Creamy American Cheesecake

Cheesecake- it either taunts you or rejoices with you. I had my fair share of sunken, dry cracked cakes that it no longer bothers me. As long as it taste good and most of the time it does. It’s just pretty unsightly to look at and depressing after cracks start to form at the 30 min mark or sinks when you finally remove the cheesecake fom the oven.

For all those that have attempted making a baked cheesecake at least once, you’ll understand that it takes quite awhile to bake in the oven at low temps. Refrigerating the cake overnight is also essential to get the flavours to meld together and for the cake to entirely cool down. Be patient. Simply be patient.

There are 3 kinds of cheesecakes I bake:

1) Non bake cheesecake ( I love making these as it is so easy to whip up and you don’t have to worry about all the above problems). However, I prefer eating a baked cheesecake because the flavours r stronger and creamier.

2) Japanese cheesecake- This literally melts in your mouth. It has a cheesy velvety taste that almost seems like you’re eating air. I like this too. But I know of some cheesecake lovers who prefer a more solid and dense cheesecake.

3) New York Cheesecake- It’ creamer and denser than Japanese cheesecake and as the name says.

 

In celebration of my fiance’s birthday ( Who apparently is miles away ), I made his favourite New York Cheesecake. It was quite saddening as this is his first birthday celebrated apart. Anyway, I baked, took a picture of the cake and wished him all my love when the clock struck midnight (both Singapore & Houston time) . I guess it’s still considered celebrating together right. Only difference was: I ate the cake haha!

The cake turned out perfectly with no cracks. A little brown at the top and creamy in the middle. Love you darling. Never miss baking on your birthday. You deserve one 😉

Creamy Cheesecake (Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From my Home to Yours)

Ingredients for Crust:

3/4 cups graham crackers, fine
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Steps: 

1) Butter a 6″ springform pan and wrap the bottom of the pan with 2 layers of aluminium foil

2) Stir crumbs, sugar in a bowl and pour melted butter and mix until well combined.

3) Turn the ingredients into the pan and press firmly.

4) Preheat oven to 175 Deg and bake crust for 10min. Leave to cool while preparing the cheesecake

Ingredients for Cheese Filling:

452g cream cheese, RT
3/4 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, RT
200ml Sour cream

Steps:

1) Preheat oven to 160 Deg Celcius

2) Boil some water

3) With a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese at medium speed until soft and creamy (4 min).

4) Add sugar and beat for another 4 min until mixture is light and creamy

5) Beat in vanilla

6) Add eggs one by one ( Beating for 1 min after each addition)

7) Reduce mixer to low and stir in sour cream

8) Put the wrapped pan in a bigger pan large enough to hold the pan with some space around it.

9) Pour boiling water up the sides of the bigger pan until halfway up the sides of the 6″ pan.

10) Bake cheesecake for 1 hour 30min.  Turn off oven’s heat and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon. Leave cheesecake inside oven for another 1 hour

11) After 1 hour, remove the springform pan from oven and leave cheesecake to cool until RT

12) Refrigerate cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight

13) ENJOYYYY. This cake is so creamy and yummy!

Do comment in the post below or tag me on Instagram: @sherbakes if you attempt your very own. Would love to share your joy in baking adventures