Mascarpone Cheesecake with Balsamic Strawberries

Amazing! Added a teaspoon of vanilla to batter, and used about a cup more strawberries and only 1/3 cup sugar. Let sit for hours instead of 30 minutes. Also let cheesecake cool for about a half hour in oven after baking - turned oven off and propped door open with s wooden spoon. Guests had seconds - definitely a new favorite.

• susan711

• Royal Oak, MI

• 6/15/2017

Just a footnote; we had some vanilla from Spain, and had to try that on one cake. It changed the texture, and we all agreed never to do that again. We misunderstood that part of the sugar measurement is also for the strawberries. But we all liked the mistake of putting the whole measurement into the cake, and adding an additional 1/2 + 2 TBSP sugar to the vinegar/strawberry mixture. We had to mess with the crust, tried a shortbread crust on one. We all agreed, it is much better with the almond biscotti. I agree with one of the reviews about baking it 10 min longer to get it a little drier. Our first try the center was just a bit too liquid even after refrigerating overnight. We ate it anyway! Ha, so the only change we make now is the extra sugar mistake!

• picturesofsilverbyjanice

• Texas

• 7/10/2016

My son loves to cook, he is a scientific chef! So when he made this for Thanksgiving one year, we were all skeptical, however he said this was rated the highest on epicurious.com and he said it was phenomenal ! I'm always game for new flavors, so the rest of the family watched while I tried 1 sliced strawberry on top of my cheesecake. I was in love!!!! So of course the rest dove in and we have a new favorite around the holiday table now. Somebody HAS to bring the Balsamic Strawberry Cheesecake, or it's not happening!

• picturesofsilverbyjanice

• Texas

• 7/10/2016

I came here searching for a highly rated strawberry cake recipe, for a friend's 50th. After searching and searching, nothing has stood out. Then, I saw this. Lightbulb! I'm going to make this, instead of a layer cake, because I am positive this will be better received by everyone at the party. Not to mention, I've made this on more than one occasion and it is unquestionably one of the best received desserts I've ever prepared...and I bake a lot. I also realized I'd never reviewed this fabulous recipe, and figured it was time to give back to this wonderful community since I have gotten so much out of reading everyone's reviews. This cheesecake is so good, it's sinful! ;-) The first time I made it, it was dessert for a small dinner party I was hosting. It was a huge hit. One of the guys, after scarfing up his entire portion, confessed he didn't typically care for cheesecake, but he really loved this one. He appreciated the lightness/texture...perhaps that's from the mascarpone, and the strawberries. The strawberry and balsamic combo is "ridiculous" (that's slang for crazy good!). I learned my lesson that first time after running out the strawberry/balsamic mixture before finishing off the cheesecake, so now I double it. Even though the cheesecake is delicious in and of itself, the strawberries put it in a category all by itself. The almond biscotti crust is brilliant. I had a hard time chasing plain almond biscotti down, until Trader Joe's came to town, so make sure you can find it...it's such a wonderful base, order it if you have to.

• monstead

• Dallas, TX

• 9/25/2015

Absolutely fabulous. Made exactly as written. Next time, I may use some more strawberries or less balsamic. Not for flavor but because it makes a lot of liquid.

• dodgema

• Florida

• 12/26/2014

I have made this cake numerous times and every time I have rave reviews and people demanding the recipe! It is intoxicatingly good. I've tried different biscotti's like the chocolate but it really works best with the almond biscotti. Even people who scoffed at Balsamic Vinegar with a desert were loving it. I highly recommend trying it. You'll be hooked!

• libuce

• Tampa, Fl

• 4/5/2014

Quite good! I used the suggestion of another reviewer and added pureed strawberries to the cheese mixture. Unfortunately, half the cream cheese I had on hand was low-fat, causing the texture of the finished cheesecake to be softer than expected. Because of this, do make sure to use full-fat cream cheese for this recipe. That said, I'll definitely make this again, and I'm thinking of trying different fruits, perhaps apricots or raspberries.

• 我ronchefdonna

• Alexandria, Virginia

• 5/12/2013

This was a terrific recipe! Deliciously and visually exciting. I will be making this again. The almond biscotti was good but next time I'm going to go with the chocolate biscotti to see how that goes. Everyone loved it.

