Baked Vanilla Cheesecake
Submitted by sdw
Baked vanilla cheesecake in a homemade shortcrust pastry with beaten egg whites folded in for a lighter, souffled texture. A from-scratch cheesecake with a delicate, airy crumb.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
60 minCOOK
60 minREADY
120 minThis isn’t the dense New York-style cheesecake you may be expecting. The distinguishing technique here is the egg whites: three yolks go into the cream cheese filling along with oil, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and milk, and then the three whites get beaten stiff and folded in separately. The result is a filling that bakes up lighter and more souffled than a standard cream cheese cake.
The pastry shell is a proper shortcrust, not a graham cracker base. Butter gets cut into flour until it resembles breadcrumbs, then bound with sugar, egg, and just enough ice water to bring it together. After 30 minutes of refrigeration, it rolls out and lines a 10-inch flan tin with a removable bottom. That removable bottom is important: it’s the only way to get the finished cheesecake out cleanly.
The cooling method is as important as the baking. Once the skewer comes out clean at 50-60 minutes, you turn off the oven and let the cheesecake cool inside with the door cracked open. This prevents the dramatic temperature drop that causes cracking across the top. Patience here pays off in a smooth, uncracked surface.
Pro Tips
- Refrigerate the pastry dough: 30 minutes minimum. Chilled dough rolls more evenly and shrinks less in the tin.
- Don’t stretch the pastry into the tin: Press it gently. Stretched pastry springs back and pulls away from the sides during baking.
- Beat egg whites to stiff peaks, not beyond: Over-beaten whites lose their folding ability and create large air pockets in the filling.
- Cool in oven with door ajar: The gradual cool-down is what prevents cracking. Don’t pull it straight out to room temperature.
Variations
- Lemon zest: Add the zest of one lemon to the cream cheese mixture for a bright, citrus-forward variation on the vanilla.
- Graham cracker crust: Swap the shortcrust for a standard butter-and-crumb base if you want something quicker and more familiar.
Ingredients
Directions
Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until evenly distributed and mixture resembles breadcrumbs. With a fork, lightly mix in sugar, egg and enough ice water to make a dough. Press into a ball and wrap in foil or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350f. On a floured surface, roll out dough to fit a 10-in flan tin with a removable bottom. Place dough in tin without stretching.
** FILLING ** Beat cream cheese, oil, sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, vanilla and milk in alarge bowl until smooth. Beat egg whites until stiff; fold into cream cheese mixture. Pour into pastry shell.
Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Turn off oven. Let cheesecake cool in oven with door open slightly. Remove cooled cheesecake from tin and serve.
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