Does cheesecake HAVE to have sweetened condensed milk?!

Don't use sweetened condensed milk unless your recipe calls for it. The sugar in the recipe mixed with the sweetened condensed milk will make it much too sweet if it's not called for.

None of my cheesecake recipes call for either condensed OR evaporated milk. They do call for cream cheese, vanilla, sugar, salt and eggs with some variation on that. The sour cream called for in some recipes goes on the top after it has been baked for a period of time.

Any strawberry topping you would add would be added after it's already been baked, cooled, and refrigerated until it is cold. Here is a recipe I like to use:

CHEESECAKE

16 graham crackers - crushed fine
1/4 c butter
4 eggs - separated
3 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese - room temperature
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 pint sour cream

Melt the butter and combine with the cracker crumbs. Cover the bottom of your springform pan with the crumbs and up the sides about 1/2 inch. Beat the egg whites stiff. Set aside. Combine the cream cheese, egg holks, 3/4 c sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Fold in whites. Pour onto the crumbs and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40-50 minutes or until slightly brown. Remove from the oven. Mix the sour cream with the remaining sugar and pour on the top. Sprinkle crumbs of remaining crachers on top. Bake in 475 degree oven for 5 minutes. Cool in the oven for 1 hour. Place in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours before serving.

Hope that helps.

Two things: Most cheesecakes DON'T used condensed milk. It's usually a cheat for no bake cheese cakes because it gives a creamy consistency without the baking. If you try Nigella Lawson's websites she has a variety of cheesecakes you can try. The second thing is, the cake has to be
chilled and firm before you put the topping on. Pour and spread it gently.

You need to find a cheesecake recipe that doesn't use sweetened condensed milk if you don't want to use it or don't have it