Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 30 squares)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
- 2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 lemon, zest finely grated
- 1 pint sour cream
Directions
To prepare crumb crust: In a mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients together with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. Firmly press the mixture over the bottom and 1-inch up the sides on the pan, use your fingers or the smooth bottom of a glass. Refrigerate the crust while preparing the filling.
To prepare filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute just until smooth and free of any lumps. Gradually add the sugar and beat until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to slowly beat until combined. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest. Blend in the sour cream. The batter should be well mixed but not overbeaten. Overbeating incorporates too much air and will cause the cake to puff when baking, then fall and crack when cooling. Pour filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
To prepare water bath: Set the pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides. This will prevent water from seeping into the seams of the springform pan. Carefully set the cake pan in a larger roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.
Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 45 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle, it will firm up after chilling. Be careful not to overcook! Do not do a toothpick test in the cake's center, this will make a crack. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours to set up. Demold and transfer to a cake plate. Slice the cheesecake with a thin, nonserrated knife that has been dipped in hot water and wiped dry after each cut.
Blueberry Topping:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 pints blueberries
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 lemon, juiced
Combine all ingredients in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring up to a slow boil and stir gently until the berries breakdown and release their natural juice. The consistency should remain a bit chunky. Cool to room temperature and serve on top of cheesecake. Yield: 2 1/2 cups
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By bjjamiller_7990478
Roswell, GA
on April 28, 2013
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This is a very good recipe. It was so much trouble to wrap the pan in aluminum foil,and it still leaked. I found a wonderful product to bypass all that trouble. It is the cheesecake moat. It is a pan that makes it very easy.That makes it a perfect cheesecake!
By chickdog
corydon, IN
on November 21, 2011
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Overall the cheesecake was pretty good. The look was beautiful with no cracks. I would prefer the texture to be a little more dense. It came out more like the Jello instant cheesecake. Also, one whole lemon zest was a bit too much. My daughter asked me if it was lemon cheesecake. I really liked the crust look and taste. The cook time was off. I cooked an extra 20 min.
By imeateal_12901891
St. Louis, 65
on May 30, 2010
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My sister is going through some hard times during this economic downturn, so she is a little stressed let's say. So I've decided to make her some comfort food. This weekend I searched online for an easy cheesecake recipe & found this one. Since my sis only likes simple, plain cheesecakes without the toppings and with a graham cracker crust, this one was an excellent choice. I made this one without making the topping and it was FABULOUS. Everyone that tried it, LOVED it! I forwarded the recipe so they can make it. A tip that may help if this is your first cheesecake... the cheesecake should rise to the top of the spring form pan and the outside edge should just start to turn brown for it to be completely done cooking. It will fall when you take it out of the oven so it is very important to take a thin knife to divide the edge of the cheesecake from the pan, which has been sprayed with the non-stick butter flavored spray with no flour. The cheesecake did not crack at all and presented beautifully with no topping. In my oven, the cooking time was 1 hour 30 minutes at 325 with the temperature increased to 350 for the last 10-15 minutes. The key is for the cheesecake to just start browning at the edge. For the graham cracker crust, I used the cinnamon & sugar graham crackers and I did not add the cinnamon. Yum! PERFECTLY DELICIOUS & SMOOTH CHEESECAKE!
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