The cheesecake we know today began to take form in the 18th century when Europeans started making cakes using beaten eggs in place of yeast. However, the cheesecake recipe brought to America by the Europeans did not include cream cheese but instead used other soft cheeses such as ricotta, mascarpone, pot cheese, or farmer’s cheese. It wasn’t until 1872 that William Lawrence of Chester, New York, accidentally created cream cheese while trying to recreate the French cheese Neufchatel. Cheesecake has since taken on many forms, but the classic New York-style cheesecake is served plain without any topping.
Recipe Servings: 8
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Total Time
1 hour
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
Crust:
Filling:
- 4 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
- 1¼ cups sugar
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs
Directions
- Stir together the graham cracker crumbs and cinnamon.
- Add the butter and mix together.
- Pour the mixture into a 9-inch round baking dish lined with parchment.
- Use a large spoon to press the crumbs into the bottom of the dish and ⅔ of the way up on the sides.
- Chill the crust in the freezer until the filling is prepared.
- Preheat the oven to 475°F and place a large pan (big enough to fit a 9-inch pie pan) filled with a ½ inch of water in the oven.
- Combine the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
- Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and then add them to the cream cheese mixture. Mix just until the eggs are incorporated.
- Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the filling into it.
- Place the cheesecake into the preheated water bath in the oven and bake it for 12 minutes.
- Decrease the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake it for 50–60 minutes or until the top of the cheesecake is golden.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool.
For Crust:
For Filling:
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