A small batch of creamy vanilla cheesecake on graham cracker crust topped with a strawberry rosé wine sauce. This vanilla cheesecake with strawberry rosé wine sauce is simple to make and the perfect indulgence.
Guess what tomorrow is?
It’s National Cheesecake Day!
I have to admit that it’s my favorite non-official food holiday. Mostly because cheesecakes are half off at the Cheesecake Factory, and partly because I know they always debut a new flavor on July 30th. It’s become a yearly thing for me, my cousins, and my sisters. We like to order a few appetizers to share, and then we each get our own slices of cheesecake.
This year? They’re debuting the Celebration Cheesecake, and it looks soo pretty. Just like a funfetti birthday cake but in cheesecake form. I seriously need to try a slice. Do you have a favorite cheesecake?
But just in case you can’t make to the Cheesecake Factory for a slice of cheesecake, you can celebrate at home with a slice of this vanilla cheesecake with strawberry rosé wine sauce.
This small batch cheesecake is inspired by Dessert for Two. As much as I love cheesecake, an entire cake might just be too much, and there’s no space in our fridge or freezer to store leftover cheesecake. A small batch of cheesecake is perfect. I can indulge in my cravings without worrying that I’ll overindulge. Because there’s only 4-5 slices. And that’s enough for you to decide whether or not you want to share =)
This vanilla cheesecake is so creamy with a crumbly graham cracker crust. Topped with sliced fresh strawberries and a drizzle of strawberry rosé wine sauce, it’s so delicious and perfect as a summer dessert.
But it wasn’t so perfect the first time I made this cheesecake. I was trying to multitask and do a couple things at the same time, and guess what I forgot? The sugar. So just imagine a cheesecake that had absolutely no sugar. It’s definitely going into my 2017 recipe fails at the end of the year.
Preheat the oven to 325F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper so that it overhangs on the two long sides. Set aside for now.
Place graham crackers in a ziploc bag and crush the crackers until they become crumbs. Or you can use a food processor to do it.
Add melted butter and granulated sugar to the graham cracker crumbs. Mix until the crumbs appear moist. Place the graham cracker crumbs into the loaf pan and press the crumbs down firmly until packed down.
Bake the graham cracker crust for about 20 minutes until they become lightly brown.
While the graham cracker crust is baking, beat together room temperature cream cheese and granulated sugar with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add an egg and vanilla extract the batter, and beat with a hand mixer until creamy and relatively smooth.
Spread the cheesecake batter over the graham cracker crust. Lower the temperature to 300F. Bake the cheesecake for about 30-40 minutes until the cheesecake becomes firm. Test the cheesecake with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cheesecake is done.
Set the cheesecake on the stovetop near the oven heat to slowly cool down. Rapid changes in temperature can cause the cheesecake to crack. Once it’s cooled down completely, refrigerate the cheesecake for at least two to three hours. Honestly, I couldn’t wait, and I might have eaten my cheesecake as soon as I knew I could cut into the cheesecake without breaking it.
Once ready to serve, cut the cheesecake into 4-5 slices. You can cut them into squares or into triangles.
I tried making the cheesecake with swirls of jam. Totally didn’t work out.
Serve the small batch vanilla cheesecake with strawberry rosé wine sauce.
To make the strawberry rosé wine sauce, add fresh sliced strawberries, water, and granulated sugar to a small pot over medium heat. Once the strawberries start to simmer, use a spatula to mash the strawberries. The strawberries will easily dissolve. Add rosé wine to the strawberries and allow them to simmer for a few minutes. Remove the strawberries from heat, and let them cool. Pour the strawberry mixture into a fine mesh strainer over a small bowl. Use the back of a spoon to strain the strawberries.
Drizzle the rosé sauce over the vanilla cheesecake before serving.
Enjoy!
- 8 graham crackers
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 packages cream cheese
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons rosé wine
- Preheat the oven to 325F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper so that it overhangs on the two long sides. Set aside for now.
- Place graham crackers in a ziploc bag and crush the crackers until they become crumbs.
