Cheesecake on a sunny winter day
a beginners cheesecake for anyone scared to make cheesecake
I understand why cheesecake is so intimidating. To someone who has never made it before, the idea of precisely making a custard baked to an exact moment , especially for a novice baker, is a non-starter. I have made a lot of cheesecakes and I am always aghast at how complicated they all are. Most recipes will have you bake it either in a water bath wrapping the whole pan in aluminum foil or baking it with a pan of water underneath to steam it - you should be delighted to know (or maybe not) I will never be doing these things.
To avoid the tenuous task of pouring water into a hot oven, all you have to do Is just bake it at a lower heat - allowing the custard to fully bake at a set temperature without it overbaking. Yes it will bake for a longer time than a usual cheesecake, but unfortunately patience is a side effect of laziness in cooking and I am nothing but a lazy cook (in a good and endearing way).
This cheesecake, like all the recipes I try to write, is a slate for people who have never really made it before. Adding in citrus, vanilla or chocolate are a few standard ways to add variety but also adding ingredients like espresso powder or matcha brings it to another level and makes you want to make this cheesecake over and over again.
I firmly believe cheesecake should be slightly sweet and tart, I want to be able to eat two pieces (greedy) but this one has those characteristics. Tons of sour cream to enrich the custard to make it soft and supple - it sets up more like a soft serve and less like a baked egg custard.
Cheesecake is a winter desert. But specifically a desert to be eaten on a day like the day I am writing this on. The brief time in the season where sunlight is a fleeting resource, a privilege to be able to sit by the window and be able to consume something that seems so far away. And that privilege of a sunny, winter day deserves a cheesecake.
Some cheesecake tips
The key to a voluminous and riche cheesecake is to really beat the cream cheese and sugar. You want to make sure to do this before you beat in the eggs - beating too much air into the eggs rather than the cheese will result in a caved custard.
If you are using the zest of the citrus zest, adding the zest directly into the sugar is the key moment in flavoring your cheesecake. Every other ingredient is mute in it’s addition so you really want to make sure the massaging of zest into the sugar is not overlooked.
12 tablespoons of butter seems like a lot of butter for a graham cracker crust, but butter is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Making sure the crust is fully hydrated and seasoned so that it holds it’s shape at the end of baking.
When it comes to baking, the timing while flexible in this recipe, there are visual indictors that are very specific. When it reaches towards the end of baking, the outside, towards the crust, will be set but the inner part will be liquid - The key visual indicator you are looking for is around 50% set but the center, it wobbles but is not watery. It will look undercooked, that’s ok don’t panic. trust the time and trust the visuals.
Cheesecake
serves 6-8
tools -
stand mixer or hand mixer
9-inch cake pan or springform pan
Ingredients
For the crust
200g of crushed graham crackers (around 12 crackers)
¼ cup of sugar/50g
1 ½ sticks of unsalted butter/6oz
1 ¼ tsp of kosher salt
For the filling
16 oz cream cheese - room temperature
1 cup of sour cream/226g
1 â…“ cup of granulated sugar/285g
2 large eggs/100g
1 tsp of kosher salt
Optional citrus add ins - zest of lemon or orange and juice (around 3 tbsp)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Melt the butter then set aside to let cool.
To crush the graham crackers - either pulse until finely ground in a food processor or place in a large plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin until finely crushed. Set in a medium sized bowl and add in the sugar and kosher salt. Add in the cooled butter and combine - the texture should resemble wet sand and should clump together when pressed in your hands.
Spray your springform pan with non-stick spray (this step is optional because of all the butter in the crust but it really makes sure there is no sticking to the pan) and place half of the graham crackers in the pan. Build the walls of the cheesecake first pressing it into an even layer then using the rest of the crackers to make an even layer on the bottom.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust has become golden and you can smell the crust begin to toast, then reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.
To make the filling add sugar and salt to a bowl or stand mixer (if you are using cirrus, add the zest directly to the sugar and using your fingers massage the zest into the sugar). Add in the cream cheese and beat on medium speed until the mixture has lightened in texture - around 6-8 minutes.
Add in sour cream and mix until fully incorporated. Add in eggs one at a time mixing in between, then add in citrus juice or vanilla if using.
Pour the mixture into the crust) it should come up halfway or ¾ of the way up the crust). Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the cheesecake has set around the edges but is still wobbly (but not watery) in the center.
Let cool to room temperature then cool in the fridge for at least 12 hours. Top with whipped cream or flaky sea salt.
This will be my very first attempt at a cheesecake, so thanks all the extra tips!
Looks perfect!