Rum Truffle Strawberry Cheesecake is a decadent dessert with an outstanding combination of flavours. Perfect for a special occasion or just Sunday dinner.
Rum Truffle Strawberry Cheesecake
Sometimes friends and family get Christmas Day dessert as a gift from our family on Christmas Eve. This year did not disappoint with this Rum Truffle Strawberry Cheesecake.
It has been a bit of a tradition at our house for the past few years. Putting too many on that list can turn into a logistical nightmare, though.
Amber or light (clear) rum is preferred over dark rum for this recipe. You can also leave it out altogether if you prefer.
So, a selection of the bounty from our annual November freezer cookie blitz is now most often what this lucky list now receives.
Invitations to parties and pot lucks however, still have us taking along a decadent dessert to grace the table. This year this particular cheesecake was a huge hit at several venues.
Using frozen berries for the compote can make this recipe a little more economical.
Inspiration for Rum Truffle Strawberry Cheesecake
The inspiration comes from homemade rum truffles that I sometimes make. Also, adding chocolate dipped fresh strawberries to adorn the top.
Like my very popular Strawberry Screech Black Forest Cake is sure to make it a showstopper.
If you don’t want to add rum to the chocolate truffle mixture, it is completely fine to just omit it from the recipe.
Strawberry Black Forest Cake
Everyone loves that flavour combination so this new cheesecake was the result and another new dessert favorite was born.
Originally published January 2014. Updated January 1, 2020 to provide a new printable recipe page and nutritional information.
Rum Truffle Strawberry Cheesecake
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Rum Truffle Strawberry Cheesecake
Rum Truffle Strawberry Cheesecake is a terrific dessert with an outstanding combination of flavours. Perfect for a special occasion or just Sunday dinner.
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Compote Topping
- 2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch dissolved in
- ¼ cup cold water
For the Cookie Crumb Crust
- 1 1/3 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1/3 cup melted butter
For the Cheesecake batter
- 3 eight ounce (250g) blocks cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup whipping cream
For the Rum Truffle Ganache
- 2 cups dark chocolate chips (or semisweet)
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 3 tbsp dark rum, optional (or 1 tsp rum extract)
For the Vanilla Whipped Cream
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 3 rounded tbsp icing sugar (ie powdered sugar, confectioners sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- You will also need (for garnish, optional)
- 10-12 large strawberries (or the number of slices you plan to serve)
Instructions
To prepare the Strawberry Compote Topping
Combine the strawberries and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a very gentle boil for just a few minutes. Thicken with the corn starch slurry which is added to the strawberries while stirring gently.
Boil gently for 1 additional minute, stirring constantly.
Cool completely for several hours in the fridge.
To prepare the Cookie Crumb Crust
In a small bowl, combine the chocolate cookie crumbs, sugar and melted butter.
Press into the bottom of a lightly greased or parchment lined 9 inch spring form pan. (Grease bottom only!) Parchment paper is ideal here because it makes it very easy to release the cheesecake from the bottom of the pan.
To prepare the Cheesecake batter
Cream together the cream cheese and sugar.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Finally blend in the vanilla extract and the whipping cream.
Pour over the prepared base and bake in a bain marie at 300 degrees F for 60-70 minutes. (Learn about using a simple bain marie in the notes below.)
The cheesecake does not have to brown at all in order to be fully baked. The surface of the cheesecake should lose any shine when the cake is properly baked. It can still be slightly wobbly just at the center at this point.
Remove the cake from the oven and run a sharp knife completely around the edge of the pan.
This will allow for the cheesecake to shrink as it cools and hopefully not crack (but who cares if it does? I am never bothered by a crack or two in the surface)
Allow the cheesecake to cool thoroughly on a wire rack at room temperature. (NOT in the fridge).
Refrigerate after fully cooled. Chill for several hours or overnight.
To prepare the Rum Truffle Ganache
The rum truffle ganache is used to cover the cheesecake and to dip the strawberries.
Melt together the chocolate chips, whipping cream and rum, just until smooth in a double boiler. It is a good idea to warm the cream for about 30 seconds in the microwave first. This speeds up the process of melting and helps to keep it form overheating.
Do not over heat. Just as it is melted remove from the heat. Dip in: 10 -12 large strawberries
Place the dipped strawberries on a piece of parchment paper or wax paper and chill until ready to garnish. Pour the remaining ganache over the chilled cheesecake and spread very quickly and evenly over the top and sides with a flat spatula. Return the cheesecake to the fridge to chill again.
To prepare the Vanilla Whipped Cream
Combine and whip until stiff mounds form.
To construct the cheesecake
Using a piping bag (or a large Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off) pipe mounds of the vanilla whipped cream all around the border of the cheesecake, to form a sort of well for the strawberry topping.
Spoon the Strawberry Compote Topping onto the center of the cheesecake and garnish with the chilled dipped strawberries.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Amber or light (clear) rum is preferred over dark rum for this recipe. You can also leave it out altogether if you prefer.
In my opinion, baking the perfect cheesecake requires the use of a bain marie during baking. A bain marie is simply a water bath that buffers the direct heat from the sides and bottom of the baking pan to more evenly bake the cheesecake from the sides to the center.
I bake my cheesecakes in a 9 inch spring form pan that has the bottom and sides wrapped in multiple layers of wide heavy duty aluminum foil which forms a sort of boat that the cheesecake pan sits in.
The roll of aluminum foil that I use is about 16 inches wide. I use at least 4 layers of foil to make sure that no water leaks in and ruins the crust of my cheesecake.
The aluminum foil wrapped pan is then placed inside a larger baking pan; I use a 12 inch cake pan. Boiling water is then poured into the larger pan filling it from ½ to ⅔ of the way to the top.
I find it best to pour the boiling water into the pan after it is placed on the rack in the oven as you are less likely to splash water onto the cheesecake or inside the aluminum foil.
I reuse the aluminum foil for several future cheesecakes, adding a couple of layers to it each time just to be safe.
EVEN IF YOU CHOOSE NOT USE A BAIN MARIE still use the aluminum foil wrap around the cheesecake pan. The aluminum foil still offers a good buffer to the heat. High heat and baking too quickly is the main reason that a cheesecake becomes dense and not creamy.
Nutrition Information
Yield
16Serving Size
1 sliceAmount Per Serving Calories 533Total Fat 36gSaturated Fat 22gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 120mgSodium 137mgCarbohydrates 47gFiber 2gSugar 39gProtein 5g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.