• 匿名

• Tampa, Fl

• 11/16/2011

所以容易制作,结果是美味!我followed the recipe almost exactly--1/2 c sugar in the berries seemed like it was a bit too much. i only used about 1/3 c. and i thought it was perfect. someone mentioned in one review that they didn't use top-quality balsamic and their berries were too sour. i made sure to use the best-quality stuff i had (the best stuff from trader joe's). i used the almond mini-biscotti from trader joe's too--they were perfect. for ease of serving i made cheesecake 'cupcakes'. i lined cupcake tins with paper liners, then pressed about 1/2 tablespoon of the crust mixture in the bottom, and filled to the top with the cheesecake filling. i set the muffin tins in a full sheet pan and filled it with water. baked for 30 min--they were light golden on top and the texture was perfect.

• cira

• los angeles

• 7/29/2011

What a great recipe even after a few changes. Too lighten it up I used (2) 1/3 fat cream cheese, 1 mascarpone cheese and (8oz) of part skim ricotta cheese. It was awesome!! I also added the vanilla extract which others had suggested.

• countrycooker

• Glen Rock, PA

• 3/12/2011

Four forks up! This cheesecake was a big hit at a dinner party and I would definitely serve it again. I read all the reviews first and appreciate your many tips. In spite of them, however, my foil leaked during baking and my crust was wet. So I encourage you to tightly seal the pan bottom twice with HEAVY duty foil, not the regular stuff I used. Regardless, the cake itself was wonderful, and the strawberries in Basalmic vinegar were an amazing treat. My changes/additions: I subbed 8 oz. ricotta for 8 oz. of the cream cheese, just to make this more "Italian." I added 1 and 3/4 cup sugar to the cake itself because I misread the recipe, and it turned out better I think. I added one egg white to lighten the batter but I do not think I would do that again. I also added 1 tsp. vanilla, which I think helped. I used the Nonni biscotti (almond with a hint of anise) and did not like the anise flavor, so will not use Nonni the next time. This was an easy, fun recipe and certainly has made my list of top cheesecake recipes.

• WhatAWriter

• Austin, TX

• 1/16/2011

This is one of the best cheesecake recipes I've made, and I've made quite a few. I love the simplicity of it, yet the flavor is so rich. Trader Joes carries almond biscotti that are perfect for the crust. The strawberries are a must! Also, I like to let the top brown till its a uniform gold, give it a nice crust. Its ok if the cake is jiggly when you pull it out, it will continue to cook. Delicious! About to have another piece:)

• 匿名

• Los Angeles

• 4/25/2010

I made a few mistakes and I would make a few changes, but the cake was great. I made it for my husband's birthday and it got rave reviews, especially from the guest of honor! Some questions and changes: First, I cooked it for the full length called for in the recipe, and the top got golden brown but the cake remained very jiggly. I decided to take it out because I didn't want to burn the top but I wish I could have cooked it longer. Second, I would butter the pan because the crust stuck to the bottom of my springform pan and I couldn't get it off. I was disappointed because I think the crust would have been great! Third, adding a bit of sugar to the strawberry mixture helps break it down. Finally, I think vanilla would be a wonderful addition.

• ashleycp

• Chapel Hill, NC

• 4/12/2010

I loved this cheesecake. I enjoyed the strawberries, and thought they were the perfect compliment to the cake, but didn't think they were as amazing as other reviewers. I used my standard balsamic, and perhaps a higher quality would have been the tipping point. For the cake though, I subsituted 15 oz ricotta and 24 oz cream cheese, and it was exceptional. I don't know how it would have compared with the mascarpone, but it was the perfect consistency - rich but light and smooth. The biscotti crust was fabulous and infused the entire cake with almond essence. Definitely make again!

• lamb2love

• Seattle

• 5/12/2009

Didn't have time to make the cheesecake, so I just made the strawberries and served with store-bought cheesecake and they were delicious. I was surprised by how much liquid was in the bowl (I even had 3+ cups of strawberries). Any suggestions on how to thicken up the liquid to give it a more syrup-y consistency?

• meesh16

• 3/30/2009