Cheesecake

Cheesecake is a perennial favorite—at the holidays or at any time of the year. You can top it with fruit or a fruit sauce, or just enjoy it.

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Yield: 12–16 servings

Active time: 20 minutes

Start to finish: 6 hours, including time to chill

1¹/₂ cups crumbs made from Gluten-Free Graham Crackers

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 cups granulated sugar, divided

4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons white rice flour

2 tablespoons tapioca flour

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 500°F.

2. Combine crumbs, butter, and ¹/₃ cup sugar in a mixing bowl, and stir well. Pat mixture into bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 12-inch springform pan. Set aside.

3. Combine remaining sugar, cream cheese, rice flour, and tapioca flour in a large mixing bowl, and beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs and egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well between each addition, and scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in vanilla and salt. Scrape mixture into the pan on top of crust.

4. Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 225°F and continue to bake cheesecake for an additional 1 hour. Turn off the oven, and allow cheesecake to sit in the oven for an additional 30 minutes without opening the oven door.

5. Cool cake in the pan on a rack, and then refrigerate until cold. Run a knife around the sides of the pan to release cake, and then remove sides of pan. Allow cheesecake to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Note: Cheesecake lasts forever! You can refrigerate this cake for up to a week; keep it tightly covered with plastic wrap.

Variations

 Add 1 tablespoon grated lemon or orange zest to the batter.

 Substitute firmly packed dark brown sugar for the granulated sugar in the batter.

 Mix ¹/₄ of the batter with 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, and swirl this through the vanilla for a marble cheesecake.

When baking a cheesecake the center should still be a bit wobbly when you take it out of the oven. The residual heat will finish cooking it. This is the same reason that fish should be taken off the grill or broiler when it’s slightly translucent in the center.