Cheesecake is a staple dessert for one who lives in New York, as i do.
The invention of a "cheesecake," dessert made with soft unripened cheese and various additives, has been around since ancient Greece and has it's place in many cultures.
Some of the main styles of cheesecake include:
- The standard New York style cheesecake, which i actually don't make, is made from whipping cream and cream cheese (eggs and sugar of course) and it topped with a sour cream mixture. The "cake" part is rich and dense with a tang from the sour topping. These usually have a gram cracker crust.
- French style cheesecakes are made with fromage blanc (translated as "white cheese"), which are relatively soft with a tangier flavor and usually a pastry crust.
- Ricotta style cheesecakes (aka Italian style) are also relatively light and more milky in flavor.
- There are also Italian cheesecakes which use a mixture of ricotta and mascarpone which smooths out the texture and makes it so rich and yummy!
For example:
- chocolate
- coffee
- amaretto
- lemon
- pumpkin
- key lime
- Kahlua
- strawberry
- etc.
For this, my first cheesecake blog, i will make my standard cheesecake.
This recipe is adapted from "Aunt Maureen's Cheesecake Recipe."
(This is Robby's actual Aunt Maureen. His Mom's side of the family made a family cookbook a few years ago, which I think is fun and has proven useful.)
It is most similar to the New York style, in that it is made with cream cheese and sour cream. However, i do not classify it as a strict New York cheesecake because the sour cream is incorporate into the batter (not on top). Also because people are crazy specific about their cheesecake!
The first thing you need for my cheesecake is a boat load of cream cheese . . . 4 boxes/32 oz.
Chop it up and put it in a bowl. Allow it to come up to room temp.
While the cheese softens prepare the pans and the crust.
Following my http://bakingforrobby.blogspot.com/2012/08/perfect-cake-liners.html cover two 8" cake pans with parchment.
In a separate bowl combine one stick of melted butter with one heaping cup of graham cracker crumbs.
Mix till crumb are moistened.
Pour 1/2 of mixture in each pan and press down.
Set pans aside.
Preheat over to 350 degrees.
Move racks in over so that the top rack is in the middle and has at least 6" clear above it.
Fill two 9x 13" pans with 1" of water and set on middle rack.
(impressed with my fancy pans? The one on the left is so dented i am convinced it was thrown down a flight of stairs.)
Now it is time to make the batter.
Cream together the softened cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar.
Add 2 tsp of vanilla and 1/2 cup of flour. Mix till combined.
Separate 6 eggs.
Add yolks to batter and mix till combined.
Whip whites until soft peaks form.
Fold whites into mixture.
Finally fold in 1 pint of sour cream. (I totally fogot about the sour cream untill i was ready to add it to the batter. Luckily i live in the Bronx so i was able to run up the the deli and grab some. I was on the phone with my mom at the time and she didn't even know I had left the house.)
Pour batter over prepared crusts.
It is that easy!
Oh wait now for the technical part . . . .
Carefully drop each cake pan into the pan of water in the oven. Remember the pan and water are hot!
Bake cakes for 1 hr or until top is golden.
Turn off oven.
DO NOT TAKE CAKES OUT OF THE OVEN!
Open the oven door just a crack and leave cakes in oven for 2-4 hrs.
Really. This will keep them from cracking and ensure even cooking.
Remove the slightly warm cakes and place in fridge overnight.
After the cakes have cooled overnight remove strips of parchment around sides of cakes and flip them onto a paper towel. If you did your parchment paper right they will plop right out.
Put a plate on the back side and slip off the counter/table so the paper towel and cake are in the palm of your hand with the other hand on the plate. FLIP!
I put a berry pure on top of this one for serving.
Now your families will all love you because you can bring cheesecakes to the party!
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