- Add melted butter and granulated sugar to the graham cracker crumbs. Mix until the crumbs appear moist. Place the graham cracker crumbs into the loaf pan and press the crumbs down firmly until packed down.
- Bake the graham cracker crust for about 20 minutes until they become lightly brown.
- While the graham cracker crust is baking, beat together room temperature cream cheese and granulated sugar with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add an egg and vanilla extract the batter, and beat with a hand mixer until creamy and relatively smooth.
- Spread the cheesecake batter over the graham cracker crust. Lower the temperature to 300F. Bake the cheesecake for about 30-40 minutes until the cheesecake becomes firm. Test the cheesecake with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cheesecake is done.
- Set the cheesecake on the stovetop near the oven heat to slowly cool down. Rapid changes in temperature can cause the cheesecake to crack. Once it’s cooled down completely, refrigerate the cheesecake for at least two to three hours.
- Once ready to serve, cut the cheesecake into 4-5 slices. Cut them into squares or into triangles.
- Serve the small batch vanilla cheesecake with strawberry rosé wine sauce.
- To make the strawberry rosé wine sauce, add fresh sliced strawberries, water, and granulated sugar to a small pot over medium heat. Once the strawberries start to simmer, use a spatula to mash the strawberries. The strawberries will easily dissolve. Add rosé wine to the strawberries and allow them to simmer for a few minutes. Remove the strawberries from heat, and let them cool. Pour the strawberry mixture into a fine mesh strainer over a small bowl. Use the back of a spoon to strain the strawberries.
- Drizzle the rosé sauce over the vanilla cheesecake before serving.
PeculiarPorter says
Oh my god, that looks so good!
xo Logan
https://peculiarporter.com
Andrea| Cooking with a Wallflower says
Thanks, Logan!
lightalways says
Love cheesecakes! 🙂 The strawberry rosé wine sauce looks yummy! Thanks for liking my earlier post. I will be stopping by your site from time to time to discover your brilliant recipes. 🙂
Andrea| Cooking with a Wallflower says
Thank you so much!
snowyaliceblog says
This looks beautiful! I will definitely try it out 🙂
Andrea| Cooking with a Wallflower says
Thank you so much! I hope you’ll like it!
macbick says
This looks awesome! Will definitely be trying this out sometime soon.
Andrea| Cooking with a Wallflower says
Hope you’ll like it!
lesocialcritique says
Great post! My personal favourite is cheesecake with rasberries.
Andrea| Cooking with a Wallflower says
Ooh, yum!
Robin S. Kent says
Great recipe, great pics! Thanks!
Andrea| Cooking with a Wallflower says
Thank you!
travelnerdplans says
Looks delicious 🙂
Andrea| Cooking with a Wallflower says
Thank you!
Snapshotsincursive says
Beauty on a plate. I admire the way you balance food and flowers in your presentation, Andrea. Well done! 🍓🌼🍓😍
Andrea| Cooking with a Wallflower says
Thank you so much, Gail! Sometimes I’m not sure if I’m overdoing it with all the flowers. lol
lulu says
I would never have thought to use rose in cooking though I sure like to drink it. Your cheesecake is simple enough.
Debra says
My favourite cheesecake is the most basic one. A bottomless baked cake made with quark (German curd) not cream cheese. Very few ingredients, easy to make and so yummy. You can add fruits etc but it’s perfect just as it is. But I would probably eat every type of cheesecake. With poppy seeds is great, too. Great post as ever
Andrea| Cooking with a Wallflower says
I have never had poppy seeds in a cheesecake before!
Debra says
It’s delicious. You get the baking poppy seeds and soak them in milk (you can get seed mixes that you don’t have to soak) and when you made your batter you take 1/3 of it and mix it with the seeds. Bottom, poppy seed batter and normal batter on top, then bake it. amazing!!! You might find a recipe under Polish cheesecakes. Russischer Zupfkuchen is great as well (Russian chocolate cheesecake) which despite its name is another traditional German cheesecake. here is one example http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/russian-chocolate-cheesecake-russischer-zupfkuchen/
Andrea| Cooking with a Wallflower says
I’ll have to try it!