For some reason the humble cheesecake is something that every aspiring home chef seems to have troubles with at one point or another. There are alot of secret restaurant recipes that are so hard to locate and many common problems baking the super easy lemon cheesecake recipes, include large cracks , darkened top, lumpy filling, collapsed middles and the awe-inspiring shrinking cheese cake (cake shrinks near the outside).
Some of these problems tend to leave when the cheesecake is constructd and cooked properly.
Before we get cooking , a little science if you please. All of the problems mentioned above all stem from an improper cooking procedure . That usually is because people treat the recipe as if it was for a cake. But the fact is, cheesecake is a lot more similar to a custard pie than it is to a regular cake recipe. So, that means we need to work and cook the ingredients differently .
First is the pan. Alot people recommend using a spring form pan but I do not like them. The reason will become apparent when we get into the cooking process. For now locate a 9 inch circular cake pan with nice high sides (at least 2 inches). We first want to treat the pan so we can get the cooked cheesecake out later . For that, melt a bit of butter and with a brush, coat the entire inside of the pan . Now , using parchment paper, cut out a circle for the bottom of the dish and a long rectangle for the side. Once the parchment paper has been added to the pan, we can focus on the crust.
Some people like a cookie crumble crust but I prefer good old graham crackers. I take about two dozen and put them in a moldable zip top bag. With my fingers only, I squeeze them for about 30 secs. to a min. . Some big chunks are ok. Next , melt 1/4 cup of unseasoned butter and add the cracker crumbs to it along with one tablespoon of sugar. Mix with a spatula briefly and add to the bottom of the dish . Now get a heavy glass with a flat bottom or different tamping tool (the kind used to flatten beef works great ). You want to tamp down all the crumbs in the pan so they stick to each other and help the crust form. Cook the crust blind for 10 minutes at 300 degrees.
Now comes the filling. Before you began working on the pan prep , you should have taken your cream cheese out of the fridge and put it on the counter to soften (at least 30 minutes or so). You are also going to need 1.25 cups of sourcream , 1 cup of sugar, 1/3 cup of cream (whipping or heavy), 1 table spoon of vanilla, 5 large eggs, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, the zest of one lemon, and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch (optional).
Next , the mixing of the batter is important. We want everything combined well but we do not want to add any air into the batter. Air is usually the problem when a cheesecake falls or has a sunken center. So, the best tool in my opinion is the Kitchenaid stand mixer (or your favorite brand).
To start , place the sour cream in the mixing bowl and using the paddle attachment, beat on medium low for a minute. Now put in the creamcheese , the sugar and the optional cornstarch. The cornstarch acts to help slow down the binding of the eggs in the custard which prevents cracking. Think of it as a little extra insurance. If you follow this recipe you should not need it but if this is your first time trying this recipe, consider adding it.
So, now we beat this mixture on low speed for 1 minute. Then turn up the speed to medium for a few more minutes. Stop the machine and scrape the bowl. Next, in a container mix the 1/3 cup of cream, vanilla, two large eggs, 3 egg yolks, lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix this up well with a fork.
Put the mixer on medium low speed and slowly drizzle in half of the cream and egg mixture. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl again. Start it again but this time on medium high speed and add the remaining egg mixture. Continue mixing for about one more minute. The batter should be uniform (no lumps) and not airy.
Now , the cooking . Preheat the oven to two hundred fifty degrees. recall when we baked the crust blind. Well, we want to put the batter to the pan but first make sure the crust is completely cool (let it cool out of the oven for at least 15 minutes). Add the batter to the pan. Give the pan a few little twists left and right to help any air bubbles come to the top.
At the same time, boil at least two quarts of water (the amount will depend on your pan size). We need to create what’s named a “bain marie” (Marie’s bath). If you have another cake pan that is a few inches larger? in diameter use that. If not, a disposable aluminum baking dish works well too (the kind for lasagne or roasting). Add a clean towel to the bottom of the large pan and insert into the oven. Add the cheesecake pan into the larger pan and carefully push it aside . Now , carefully add the simmering water into the larger pan. Pour enough to come up two thirds the way up the cheese cake pan.
Now , being careful , center the cheese cake pan in the larger pan and close the oven. Bake at 250 for 1 hour. Here’s the hard part. After 1 hour the cake will not looked cooked. But the problem is we do not want to overcook the cheesecake . So, open the oven door for about thirty seconds to let some heat escape. Now , close the door and leave the cake alone for one hour. After that, carefully take the cake pan out of the water pan and place into a fridge for 6 hours.
Finally we have cheesecake. There are some minor acrobatics necessary to get the cake out of the pan. First, fill your sink half way up with hot water directly from the tap (the hottest it will go). Next , let the pan float in the sink for fifteen secs. . Next remove it and place it on a towel. Using a sharp thin knife carefully trace around the outside of the pan and then gently take out the waxed paper from the side of the pan. Next , take some wax paper and cut a circle the same size as the cheese cake . Place the wax paper on top of the cheesecake. Place a round plate or the bottom from a spring form pan on top of the cheesecake and gently but quickly invert it. Next remove the pan.
Ok, but now you are looking at the bottom of the cheese cake . Take the waxed paper from the bottom. Choose what plate you will use to serve the cheesecake (or prefer a nice size bakers cake round). Put that on the bottom of the cheese cake and once again invert it carefully . Lastly, remove the wax paper from the top and slice the cheese cake .
If all went ok you should have a delicious and beautiful lemony cheesecake that your friends and family will think you bought . And you know what, if the top does crack, who cares. That’s why they fabricated whipped cream! Right?
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