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Courtesy of Chef in Residence, Elinor Klivans
Cheesecake comes in many flavors, but vanilla is the flavor choice that is always at the top of everyone’s list.
Ingredients
1 graham cracker crumb crust baked for 6 minutes at 325 degrees in 9-inch springform pan
Vanilla Filling
- 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened 3 to 4 hours at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons whipping cream, room temperature
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan with sides at least 2 3/4 inches high. Wrap the outside of the pan with a large piece of heavy aluminum foil. Have ready a large baking pan with at least 2-inch high sides that is large enough to hold the foil-wrapped pan.
Put the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture looks smooth. If using a hand-held electric mixer, move the beaters around in the bowl. Mix in the flour to incorporate it. Put the eggs and egg yolk in a small bowl and use a fork to stir them vigorously to blend the yolks and whites. Add the eggs in 2 additions, mixing just to blend them into the mixture.
Stop the mixer and scrape any thick batter from the sides of the bowl and or any batter that becomes caught in the beaters as needed. Mix in the cream, just until it is incorporated. Pour the batter into the baked crust in the springform pan.
Put the cheesecake in its wrapped pan in a large baking pan with at least 2-inch high sides and place in the preheated oven. Pour hot water in the large pan to reach 1-inch up the sides of the springform pan.
Bake about 1 hour or until you give the cheesecake a gentle shake and the top looks firm. When done, the cheesecake looks set and may have a few tiny cracks around the edge. These cracks close up as the cheesecake cools.
Cool the cheesecake, covered loosely with paper towels, in the water bath for 1 hour. Carefully remove the cheesecake from the water bath. Remove the paper towels and foil wrapping and cool 1 hour more. The cheesecake should feel cool to the touch. Cover with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight. The cheesecake becomes firm when cool. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.
Leftover cheesecake can be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
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