Classic Cheesecake Recipe
This cheesecake is a luscious dessert made of a creamy sweet and cheese filling and is a restaurant staple. This is the cheesecake all other cheesecakes are measured against. It’s rich and decadent. It starts with a graham cracker crust in a bowl then add a couple of tablespoons of sugar. Melt butter and pour into the graham cracker bowl then stir until the graham crackers are coated. Pour the mixture at the bottom of a springform pan and press the crust at the bottom of the pan.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and it will take about 10 minutes for the crust to set. Add about four packages of cream cheese in a stand mixer with two pounds of cream cheese softened to room temperature then beat the cream cheese adding half a cup of sugar while beating the mixture. Scraping the bowl often every step of the way is important to avoid any lumps in the cheesecake.
Add in three tablespoons of cornstarch which will add that velvety texture to the cream cheese, and two teaspoons of vanilla extract and beat the mixture. For the eggs, you will need three whole eggs and one egg yolk for that added richness. Beat the mixture on low speed while adding the eggs one at a time. The last ingredient to add is a signature spur cream, this will take the cheesecake over the top. Take your cooled graham cracker and brush the sides of the pan with beaten eggs.
Add in two pounds of cream cheese and pop it in the oven at 400 degrees and leave it for about ten minutes then turn the oven down to 225 for another 25 minutes then turn the oven off and leave it there for about an hour. Sweeten another half a cup of sour cream with sugar then spread it over the surface of the cheesecake. Set it aside to cool to room temperature then place it on the fridge to set.
You will need to give it a good 6 hours to set in the fridge. A cheesecake like this is worth waiting for. Take it out of the pan and is always nice to use a sharp knife to cut wiping it off after each slice.
Ingredients;
Crust;
- 1 cup (225 g) graham cracker crumbs
- 2 Tbsp (25 g) sugar
- ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing the pan
Cheesecake;
- 250-gram packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp (275 g) sugar
- 3 Tbsp (22 g) cornstarch
- 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 2 tsp (4 g) finely grated lemon zest
- 3 large whole eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 ½ cup (375 ml) sour cream (not low-fat), divided
- 2 tsp (10 ml) lemon juice
Instructions;
Crust;
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (176 C).
- For the crust, stir the graham crumbs, sugar and melted butter until evenly combined and press this into the bottom of an ungreased 9-inch springform pan.
- Bake this for 10 minutes, then cool. Brush the sides of the pan with a little melted butter.
Cheesecake;
- For the cheesecake, increase the oven temperature to 400ºF (205C).
- Beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the 1 ¼ cups of sugar a little at a time, and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl often.
- Beat in the cornstarch, vanilla and lemon zest.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, on a lower speed, and scraping after each addition, then beat in the yolk.
- Still on low speed, beat in ¾ cup of sour cream. Scrape this over the cooled crust.
- Bake the cheesecake for 10 minutes at 400ºF (205 C) and then reduce the oven temperature to 225ºF (107 C) and bake for 25 more minutes.
- Turn off the oven, and leave the cheesecake in for an hour, cracking the oven door after 30 minutes. While the cheesecake is baking, prepare the sour cream layer.
- Stir the remaining ¾ cup of sour cream with the remaining 2 Tbsp of sugar and the lemon juice. Spread this over the top of the cheesecake as soon as it has come out of the oven.
- Allow the cheesecake to cool completely to room temperature, then carefully run a spatula around the outside of the cheesecake to loosen it from the pan, then chill the cheesecake for at least 6 hours before slicing and serving.
- The cheesecake will be kept, refrigerated, for up to 4 days.