Ingredients
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, plus 1 1/2 cups
- 2 1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 orange, zested
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 5 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped from inside of pod and reserved
- 1 teaspoon bourbon
- Strawberry Sauce, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Butter the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. In a mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, and 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and mix well. Press onto bottom of springform pan and bake until golden, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool. When completely cooled, butter the sides of the pan.
Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups sugar, zests, and vanilla and beat until light and creamy. Add the flour, then the eggs and yolks 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the sour cream, vanilla bean seeds, and bourbon and mix until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Wrap the pan in foil and place in a roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with enough hot water to come half way up the sides of the pan. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
Transfer cake to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Refrigerate cake overnight before serving. Cut into wedges and top with strawberry sauce.
Strawberry Sauce:
- 2 pints fresh strawberries
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons kirsch or brandy
Combine berries, sugar, water and zest and cook until berries are soft and the liquid is thick, about 10 minutes. Stir in the kirsch or brandy and cook for 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and let cool. Spoon on top of the cheesecake and serve.
















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By mbgioia_11133490
Burgaw, NC
on March 08, 2013
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This cake definitely delivers! The only thing I changed was to use fresh blueberries in a blueberry sauce & lemon zest. This is going in my recipe binder for sure! Just can't say enough good things about it! Love it LOVE IT!
By carmea1
Minneapolis, MN
on December 27, 2011
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AWSOME♥♥♥...I was never a big fan of cheese cake, but this recipe made me fall in love.
By patrujo
on December 25, 2011
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Tasty? For sure. My friends loved it but next time less zest will be added.
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