This week we celebrated my husband’s 30th birthday with his favorite dinner and his favorite cake, my mother’s cheesecake. Unlike the pumpkin cheesecake bars I have posted, this recipe takes some time and patience but the effort is totally worth it! This recipe results in a light, almost fluffy texture and ends with a sweet, creamy finish. My grandfather, a rather strict German with strong opinions about food, has declared this is the most delicious cheesecake he has ever had. Granted, he also believes that a cheesecake made with cream cheese is blasphemes, so shhh…don’t tell him there’s cream cheese in this one! Enjoy this cake on it’s own or with some strawberries and whipped cream.
Cheesecake
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Yields: 1 9-inch cheesecake
Ingredients
Crumb Crust
1 ½ cup Graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Cheese Cake
1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs, separated
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup milk
Instructions
Preparing the Crust
Mix crumbs, butter and sugar well. Press crumbs onto the bottom and sides of a 9 inch spring form pan. Chill for 5-10 minutes.
Preparing the filling
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place a baking dish filled with water on the bottom shelf of the oven. In a large bowl, cream together cream cheese and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Sift the flour into the mix and add the vanilla extract. Beat to combine. Add in egg yolks, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each. Add in the heavy cream and milk and mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff. Fold into the cream cheese mixture. Pour the mixture into the crust. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. During baking, DO NOT open the oven. When the cake is done, turn off the oven and crack the door open allowing the cheese to slowly come to room temperature (about 2 hours).
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