For some reason the easy cheesecake is something that every aspiring home chef seems to have troubles with at one point or another. There are a lot of copycat restaurant recipes that are so tricky to find and many common problems baking these super easy lemon cheesecake recipes, include large cracks , burned top, lumpy filling, collapsed centers and the awesome shrinking cheese cake (cake shrinks around the outside).
Some of the problems tend to leave when the cheese cake is constructd and baked properly.
Before you get baking , a little science if you please. Most of the issues discussed above all stem from an improper baking process . That usually is because everyone treat the recipe as if it was for a cake. But the fact is, cheese cake is a lot more similar to a custard pie than it is to a regular cake recipe. So, that means you need to work and bake the ingredients not the same .
Leading off with is the pan. Alot people recommend using a spring form dish but I don’t like them. The reason will become apparent when we get into the baking 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 cheese cake out later . For that, melt a touch of butter and using a brush, baste the entire inside of the dish . Now , using waxed paper, cut out a circle for the bottom of the pan and a long rectangle for the side. Once the waxed paper has been added to the pan, we can focus on the crust.
Many people like a cookie crumble crust but I choose good old graham crackers. I take about 2 dozen and place them in a moldable zip top bag. Using my fingers only, I squeeze them for atleast 30 secs. to a minute . Some big chunks are ok. Next , melt one quarter cup of unseasoned butter and add the cracker crumbs to it along with one table spoon of sugar. Combine with a spatula briefly and place into the bottom of the pan . Next find a heavy glass with a flat bottom or different tamping tool (the ones 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 Ten minutes at 300 degrees.
Now comes the filling. Before you began working on the pan preparation , you should have taken the cream cheese out of the fridge and set it on the counter to soften (at least 30 minutes or so). We are also going to need 1.25 cups of sourcream , 1 cup of sugar, one third cup of cream (whipping or heavy), 1 tbs. of vanilla, five large eggs, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, the zest of 1 lemon, and one tablespoon of cornstarch (optional).
Next , the mixing of the batter is important. We want everything mixed well but we do not want to add any air into the batter. Air is commonly 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 begin , put the sour cream into the mixing bowl and using the paddle attachment, beat on medium low for a minute. Next add the cream cheese , 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 mix in on low speed for one 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 one third cup of cream, vanilla, two large eggs, three egg yolks, lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix this up well with a fork.
Turn the mixer on medium low speed and slowly drizzle in 1/2 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 1 more minute. The batter should be uniform (no lumps) and not airy.
Next , the cooking . Pre heat the oven to two hundred fifty degrees. recall when we cooked 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 fifteen 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 H2O (the amount will depend on your pan size). We need to create what’s known as a “bain marie” (Marie’s bath). If you have another cake pan that is a few inches bigger in diameter use that. If not, a disposable aluminum baking dish works well too (the kind for lasagna or roasting). Add a clean towel to the bottom of the large pan and insert into the oven. Add the cheesecake pan into the bigger pan and gently push it to the side . Now , cautiously add the boiling water into the larger pan. Pour enough to come up 2 thirds the way up the cheese cake pan.
Next , being very careful , center the cheese cake pan in the larger pan and close the oven. Bake at 250 for one hour. Here’s the hard part. After one hour the cake will not looked cooked. But the problem is we do not want to over cook the cheese cake . So, open the oven door for about 30 seconds to let some heat escape. Now , close the door and leave the cake alone for 1 hour. After that, carefully take the cake pan out of the water pan and place it in a refridgerator for six hours.
Finally we have cheesecake. There are some minor tumbling necessary to get the cake out of the pan. First, fill your sink 1/2 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. . Now take it out and put it on a towel. Using a sharp thin knife carefully trace around the outside of the pan and then carefully take out the waxed paper from the side of the pan. Now , 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 carefully but quickly invert it. Now remove the pan.
Ok, but now you are looking at the bottom of the cheesecake . Take the parchment from the bottom. Pick what dish you will use to serve the cheesecake (or choose a nice size bakers cake round). Place that on the underside of the cheesecake and once again invert it carefully . Lastly, remove the wax paper from the top and slice your cheesecake .
If everything went well we 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 made-up whipped cream! Right?
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