New York Style Cheesecake

Recipe by Sarah Phillips © 2007 Sarah Phillips CraftyBaking.com

INGREDIENTS
Crust:
2 cups (190 grams) of graham wafer crumbs or finely crushed vanilla wafers or gingersnaps (pulse whole cookies in a food processor until they are crumbs)
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 cup (114 grams) unsalted butter, melted (measure and then melt)

Filling:
32 ounces (1 kg) (4 - 8 ounces packages) cream cheese, room temperature (use full fat, not reduced or fat free cream cheese)
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
3 tablespoons (40 grams) unbleached all purpose flour or 1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 large eggs
1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy whipping cream

Topping:
1 cup sour cream (not low fat or fat free)
2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS
Position oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Prepare a 9 inch (23 cm) springform pan by spraying with vegetable oil spray. Place the springform pan on a foil lined larger baking sheet to catch any leakage while the cheesecake is baking. Set aside.

For Crust:
In a medium sized bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Combine with melted butter. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and about 1 inch (2.54 cm) up the sides of the springform pan. Set aside.

For Filling:
Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, lemon zest, and vanilla extract on low speed with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each addition. Slowly add the whipping cream at the side of the bowl and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the prepared the crust. Place the cheesecake pan on the foiled lined baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes and then immediately lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Bake for about another 1 1/2 hours until done. The cake should be firm and the center of the cheesecake will look a little wet and wobbly when tapped lightly on the side with a wooden spoon. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Do not turn off the oven.

While the cheesecake bakes, prepare the topping mixture. in a small bowl combine the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Place in refrigerator until needed.

Remove the topping mixture from the refrigerator, and spread the topping over the warm cheesecake. Return cake to oven for 15 minutes more. When done, carefully run a knife or spatula around the inside edge of pan to loosen the cheesecake (helps prevent the surface from cracking as it cools).

Let cool on a wire cake rack before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating for 12 to 24 hours until firm. Serve with fresh fruit or fruit sauces.

To freeze: Place the cooled cheesecake on a baking pan and freeze, uncovered, until firm. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, wrap it in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Seal and return to freezer. Can be frozen for several months. Thaw cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight.

Notes from sugarpie:
I felt this recipe was extremely easy to make. I encountered none of the pitfalls associated with cheesecake baking, touchwood!

First off, I used all the perishable ingredients right out the refrigerator. I used my powerful KitchenAid Mixer. Everything went smoothly.

The things I did differently from the recipe are: I greased the pan with a liberal amount of butter and nothing else. I did not use any water bath when baking the cake. I placed it in a large 12-inch iron skillet that I use to roast nuts mostly, to catch any leakage. After the exactly 1 hour, 45 minutes of bake time, I checked the cake and it had the perfect jiggle to tell me that it was done.