Cheesecake makeover

It was my birthday recently and I felt like celebrating with something pretty, but fresh and tastey. It's been a while since I've made a cheesecake, so thought I'd whip out my favourite recipe and give it a makeover. What resulted was a wonderful white chocolate and strawberry cheesecake. As always, the cheesecake was light and fluffy, but had a delicious sweetness from the white chocolate and a fresh buzz from the strawberries. It was a great way to celebrate entering the final year of my twenties.

White Chocolate and Strawberry Baked Cheesecake
Adapted from David Herbert's The Perfect Cookbook.

1 x packet plain Oreo biscuits
60g butter, melted
500g cream cheese
3/4 cup caster sugar
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup thickened cream
1tsp vanilla extract
150g white chocolate, melted
1 punnet strawberries, hulled
250mL extra thickened cream

Grease a 23m spring form cake tin and line base with baking paper.

Remove the cream from the centre of the Oreos. Place the biscuits in plastic zip lock bag and crush using the back of a wooden spoon or rolling pin. Melt the butter in the microwave and stir into biscuit crumbs. Using fingertips or the back of a spoon, press the biscuit crumb mix into the base of the cake tin. Refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and caster sugar until soft, creamy and well combined. Add the egg yolks, cream and vanilla. Beat for about 2 - 3 minutes or until mixture is light and fluffy. If your mixture is not light enough, your cheesecake will not be as soft, so don't beat til just combined.

Clean and dry beaters and in a clean bowl beat egg whites to stiff peaks. With a metal spoon, carefully fold the egg whites through the cream cheese mixture. Using a food processor, coarsely puree the strawberries, saving about 4 for the cream on top. Gentle fold the strawberry puree through the cheesecake mix and spoon into prepared cake tin. Bake immediately for 35 - 40 minutes. You don't check if a cheesecake is ready like you do a cake, it's good if the middle isn't properly set. The trick is to see if there's a small wobble in the centre, and take it out if the top is starting to crack.

Allow the cheese cake to cool completely then prepare the cream topping. Beat the extra cream until thick. Spread 3/4 of that cream over the top of the cheesecake. With the remaining strawberries, sieve the puree into the remaining cream (you don't want any lumpy bits or seeds, hence the sieve). Fold through and top the strawberry cream in the centre of the cheesecake. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight (or for about 3 to 4 hours to set). ENJOY!