Sour Cream Cheesecake
Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 8:42 pm
I love to bake as much as I love to BBQ.
My babysitter had my cheesecake and wanted the recipe so I typd it up for her and thought I'd post it here. Here's my winner for cheesecake. Cheesecake is my favorite cake, barely beating Red Velvet. Those being two completely different types of cakes, I would put them in different catagories. Anyhow, enjoy. If you have any suggestions or variations, I'm all ears. I'm just a plain jane cheesecake kinda guy though. Don't like all kinds of flavors in my cheesecake. This is rich enough as it is.
Sour Cream Cheesecake
Equipment:
9" Springform Pan
Parchment Paper
Water Bath pot/pan
Ingredients:
Crust:
40 Graham Cracker Squares
1 T sugar + 1 tsp
6 oz. unsalted melted butter (1.5 sticks)
Filling:
20 oz cream cheese room temp (2.5 packages)
1 1/4 cup sour cream room temp
1 cup sugar
1 T vanilla
2 eggs room temp
3 egg yolks room temp
1/3 cup heavy cream room temp
Directions:
You will need a water bath. I have an 18 qt. roasting oven pan that I use. You also need a rack to set in the water bath to keep the cake above water. The steam helps cook the cheesecake and keeps it moist so it does not dry out.
Making the crust:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Place the base insert of the spring form pan on some parchment paper. Trace the outline of the base onto the paper using a marker or pen. Cut out the circle inside the line so that when you put the paper on the base insert and clamp the pan, there is no hangover to the outside.
Cut a long stip of parchment for the sides. Easiest way to do this is clamp the pan down and roll the parchment along the outside of the pan. Then, cut the paper to the spot once you get all around the pan. Let the parchment roll back up. Mark a spot an inch higher than the pan and cut the rolled up parchment at that spot. Keeps the edge nice and straight.
Place the graham cracker squares in a food processor and process. You might need to do two batches. If you do not have a processor, put them in a plastic bag and crush into small pieces with a rolling pin or can of soup. Put the processed or crushed crackers in a bowl and put the 1T + 1 tsp sugar and 5 of the 6 oz. of melted butter in. Stir with a spoon until uniform. I sometimes have to get in there with my hands to break up lumps and make uniform. Whatever works for you.
Make sure the spring form pan is closed with the insert inside. Using a brush and the remaining 1 oz. of butter, brush the inside of the pan and sides liberally with the butter. Put the base parchment down first. Then, put the parchment on the sides in. The end of the parchment should stick to the sides with a little butter brushed on it. Then, brush the tops of the parchment paper as well so the crust does not stick to it.
Press 2/3 of the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the pan. Pack it tightly. Plase the other 1/3 of the mixture onto a nonstick cookie sheet and spread out. This will be what you press onto the sides and sprinkle on top once it is done. Bake at 300 for about 12 minutes. Once it is done, let it cool. I put it in the fridge to cool for about 10 minutes to save time. Let the remaining crumbs on the cookie sheet cool completely and put in a ziploc bag.
Making the filling:
Drop the oven to 250 degrees. Fill the water bath with hot water to the point that is needed. You might want to do this before you place the cake in the bath to be sure you don't overfill. Place the bath in the oven to begin heating up.
I use a Kitchen Aid mixer but a hand mixer will work just fine. Here is instructions using any kind of mixer. Put the sour cream in the bowl and beat for about 10 seconds. This just breaks it up. Add the cream cheese and sugar and continue mixing until well blended. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl to incorporate completely.
In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla, eggs, yolks and heavy cream. Beat with whisk until combined. Begin beating the cream cheese mixture again with mixture and slowly pour egg mixture in as it beats. Once the filling is incorporated completely, pour into the lined crust.
Put the cake on the rack in the water bath above the water level and bake at 250 degrees for 80 minutes. After 80 minutes, turn the oven off and leave the cake in there in the water bath for another 80 minutes.
After the second 80 minutes, put the cake in the fridge. Do not remove the spring form pan or the parchment paper. Let cake sit in fridge overnight to completely set. I like to let set for at least 24 hours. If you cut into the cake too early, it will just run out like pudding. It needs awhile in the fridge to completely set.
Once the cake is set, open the spring form pan and remove the sides. Peel off the parchment from the sides of the cake. Do it slowly. You can leave the bottom pan on if you like. I always do. The parchment protects the pan when you cut it. Use the leftover crumbs to decorate the sides of the cake. Just press them in. You can sprinkle some on top if you have leftovers. I usually do.
To cut, I use a long bread knife but a chef's knife will do. Run the knife under hot water. Slice the cake to the center and run it through the crust. Use your fingers at the base of the crust and pull the knife out. It may be "dirty" from the filling. Rinse off the filling under hot water and do again. This is not completely necessary, but it helps keep clean cuts of the cake.
Suggested toppings: Cherry pie filling, fresh strawberries with sugar stirred in overnight, semi-sweet chocolate ganache.
