No Bake Strawberry Brain Cheesecake (Printable Version)

Vibrant strawberry cheesecake molded into a brain shape with creamy filling and gory chocolate details.

# What You Need:

→ Crust

01 - 7 oz graham crackers or digestive biscuits
02 - 2.6 oz unsalted butter, melted

→ Strawberry Layer

03 - 14 oz fresh strawberries, hulled
04 - 2 tbsp granulated sugar
05 - 2 tbsp water
06 - 2 tsp gelatin powder or vegetarian gelatin substitute

→ Cheesecake Filling

07 - 14 oz cream cheese, room temperature
08 - 3.5 oz powdered sugar
09 - 3/4 cup heavy cream
10 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Brain Decoration

11 - 7 oz white chocolate, melted
12 - Pink gel food coloring, optional
13 - Extra strawberry coulis or red berry sauce

# How to Make It:

01 - Line a brain-shaped silicone mold or medium oval bowl with plastic wrap to prepare for assembly.
02 - Crush the graham crackers finely and combine with melted butter. Press mixture into the base of the mold for an even layer. Refrigerate until ready to use.
03 - Blend strawberries with granulated sugar until smooth. Heat 2 tbsp water, sprinkle gelatin over, let bloom 5 minutes, then warm until dissolved. Stir gelatin into strawberry puree and set aside to cool to room temperature.
04 - Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Whip heavy cream separately to soft peaks, then fold into cream cheese with vanilla. Pour in the cooled strawberry gelatin mixture and fold together until uniform.
05 - Pour the strawberry cheesecake filling into the mold over the crust. Smooth the top. Chill for at least 5 hours, or until fully set.
06 - Melt white chocolate and color with pink food gel if desired. Pour into a piping bag and pipe brain squiggles on a baking sheet lined with parchment; chill to set.
07 - Carefully unmold the cheesecake and decorate with the chocolate squiggles to resemble brain folds. Drizzle with strawberry coulis or red berry sauce for a gory effect. Slice and serve chilled.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The strawberry white chocolate combination tastes far more sophisticated than it looks
  • You can make it entirely ahead of time and pull it out right before serving
  • The brain decoration creates instant conversation at any party
02 -
  • The cream cheese must be completely at room temperature or you will never get the smooth filling you want
  • Let the strawberry gelatin mixture cool to room temperature before folding it in or it will set too fast
  • The brain decoration white chocolate must be cold before you try to move it or it will lose its shape
03 -
  • If your white chocolate squiggles break while transferring them, just press the pieces onto the cheesecake for a more organic look
  • A plastic squeeze bottle works even better than a piping bag for the chocolate decorations

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