Katish's Cheesecake

Katish’s cheesecake is the lighter, more refined cousin of the dense American version. The signature here is folding in whipped egg whites at the end, which lifts the cream cheese filling into something closer to a baked souffle than a brick of dairy. The result slices tall and airy, with a texture more like a European Törte than a New York slab.

Zwieback is the traditional crust, not graham cracker. Those twice-baked German toasts bring a warm, slightly spiced flavor that plays against the tangy filling, and their lower fat content keeps the crust from going greasy in the pan.

A real vanilla bean, not extract, is worth it here. The seeds scraped from the pod flecks the filling visibly and perfumes the cake in a way extract can only approximate. Split the bean lengthwise, run the back of a knife down the inside, and scrape every last seed into the filling.

Running a spatula through the filling in a circle an inch from the rim is a small but crucial step. It creates a gentle well that encourages the middle to puff evenly, reducing the chance of a central sinkhole after baking.

Pro Tips

• Room-temperature cream cheese mixes smooth with no lumps. Cold cream cheese stays pebbly no matter how long you beat it.
• Whip the egg whites in a spotless metal or glass bowl. Any trace of fat or yolk stops them from reaching stiff peaks.
• Fold the whites gently in three additions. Dumping them in all at once and stirring deflates the batter back to a dense mass.
• Use the slow oven cool-down as specified. It prevents cracks and lets the whipped structure set gradually.

Variations

• Replace the zwieback with graham crackers or shortbread cookies if zwieback is hard to find.
• Top with fresh berries macerated in a little sugar and lemon juice for a bright finish.
• Add the zest of one lemon to the filling for a brighter, more citrus-forward version.