Rose's Baking Basics

Creamy Cheesecake

Serves 10 to 12

Oven Temperature: 350°F/175°C

Baking Time: 50 minutes (55 minutes if using a silicone pan instead of aluminum foil for the water bath), plus 1 hour with the oven off

Plan Ahead: Make the cheesecake at least 1 day before serving.

Baking Equipment: One 9 by 3 or 2¾ inch high springform pan, lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray, set in a slightly larger silicone pan or wrapped with a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil to prevent seepage

A 12 inch cake pan or roasting pan to serve as a water bath

Optional: a 9 inch cardboard cake round

Lusciously creamy and tangy on its own, a cheesecake is deliciously complemented by topping with fresh berries or sour cherries (see Make This Recipe Your Own) or lemon curd. A base of thin sponge cake, purchased lady fingers, or cookie crumbs are also pleasing enhancements.

Batter

full-fat cream cheese	454 grams	1 pound
sugar	200 grams	1 cup
cornstarch	9 grams	1 tablespoon
3 large eggs	150 grams	½ cup plus 1½ tablespoons (140 ml)
lemon juice, freshly squeezed and strained (1 to 2 lemons)	47 grams	3 tablespoons (45 ml)
pure vanilla extract	.	1½ teaspoons (7.5 ml)
fine sea salt	.	¼ teaspoon
full-fat sour cream	726 grams	3 cups

Preheat the Oven

▪ Twenty minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Set the oven at 350ºF/175ºC.

Mise en Place

▪ One hour ahead, into the bowl of a stand mixer, place the cream cheese, sugar, and cornstarch at cool room temperature (65º to 70ºF/19º to 21ºC).

▪ Into a 1 cup measure with a spout, weigh or measure the eggs and whisk just until lightly combined. Cover with plastic wrap.

▪ Into another 1 cup measure with a spout, weigh or measure the lemon juice. Cover with plastic wrap.

▪ If using a cake base (see Make This Recipe Your Own), trim it to size and set it on the bottom of the pan. If using lady fingers, cut off the rounded edges and arrange them on the bottom of the pan, placing them flat sides down and cutting or tearing smaller pieces to fit into any gaps. Cover the pan with plastic wrap while making the filling.

Make the Batter

1. Attach the whisk beater and beat the cream cheese mixture on medium-high speed until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice, about 3 minutes.

2. Gradually beat in the eggs and continue beating until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

3. On medium-low speed, add the lemon juice, vanilla, and salt and beat until incorporated.

4. Add the sour cream and continue beating just until fully blended, 20 to 30 seconds. Detach the whisk beater and use it to reach down and whisk in any mixture that has settled to the bottom of the bowl.

5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly.

Bake the Cheesecake

6. Set the pan into the larger pan and surround it with 1 inch of very hot water. Add about 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar to the water and stir to dissolve it. (This will prevent discoloration of the aluminum pan.) Bake for 25 minutes. For even baking, rotate the pan halfway around. Continue baking for 25 minutes (30 minutes if using the silicone pan). Turn off the oven without opening the door and let the cake cool for 1 hour. When moved, the center will jiggle slightly.

Cool and Chill the Cheesecake

7. Remove the pan from the water bath but leave the silicone pan or foil in place to contain any liquid that may seep from the cake. Set it on a wire rack to cool to room temperature or just warm, 1 to 2 hours. To absorb condensation, place a paper towel, curved side up, over the pan with the ends overhanging. Place an inverted plate, larger than the springform pan, on top of the paper towel.

8. Refrigerate the cheesecake for 8 hours or overnight, still covered with the paper towel and plate. (The filling needs to be very firm before unmolding and pouring on a topping.)

Unmold the Cheesecake

9. Remove the plate and paper towel. Use a small propane torch or wipe the sides of the pan several times with a towel that has been run under hot water and wrung out. Release the sides of the springform pan. If the sides of the cheesecake are uneven, run a small metal spatula under hot water and use it to smooth them.

10. Place a piece of plastic wrap, lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray, on top of the cheesecake. Set a 9 inch cake pan or cookie sheet, bottom side down, on top of the cake. Invert the cake together with the cookie sheet or cake pan and set it on a counter. Remove the springform pan bottom and parchment and blot any moisture with a paper towel if necessary.

11. If using just a cake or lady finger base, it’s fine to reinvert the cheesecake directly onto a serving plate, or to leave it on the pan bottom if using a springform with a glass bottom.

▪ If adding a cookie crumb base, you will need about 75 grams/¾ cup for the bottom and sides of the cake. Pat a layer of crumbs gently onto the surface. Reinvert the cake onto a cardboard round. Hold the cheesecake over the bowl with the remaining crumbs, tilting it slightly, and with your other cupped hand lift the crumbs onto the sides of the cake, pressing them in lightly. Place the cheesecake, still on the cake round, on a serving plate.

Store Airtight: refrigerated, 5 days; do not freeze, as the texture will become less smooth.

Baking Pearls

This is an incredibly light and creamy cheesecake. If you prefer a denser version, simply reduce the sour cream to 484 grams/2 cups.

As ovens may vary, this method of finishing the baking by the residual heat in the oven virtually ensures that the batter will cook completely. If your oven temperature is off and the batter is not set and jiggles more than slightly when removed from the oven, remove the cake from the water bath, set it on a cookie sheet, and continue baking the cake for a few minutes, just until done.

Unflavored dental floss, held taut, works better than a knife to cut a cheesecake without the cherry or berry topping. With a topping, a thin sharp knife works best.

Make This Recipe Your Own

Bases

Cake Base: Use the Thin Golden Sponge Cake Base.

Cookie Crumbs: You will need about ¾ cup/75 grams of cookie crumbs of your choice.

Toppings

For a fresh raspberry or strawberry topping, you will need about 454 grams/2 pints raspberries or hulled small strawberries. Up to 6 hours ahead, arrange the berries on the top of the cake, pointed ends up. Brush the berries with 77 grams/¼ cup melted currant jelly.

For a sour cherry topping, prepare half the recipe of the cherry pie filling, but use 100 grams/½ cup sugar and 1½ tablespoons/14 grams cornstarch. Up to 8 hours before serving, spoon the hot filling onto the chilled cake. Return it to the refrigerator for 1 hour to set.

For a lemon curd topping, remove the chilled but unmolded cake from the refrigerator. Remove the plate and paper towel. Make the lemon curd, but without the zest (you will need 200 grams/¾ cup). As soon as it has thickened, pour the lemon curd into the strainer and press it through. Avoid scraping the saucepan as the residue is thicker and will mar the surface of the cheesecake. For the smoothest topping, immediately pour the hot lemon curd quickly onto the chilled cheesecake. Tilt the cake pan as necessary to even the topping. If needed, smooth the topping with a small offset spatula. Let it sit for 15 minutes to allow the steam to escape from the topping. Then cover with a paper towel (curved side up) and an inverted plate and refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 2 hours before unmolding.

Making Creamy Cheesecake