I absolutely love The Cheesecake Factory‘s original cheesecake, and I’ve been wanting to try my hand at making it myself. Now, I know that cheesecake is one of the top tiers of the baking pyramid, reserved only for the very skilled. I decided to try my luck and?
failed spectacularly. I mean, absolutely spectacularly. Look at this mess.
I think the problem was that the recipe called for me to immediately place the cheesecake onto a wire rack to cool. It didn’t say when to release the cake from the springform pan. I’m guessing the time to release it is NOT when it’s just out from the oven?
Regardless, this cheesecake is absolutely delicious, with the exact same taste and texture as the restaurant’s version. So, overall, it’s a win. After all, taste is more important than presentation! And I’ll just have to try again to make an Instagram-worthy cheesecake. My poor tastebuds ;)
You’ll need:
- Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
- Filling:
- 4 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup sour cream - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 475°F. Place a large pan filled with 1/2 inch water in oven.
2. Make crust: Mix graham cracker crumbs and cinnamon; add butter or margarine. Press crust onto bottom and 2/3 of the way up a 9-inch springform pan lined with parchment. Wrap a large piece of foil around bottom of pan. Freeze until filling is prepared.
3. Make filling: Use an electric mixer to mix cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, salt and vanilla. Blend until smooth and creamy. Scrape down sides of bowl. Whisk eggs in a bowl; add to cream cheese mixture. Blend just until eggs are incorporated.
4. Remove crust from freezer and pour in filling. Carefully place cheesecake into preheated water bath. Bake for 12 minutes; turn oven to 350°F and bake until top of cheesecake turns golden, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove cake to a wire rack to cool.
5. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve.
Source: Adapted from a recipe by MyRecipes (with the help of The Kitchn)