis is gone (save the rest for serving!).  Using a knife or toothpick, drag the coulis through the batter on the surface, until a marbled effect is created.
10. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with aluminum foil, and place the pan in the preheated water bath.
11. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, until only a slight wobble remains in the center of the cake and the rest is firm.  
12. Turn the oven off.  Using a sharp knife, immediately cut the sides of the cake away from the pan.  Return the cake to the oven and allow the oven and cake to cool to room temperature before removing the cake (at least another hour).  
13. Cover and refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours (it's best left overnight).  Once well-chilled, remove the springform and enjoy!