Basic Recipe--Cheesecake
Submitted by hotdanni
Basic cheesecake recipe done right: three pounds of cream cheese, sour cream, heavy cream, and a foil-wrapped water bath for the silkiest, crackless slice you’ll ever cut.
YIELD
1 CakePREP
30 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsThis basic cheesecake is the foundation every home baker should have on file. Three pounds of cream cheese get beaten on high for a full five minutes until truly smooth, which is the single biggest difference between a dense, lumpy disappointment and a slice with that custard-silk texture. The sugar gets shaken with flour and added a quarter cup at a time, the eggs and dairy mixed separately and folded in last on low speed so you don’t whip air into the batter.
The water bath is non-skippable. A 9-inch springform wrapped in a double layer of heavy-duty foil sits in a roasting pan, hot water poured halfway up the sides, and the whole assembly bakes ninety minutes at a gentle temperature. The bath insulates the batter, keeps the rise even, and prevents the dreaded canyon crack across the top. A long, slow cool, first thirty minutes on the rack, then three hours minimum in the fridge, sets the texture all the way through.
Pro Tips
- Bring every dairy ingredient to room temperature first. Cold cream cheese fights the mixer and leaves lumps no amount of beating will fix.
- Wrap the foil tight and high. One pinhole and water seeps in, leaving a soggy crust. A second layer is cheap insurance.
- The cake is set when the edges look puffed but the center two inches still jiggle. It firms up entirely as it cools.
- Run a thin knife around the edge before unmolding. Cheesecake clings to the pan as it cools and tearing the edge ruins clean slices.
Variations
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 325℉ (160℃).
Position rack in center of oven.
Butter 9 inch springform pan. Wrap outside of pan with double layer of heavy-duty foil.
Press crust firmly into bottom and 1inch up sides of pan; refrigerate until needed or bake and cool.
With mixer at high speed beat cream cheese until smooth, about 5 minutes. Combine sugar with flour.
Reduce speed to low; beat sugar mixture into cream cheese, ¼ cup at a time until smooth, about 3 minutes.
In bowl stir together eggs, sour cream, heavy cream, yolks and vanilla until smooth.
Gradually beat egg mixture into cheese mixture until just incorporated. Pour batter into pan.
Place pan in large baking pan on oven rack; fill baking pan with water halfway up sides of springform pan.
Bake 1½ hours or until center of cheesecake is set.
Remove from water bath; remove foil. Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes; cool completely in refrigerator about 3 hours or over nite.
Comments
