Cheesecake Recipe
This is very easy to make. What's not easy is deciding which of the many possible delicious toppings to use!
Before You Begin
I usually make this in a 24 cm (9.5 inch) glass dish, so the cheesecake is rather large. If you want to make a more modest cheesecake, scale the recipe by 3/4. This amount will fill a 16 to 20 cm (roughly 6.5 to 7.5 inch) disposable pan, which is a good size for a small family. A recipe scale of 1.5, two of these small pans, and two different toppings is an easy way to make two colorful desserts for a party.
Ingredients
- 450 grams (2 8 oz. packages) Cream Cheese, softened.
- 240 ml (1 cup) Plain Yogurt or Sour Cream. Cheesecake made with Sour Cream is called "New York Style".
- 201 grams (1 cup) Granulated Sugar.
- 7.50 grams (1 tbsp) Cornstarch. You can substitute 2 tbsp of flour if necessary.
- 15.0 ml (2 tsp) Vanilla Flavoring (Extract or Essence). A strong vanilla flavor is nice here, so double the amount if you must use Vanilla Essence
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) Lemon Juice. Optional, but recommended.
- 150 grams (3 whole) Eggs.
- 168 grams (1 ) Homemade Breadcrumb Crust or Graham Cracker Crust. This Breadcrumb Crust is pretty close to a Homemade Graham Cracker Crust, but uses ingredients you probably always have.
Preparation
- Soften the Cream Cheese. If you are in a hurry, cut it into small chunks, and slowly warm it up in a microwave, about 30 seconds at a time until soft.
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Mix the Cream Cheese in a medium-size bowl with an electric mixer for several minutes until smooth. All mixing here an below should be done at low speed to avoid adding air.
- Mix in Yogurt or Sour Cream, Sugar, Cornstarch, Vanilla Flavoring, and Lemon Juice.
- Mix in the Eggs one at a time until incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Pour mixture into the pie crust. I make my crust in a glass dish and cover just the bottom, so I coat the exposed sides with oil or cooking spray.
- Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30 minutes. NOTE WELL: The cheesecake is done when the top is golden brown and the internal temperature has reached 65~70°C (150~160°F). A higher target temperature will give a firmer cheesecake, but avoid going over this or the cheesecake will become dry and crumbly. Another hint of doneness is that the edges will be a bit stiff but the center still a bit wiggly, like gelatin. The cooking time shown here is a guideline that applies to this dish size and my oven situation. Definitely use a thermometer to get a perfect, creamy cheesecake.
- Reduce heat and bake at 160°C (323°F) for up to an additional 30 minutes, but check the internal tempererature for doneness every ten minutes. If the cheesecake is not done but the top is getting brown, cover it with foil.
- Cool slightly in the oven with the door open, then a bit longer on a wire rack. Finally, chill for 4 hours before adding topping and serving.
Serving Suggestions
Serve plain or with your favorite topping such as Berry Sauce, Lemon Curd, Salted Caramel, crushed cookies, or crushed candy bars.
Storage
Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week. Store frozen for up to three months.
Summary
Nutrition
| Calories | 307 calories |
| Total Fat | 14 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Sodium | 137 mg |