My babysitter had my cheesecake and wanted the recipe so I typd it up for her and thought I'd post it here. Here's my winner for cheesecake. Cheesecake is my favorite cake, barely beating Red Velvet. Those being two completely different types of cakes, I would put them in different catagories. Anyhow, enjoy. If you have any suggestions or variations, I'm all ears. I'm just a plain jane cheesecake kinda guy though. Don't like all kinds of flavors in my cheesecake. This is rich enough as it is.
Sour Cream Cheesecake
Equipment:
9" Springform Pan
Parchment Paper
Water Bath pot/pan
Ingredients:
Crust:
40 Graham Cracker Squares
1 T sugar + 1 tsp
6 oz. unsalted melted butter (1.5 sticks)
Filling:
20 oz cream cheese room temp (2.5 packages)
1 1/4 cup sour cream room temp
1 cup sugar
1 T vanilla
2 eggs room temp
3 egg yolks room temp
1/3 cup heavy cream room temp
Directions:
You will need a water bath. I have an 18 qt. roasting oven pan that I use. You also need a rack to set in the water bath to keep the cake above water. The steam helps cook the cheesecake and keeps it moist so it does not dry out.
Making the crust:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Place the base insert of the spring form pan on some parchment paper. Trace the outline of the base onto the paper using a marker or pen. Cut out the circle inside the line so that when you put the paper on the base insert and clamp the pan, there is no hangover to the outside.
Cut a long stip of parchment for the sides. Easiest way to do this is clamp the pan down and roll the parchment along the outside of the pan. Then, cut the paper to the spot once you get all around the pan. Let the parchment roll back up. Mark a spot an inch higher than the pan and cut the rolled up parchment at that spot. Keeps the edge nice and straight.
Place the graham cracker squares in a food processor and process. You might need to do two batches. If you do not have a processor, put them in a plastic bag and crush into small pieces with a rolling pin or can of soup. Put the processed or crushed crackers in a bowl and put the 1T + 1 tsp sugar and 5 of the 6 oz. of melted butter in. Stir with a spoon until uniform. I sometimes have to get in there with my hands to break up lumps and make uniform. Whatever works for you.
Make sure the spring form pan is closed with the insert inside. Using a brush and the remaining 1 oz. of butter, brush the inside of the pan and sides liberally with the butter. Put the base parchment down first. Then, put the parchment on the sides in. The end of the parchment should stick to the sides with a little butter brushed on it. Then, brush the tops of the parchment paper as well so the crust does not stick to it.
Press 2/3 of the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the pan. Pack it tightly. Plase the other 1/3 of the mixture onto a nonstick cookie sheet and spread out. This will be what you press onto the sides and sprinkle on top once it is done. Bake at 300 for about 12 minutes. Once it is done, let it cool. I put it in the fridge to cool for about 10 minutes to save time. Let the remaining crumbs on the cookie sheet cool completely and put in a ziploc bag.
Making the filling:
Drop the oven to 250 degrees. Fill the water bath with hot water to the point that is needed. You might want to do this before you place the cake in the bath to be sure you don't overfill. Place the bath in the oven to begin heating up.
I use a Kitchen Aid mixer but a hand mixer will work just fine. Here is instructions using any kind of mixer. Put the sour cream in the bowl and beat for about 10 seconds. This just breaks it up. Add the cream cheese and sugar and continue mixing until well blended. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl to incorporate completely.
In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla, eggs, yolks and heavy cream. Beat with whisk until combined. Begin beating the cream cheese mixture again with mixture and slowly pour egg mixture in as it beats. Once the filling is incorporated completely, pour into the lined crust.
Put the cake on the rack in the water bath above the water level and bake at 250 degrees for 80 minutes. After 80 minutes, turn the oven off and leave the cake in there in the water bath for another 80 minutes.
After the second 80 minutes, put the cake in the fridge. Do not remove the spring form pan or the parchment paper. Let cake sit in fridge overnight to completely set. I like to let set for at least 24 hours. If you cut into the cake too early, it will just run out like pudding. It needs awhile in the fridge to completely set.
Once the cake is set, open the spring form pan and remove the sides. Peel off the parchment from the sides of the cake. Do it slowly. You can leave the bottom pan on if you like. I always do. The parchment protects the pan when you cut it. Use the leftover crumbs to decorate the sides of the cake. Just press them in. You can sprinkle some on top if you have leftovers. I usually do.
To cut, I use a long bread knife but a chef's knife will do. Run the knife under hot water. Slice the cake to the center and run it through the crust. Use your fingers at the base of the crust and pull the knife out. It may be "dirty" from the filling. Rinse off the filling under hot water and do again. This is not completely necessary, but it helps keep clean cuts of the cake.
Suggested toppings: Cherry pie filling, fresh strawberries with sugar stirred in overnight, semi-sweet chocolate ganache.
