Making A Smooth, Creamy Cheesecake Shouldn’t Have To Be Difficult; This Recipe Never Fails Us!

Here's everything you need for this smooth and creamy cheesecake. This recipe makes between eight and ten servings. You can top this off with strawberries or fresh cherries for some extra flavor.

Let's Get Started…

Ingredients To Gather:

2 pounds cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch, or 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (optional)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons lemon juice (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

12 whole graham cracker rectangles (6 ounces)

5 tablespoons butter, plus extra to grease the pan

Directions To Follow:

Preheat the oven and warm the cream cheese: Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the lower-middle position.

Take the blocks of cream cheese out of their boxes and let them warm on the counter while you prepare the crust, about 30 minutes.

Rub the pan with butter: Use your fingers to rub a small pat of butter all over the bottom and sides of the pan.

Wrap the pan in foil: Cut two large pieces of foil and lay them on your work surface in a cross. Set the springform pan in the middle and fold the edges of the foil up around the sides of the pan. The foil gives you extra protection against water getting into the pan during the water bath step.

Prepare the crust: Crush the graham crackers in a food processor (or in a bag using a rolling pin) until they form fine crumbs — you should have 1 1/2 to 2 cups.

Melt 5 tablespoons of butter in the microwave or on the stovetop and mix this into the graham cracker crumbs.

The mixture should look like wet sand and hold together in a clump when you press it in your fist. If not, add extra tablespoons of water (one a time) until the mixture holds together.

Bake the crust: Place the crust in the oven (be careful not to tear the foil). Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the crust is fragrant and just starting to brown around the edges. Let the crust cool on a cooling rack while you prepare the filling.

Mix the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and salt: Combine the warmed cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld mixer).

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

Mix in the eggs and yolk one at a time: 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.

Stir a few times by hand: 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.

Pour the batter over the cooled crust: Check to make sure the crust and the sides of the pan are cool — if they're cool enough to comfortably touch, you can go on. Pour the batter over the cooled crust and spread it into an even layer against the sides of the pan.

Transfer the pan to the water bath: Transfer the pan to a roasting pan or other baking dish big enough to hold it. Bring a few cups of water to a boil and pour the water into the roasting pan, being careful not to splash any water onto the cheesecake. Fill the pan to about an inch, or just below the lowest edge of foil.

Bake the cheesecake at 350°F for 50 to 60 minutes. Cakes baked in a 10-inch pan will usually cook in 50 to 55 minutes; cakes in a 9-inch pan will cook in 55 to 60 minutes. 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 starting to form, move on to the next step right away.

The Rest Of The Directions To Follow & A Few Helpful Notes:

Next, take a knife and run it around the edge of the cake. Then, let the cake cool completely, and after an hour take the cheesecake out of the oven and the water bath. Remove the foil and place the cheesecake on a cooling rack. Then, take a knife with a thin blade and run it around the edge of the cake to ensure it doesn't stick to the sides, which can cause cracks. Allow the cheesecake to cool completely on the rack and then chill it uncovered for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator. You can chill it up to 3 days.
When you're ready to serve the cheesecake, just remove it from the refrigerator about 30 minutes ahead of time, and then unmold the cheesecake and top it just before serving it. You can serve it right out of the pan or take it out using a large spatula and then place it on a serving platter. You can keep any leftovers for several days provided you store them uncovered in the fridge.

Finished!

We just love how this recipe is broken down into easy to understand steps, so it's simple enough that even a novice cook can prepare it with ease.

Let Us Know How It Turned Out!

Article Source: The Kitchn

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-perfect-cheesecake-recipe-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchen-110760