This is one of the few instances that trying to follow my instincts did not work. This is actually the second cheesecake I made because the first one did not go well. In my attempt to do the right thing I used a water bath like many other cheesecake recipes but that resulted in water seeping in (even with a foil barrier). Also, I left the first cheesecake in the oven for too long because it didn’t look to me as if the filling was setting. So, my filling got curdled and my crust was soggy so when I made the recipe a second time I followed the minimal directions. No water bath, just bake for 1 hour and it was great. The second cheesecake turned out delicious and the effort was down to a minimum. So, if you’re a fan of cheesecake I would try this. Minimal ingredients lead to an impressive-looking dessert.
Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust (Double for 9-inch pan or larger)
1c graham cracker crumbs
1/4c sugar
1/4c melted butter
Filling
3- 8oz cream cheese blocks, softened to room temp
1c sugar
3 eggs
Vanilla
Topping (Optional)
16oz sour cream
2Tbsp sugar
Vanilla
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press firmly into pan* and bake for 5 minutes. In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Add in the eggs, vanilla, and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and bake for 1 hour. Towards the end of the bake time mix together your topping ingredients and once the hour is up take the cheesecake out and turn your oven to 500. Spread the sour cream topping over the cheesecake and place it back into the oven for 5 minutes. Let the cheesecake cool for a few hours at room temperature before placing it in the fridge overnight.
*I’m no expert on pans for cheesecake so I recommend looking up the best way to line one.
Kate and Kathryn 