Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake: Inspired by strawberry crunch ice cream bars, this cheesecake has a sweet, crunchy, delicious crumble topping that sets it apart from other cheesecakes!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and fill a cookie sheet with ¼ inch of water. Spray just the bottom of a 9" springform pan with cooking spray (otherwise your cheesecake crust may stick to the pan).
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip all 32 ounces cream cheese until it is soft and smooth (if using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and start on a low speed, slowly moving to high speed). This will take 3-5 minutes depending on the temperature of your cream cheese.
Add in the 4 eggs, ½ cup sour cream, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and whisk until the ingredients are well combined and smooth.
Add in the cup of sugar and whisk again until it is fully incorporate into the cheesecake batter.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the melted butter and the finely crumbled vanilla wafers (or golden Oreo cookie crumbles) until a sandy mixture forms.
Spread the cookie mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan. Use a cup to press the crust down firmly.
Pour the cream cheese filling on top of the vanilla wafer crust (or golden Oreo crust) and place the springform pan onto your baking sheet that has ¼ inch of water in it.Tip: Place some aluminum foil under the bottom of the springform pan and up the edges a little bit to help keep the water from seeping into the pan while you bake strawberry cheesecake.
Bake the cheesecake for 50 minutes (or until the middle is only slightly jiggly).
Allow the cheesecake to cool for 1 hour on the counter and then allow it to cool for another hour in the fridge.
Once the cheesecake has cooled, prepare your strawberry topping by combining the strawberry preserves, strawberry powder, and the course crumbs of either your vanilla wafer or golden Oreo cookies.
Sprinkle the crumble over the top of the cake, serve, and enjoy your delicious dessert!
Notes
*for the subsitutions: you can use golden oreos instead of vanilla wafersSTORAGE: While many people enjoy eating their cheesecake at room temperature, you will want to be sure to cover the top of the springform pan in plastic wrap and store this cheesecake in an airtight container in the fridge. This will help keep your cheesecake fresh and help it last up to one week.If you do want room temperature cheesecake, just let it warm up on the counter before eating it.