700ml thickened cream350ml for cheesecake, 350ml for serving
To garnish
fresh strawberries and icing sugar
Instructions
Line a loaf tin with plastic wrap, ensuring enough overhang to fully cover the sides and top.
Pulse strawberries and lemon juice with a stick blender until smooth, then strain to remove seeds.
In a small saucepan, dissolve caster sugar and 1/2 cup of water over low heat. Stir in strawberry puree, remove from heat, and set aside.
Beat cream cheese and sugar with electric beaters or a stand mixer for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add ricotta and continue beating until smooth.
Dissolve gelatin: place 2 tablespoons of water in a small heatproof bowl, sprinkle gelatin, and stir. Set this bowl in a larger one filled with boiling water up to halfway. Stir occasionally for 5 minutes until dissolved. Incorporate gelatin into the cream cheese mixture.
Beat cream until stiff peaks form. Fold half of it into the cream cheese mixture. Reserve the other half, covered, in the fridge.
Spread one-quarter of the cream cheese mixture into the loaf pan. Dip 6 sponge fingers in the strawberry puree until softened, then lay them in two rows over the cream cheese mixture. Layer with more cream cheese filling, followed by another 6 soaked sponge fingers. Repeat until the loaf tin is full, ending with a cream cheese layer. Cover with overhanging plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Unwrap the cheesecake and invert it onto a serving plate. Spread the reserved whipped cream over the cheesecake and garnish with fresh strawberries and a dusting of icing sugar.
