Dessert Recipes

Strawberry Cheesecake Lush

There’s nothing quite like a frozen lush dessert, with its layers and layers of lusciousness. We love it for its retro vibes, too: it’s sweetly comforting — a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. (And perfect for feeding a crowd since it comes in a big, 9x13” format.) It’s exactly the sort of thing Betty Crocker would make for her annual summer potluck.

Lushes are all about the creamy, silky layers, but when it comes to the flavor, they’re pretty open-ended. Here, we start with a crumbly graham cracker crust and then layer on a strawberry cheesecake-inspired filling — a swirl of rich cream cheese, tangy sour cream, and sweet-tart strawberry jam. The best part? It sets in the freezer, so you can totally prep it a day or two in advance. (Yet another reason to make it for a potluck!)

Before it hits the dessert table, we add a layer of fresh strawberries followed by an abundant coating of light, fluffy whipped cream. Take a bite, and you’ll find it’s — somehow, magically — rich and creamy yet cool and refreshing at the same time. And we just love how each bite is punctuated by little chunks of sweet, juicy strawberries. It’s the perfect treat for a hot, sunny, fun-filled day.


Servings: 12 to 15

Strawberry Cheesecake Lush
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Dessert

Strawberry Cheesecake Lush

Ingredients

For the graham cracker crust:
Cooking spray
1 ⅔ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup granulated sugar
¾ stick unsalted butter, melted
Kosher salt
For the strawberry-cream cheese filling:
16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup sour cream, room temperature
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tsp vanilla extract
Kosher salt
¼ cup strawberry jam
For the strawberry-whipped cream topping:
2 pints strawberries, divided
2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Coat a 9x13” baking pan with cooking spray.

  2. In a large bowl, stir together the graham-cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, melted butter, and 2 pinches of salt until well coated.

  3. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan to create an even crust. Chill the crust in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

  4. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Fold the strawberry jam into the cream cheese until swirled through.

  5. Transfer the filling to the pan and evenly spread it over the crust. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and freeze the lush for 4 hours or overnight.

  6. Fifteen minutes before serving, remove the lush from the freezer. Hull the strawberries, and then small dice ¾ of them and thinly slice the rest. Layer the diced strawberries over the strawberry-cream-cheese filling. Reserve the sliced strawberries for garnish.

  7. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract on low speed. Slowly increase the speed to high and beat to medium peaks, 2 to 3 minutes.

  8. Evenly spread the whipped cream over the strawberries. Cut the lush into squares and garnish with the sliced strawberries. Serve cold.


Recipe adapted from: That Skinny Chick Can Bake

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