Whether you’re serving cheesecake, angel food cake, ice cream, or what have you, this strawberry sauce is the topping you need.
Following Monday’s birthday recipe is another strawberry recipe. For me this one of those no-recipe recipes: fruit, water, sugar, cornstarch. However, you do need to measure a little bit to get the sweetness and viscosity right. Then, you have a very useful fruit sauce for topping many a dessert. While I shared this recipe almost ten years ago, I would guess I have been making it for much longer.
The perfect topping for cheesecake
I made cheesecake this weekend, so obviously I needed to make a topping for it. At least in my opinion, I did. While I love cheesecake, whether it be cream cheese-heavy, ricotta-heavy, or a blend of the two, I find that its flavor is one-note. The texture, albeit creamy, needs something for contrast. That is where the topping lends a helping hand. So, if I’m looking for additions to flavor and texture, then I need a topping that is chunky, a simple drizzle of caramel sauce won’t do. Being a lover of all berries, I’m naturally drawn to strawberry sauce.
For many recipes, I simply macerate the berries, but for cheesecake I like a different consistency. I want there to be some thickness to the sauce, which can cling to the cheesecake. I also want the berries to be bite-sized; there should be no need for a knife when eating cheesecake.
Why you need to make strawberry sauce
This sauce is simple to make. The longest section of the recipe is the cooling. In addition to topping cheesecake, this sauce would work well on angel food cake, pound cake, or ice cream.
For those wanting even more indulgence, a hearty dollop of homemade whipped cream makes a fun, final topping for whatever dessert you choose. Get ready to celebrate a birthday, holiday, or any day that ends with Y with this simple strawberry sauce!
Strawberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups diced strawberries
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
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Combine strawberries, 1/4 cup water, and sugar in a small saucepot over medium heat.
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Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
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In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons water and cornstarch.
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Add cornstarch mixture to strawberry mixture and bring to a boil.
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(To create a sauce with a blend of chunkiness and creaminess, a small amount of the sauce can be puréed and returned to the sauce.)
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Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly, then transfer to a resealable container.
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Refrigerate for at least two hours.
