"Perfect" Cheesecake

You know the saying "do one thing a day that scares you"? Well today my scary thing is making cheesecake. I know, I know - food should not be scary. Bears, scary. Sharks, scary. Spinning blue wheel of death on my MacBook, scary. Instead of scary food let's just say that I find the thought of making cheesecake to be intimidating, anxiety-inducing, and stressful...so when my sis tells me that her co-worker has requested cheesecake this year for his birthday, I had a mini panic attack. Great, I'm already afraid of it and now I need to make one not only for someone's birthday but also for it to be shared with all the co-workers? Yikes. No pressure.

Needless to say, I spent lots of time reading tips and tricks for making the "perfect" cheesecake and came across this site titled, appropriately enough, "How to Make Perfect Cheesecake" (click here for the source). I'm skeptical in general when someone says their recipe is "perfect" but I followed her instructions and guess what? It turned out SO GOOD!! I didn't mess up anything - no cracks on the top, didn't over- or under- bake it, it's level and pretty, creamy and smooth...if there's such a thing as "perfect" then this is about as close as I'm going to come. Whew. High 5.

This seems like lots of steps but it's just because there are so many tips - read thru everything before starting, none of it is hard! Just follow the instructions and you'll be fine. This one went together so easily and turned out so good that I made a second cheesecake (strawberry swirled) the next day - I totally wouldn't do that if it was too hard! I followed the instructions given by the site above, and also added a few changes of my own that I incorporated from other sites I read...

Ingredients ~

 for the crust:

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs 
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons melted butter

for the cheesecake:

• 2 pounds full-fat cream cheese (4 8oz. boxes), room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk (save the white for another use)

Directions ~

for the crust:

Spray a 9" springform pan with non-stick baking spray, line the bottom with parchment (optional)

1. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter together. 
2. Transfer it into the pan and use the bottom of a glass to press it evenly into the bottom. I didn't spread them up the sides but you can if you want.
3. Bake at 350' for 6 minutes; remove from oven and let cool before filling.

for the cheesecake:

• Cut two large pieces of foil and place them on your work surface on top of each other in a cross. Place a piece of parchment on top of the foil (so there are 3 layers total). Set the springform pan in the middle and fold the edges of the foil up and around the sides of the pan. The foil gives you extra protection against water getting into the pan during the water bath step. 

• Mix the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. (Or use an electric handheld mixer and a large bowl.) Mix on medium-low speed until the mixture is creamy, like thick frosting, and no lumps of cream cheese remain. Scrape down the beater and the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

• Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla, and beat on medium-low speed until combined and creamy. Scrape down the beater and sides of the bowl with a spatula.

• With the mixer on medium-low speed, beat in the eggs and the yolk one at a time. Wait until the previous egg is just barely mixed into the batter before adding the next one. At first, the mixture will look clumpy and broken, but it will come together as the eggs are worked in. Note: you don't want to over mix it once you're adding the eggs - it creates too much air in the batter and that could lead to cracking. Be gentle with this step.

• Scrape down the beater and sides of the bowl with a spatula. Stir the whole batter a few times by hand, being sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated. The finished batter should be thick, creamy, and silky. Don't worry if you see a few specks of un-mixed cream cheese here and there; they will melt into the batter during baking and won't affect the finished cheesecake. 

• Put the batter in the fridge for at least an hour to chill it. 

• Pour the batter over the cooled crust and spread it into an even layer. Run a knife thru the batter a few times to release air bubbles. 

• Transfer the pan to a roasting pan or other baking dish big enough to hold the springform pan. Have a few cups of hot water standing by. 

• Put the roasting pan containing the cheesecake into the preheated 350’ oven, carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan being careful not to splash any water onto the cheesecake. Fill the roasting pan about half way up the sides of the springform pan (I used about 2 cups of hot water). This is creating a "water bath" for the cheesecake. 

• Bake for 55-60 minutes (for a 9" springform pan. You'll need to adjust the time for different sized pan). The cheesecake is done when the outer two to three inches look slightly puffed and set, but the inner circle still jiggles (like Jell-o) when you gently shake the pan. Some spots of toasted golden color are fine, but if you see any cracks staring to form move on to the next step right away.

• Leave the cheesecake in the oven. Turn off the oven and crack the door open (or prop it open with a wooden spoon). Let the cheesecake cool slowly for 1 hour.

• Remove the cheesecake from the oven and from the water bath, unwrap the foil, and transfer it to a cooling rack. Run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the cake to make sure it's not sticking to the sides (which can cause cracks as it cools). Let the cheesecake cool completely on the rack.

• Chill the cheesecake, uncovered, for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days in the refrigerator. This step is crucial for letting the cheesecake set and achieving perfect cheesecake texture - don't rush it.

• Take the cheesecake out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you plan to serve. Unmold the cake and top the cheesecake just before serving.

notes: store leftovers uncovered in the fridge for several days, covering will cause condensation to build up.

ideas for topping your cheesecake:

• spread with a thin sweetened sour cream layer* (see below for recipe)
• pour soft chocolate ganache over the top
• add chopped fresh fruit
• spoon blueberry or strawberry sauce over top of individual slices

* to make an easy sour cream layer - stir together 1 cup of sour cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

For the record - my sis reported that someone said I probably put the sour cream layer on top to hide the cracks (I have pics to prove that it didn't crack, woohoo) so do what you want with that info. Maybe leave the topping off if you want to prove it didn't crack - and if it did crack? Big whoop. It's still going to taste delicious and really, is anyone not going to eat it because of that hahahah? 

Other birthday desserts I've made for my sister to take to work include:

2017: funfetti brownie cake
2016: sprinkles no-bake cheesecake
2015: giant whoopee pie (before I started the blog. I'll post that recipe in the future tho!)