Classic Creamy Cheesecake

Adapted from Fine Cooking, October/November 1999
Recipe by Rose Levy Beranbaum

This recipe calls for a water bath.  At first I was skeptical.  Is this really necessary?  I have made plenty of cheesecakes without using a water bath and they have been just fine, in fact they have been really good.  However, upon using a water bath I learned it does make quite a difference in the texture of the cake.  The reason for this is, that at the temperature used to bake a cheesecake, the eggs in the cheesecake can curdle, making the texture of the cake somewhat lumpy or grainy.  A water bath keeps the temperature around the cake lower and to prevents curdling, giving the cheesecake a silky smooth texture. 

A water bath is not necessary when a recipe calls for a starch such as flour.  The flour will prevent the eggs from curdling, resulting in a smooth textured cheesecake.  The question then is, why not always use a starch in cheesecakes?  The reason is that even though a starch prevents the eggs from curdling and does make for a smooth textured cheesecake, it is not as smooth and silky as a cheesecake that just relies on eggs.  Cheesecakes that use a starch tend to be a bit denser and not as silky as ones that do not.  Nevertheless, they are still good.

This recipe calls for the cheesecake to be baked for 45 minutes at 350°F, after which time the oven is to be turned off while the cheesecake remains in it for another hour.  Because this cheesecake does not have a starch in it, and is meant to be light, silky, and smooth, much like custard, it must be baked slowly and gently.  Baking a cheesecake this way also prevents over baking, which is evident if there are cracks in the cheesecake.  Furthermore, it prevents the cheesecake from sinking, which can happen due to drastic changes in temperature.  For example, if you bake a cheesecake at a high temperature and then promptly remove it from the oven, it can sink.  When this cheesecake is finally removed from the oven it will be jiggly.  Do not panic and put it back in the oven.  It is done and will set as it cools.

I have made cheesecakes that have cracked and have sunk.  They are still good, not as good, but good nonetheless.  In my opinion, cheesecakes are just good.  How could you go wrong with cream cheese, eggs, and sugar?  So if your cheesecake does crack or sink, do not despair. Cover the top with chocolate shavings, lemon curd, whipped cream or fresh fruit.   

Crust:
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
5 Tbs unsalted melted butter 

Filling:
1 lb cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup sugar
6 large egg yolks
3 Tbs fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon, make sure to strain the juice to eliminate seeds and pulp)
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
3 cups sour cream
8” springform pan

Crust:  In a food processor process graham crackers until they are fine crumbs.  Add melted butter and pulse until crumbs are evenly moist and resemble wet sand. 

Grease the bottom and sides of an 8” springform pan (if you are using a nonstick pan you can omit this step).  Press the mixture into the base of the pan and partway up the sides, using your fingers or the back of a spoon.  Make sure crumbs are evenly distributed.  (If the crumbs are sticking to your fingers or the spoon, lay a piece of plastic wrap over the crumbs and use your fingers to continue pressing the crust into a thin even layer.) 

Wrap the outside of the springform pan with a double layer of heavy aluminum foil (use either two pieces of extra wide aluminum foil or four pieces of regular aluminum).  This will prevent water from leaking into the pan.  Make sure the aluminum is secure around the bottom and sides of the pan.  Cover the crust with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. 

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Filling:  In a food processor or in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (I use a food processor), beat the cream cheese and sugar until very smooth, about 3 minutes.  Mix in the egg yolks, mixing until the batter is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Add lemon juice, vanilla, and salt and mix until just incorporated.  Mix in sour cream just until blended. 

Pour batter into the prepared springform pan.  Place the springform pan in a larger pan, such as a cake pan or a roasting pan (I actually used a 12” quiche pan, although the sides were low it did still work. Just make sure the sides of the pan are not higher than the sides of the springform pan).  Surround the springform pan with 1” of very hot water.  Place in oven.

Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.  Do not open the oven door while baking.  After 45 minutes turn off the oven and let the cake sit for 1 hour in the oven.  Again do not open the oven door; this could result in under baking.  In addition, the drastic change in temperature could cause the cake to fall. 

After 1 hour remove the cake from the oven and from the water bath and transfer to a rack to cool.  The center of the cake will be jiggly.  This does not mean the cake is underdone; it will set while it cools.  Let the cake cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.  Then cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.  Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. 

Before serving remove the metal ring around the outside of the cake.  Before removing the ring you may want to run a metal spatula around the inside of the ring to loosen the cake. 

This cheesecake is excellent by itself.  However, if you wish you can serve it with fresh fruit, or for the holidays with some lingonberries (#1690).