Creamy Strawberry Cheesecake

Gather all the necessary ingredients before starting to prepare this dessert.

To create the crust, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl; thoroughly mix the ingredients together. Press the mixture onto the bottom of an ungreased 9-inch springform pan to form a solid layer. Place the pan in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes, allowing it to firm up and become easier to handle. Next, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), preparing it for baking.

To prepare the filling, place strawberries and cornstarch into a blender; cover the blender and puree the mixture until it reaches a smooth consistency. Pour the strawberry sauce into a saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling the sauce until it thickens and becomes shiny, taking about 2 minutes to achieve this. Set aside 1/3 cup of the reserved strawberry sauce and cool it down before refrigerating it for later use. Cover the remaining sauce with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until serving time.

In a separate mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese using an electric mixer until it reaches a light and fluffy state. Gradually add condensed milk to the cream cheese, mixing well until combined. Mix in lemon juice and vanilla extract before adding eggs on low speed until they are just incorporated into the mixture.

Pour half of the cream cheese mixture over the crust, followed by dropping 1/2 teaspoonfuls of the reserved strawberry sauce on top of the cream cheese layer. Carefully spoon the remaining cream cheese mixture over the sauce, again dropping 1/2 teaspoonfuls of strawberry sauce on top. To create a marbled effect, cut through the top layer only with a knife to swirl the strawberry sauce.

Bake the cheesecake in the preheated oven until the center is almost set, taking 45 to 50 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before carefully running a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen it. Allow the cheesecake to cool for 1 hour at room temperature before refrigerating it for at least 4 hours or overnight.