Ultimate Creamy Cheesecake

My favorite dessert of all time is cheesecake, if I could only have one dessert for the rest of my life it would be cheesecake. I use to be nervous about making homemade cheesecake, but then I went for it and I will never go back. It’s rather simple and always produces a yummy treat.

We hosted a Labor Day BBQ at our house and I wanted to make dessert, I decided to go with cheesecake, because well I love it, and I love trying new recipes. Cream Cheese is also the Whats Cooking Ingredient Challenge this week so I killed two birds with one stone.

These cheesecake is very different from most cheesecakes, it’s very creamy, not as dense as normal cheesecake, it was awesome, just different from what everyone was expecting, but awesome none the less. **I put my crust too high on the pan so my outside crust looked funny.**

Ultimate Cheesecake (From: Tyler Florence)

• 2 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 30 squares)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1 pound cream cheese, 2 (8-ounce) blocks, softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 pint sour cream
• 1 dash vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker, cinnamon, and butter with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup or the smooth bottom of a glass, press the crumbs down into the base and 1-inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.

For the Filling:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add sour cream, and vanilla. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. The batter should be well-mixed but not overbeaten. Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan; the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake for 45 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle (it will firm up after chilling), so be careful not to overcook. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Unmold and transfer to a cake plate.

Slice the cheesecake with a thin, non-serrated knife that has been dipped in hot water. Wipe dry after each cut.

Tagged as: Cake, Dessert