Dorie Greenspan’s Cheesecake

  • from: “Baking: From my Home to Yours”
  • Total time: 30 min prep, 1.5 hr bake, 1-2 hr rest in oven, 2-4 hr cool, 4 hr chill == 10 hours

INGREDIENTS FOR GRAHAM CRACKER BASE

  • 1.75 cups graham crackers, blended into fine crumbs (150g)
  • 3 tablespoons sugar (38g)
  • pinch of salt

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (57g)

  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp ground ginger
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla powder (untested)
  • 0.25 tsp ground clove
  • pinch ground cardamom
  • pinch white pepper
  • pinch ground anise

or use crushed lotus biscuits and butter and skip all the above - no spice/sugar/salt/etc

INGREDIENTS FOR CHEESECAKE BATTER

  • 2 pounds (900 grams, or just use 1kg) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 0.75 cup (150 grams) sugar
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 0.5 tsp orange extract, or zest of 1 orange (or lemon) (zest as finely as possible)
  • 4 yolks from large-ish (50-60g) eggs, at room temperature
  • 1.3 cups (320ml) sour cream, or heavy cream, or a combination of the two (preferably 100% sour cream)
  • 4 egg whites
  • 0.5 cup (100g) fine sugar

INGREDIENTS FOR TOPPING

  • 0.33 cups sour cream (about 80ml)
  • 0.25 cup powdered sugar (30g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1.33 cup sour cream (about 320ml)

INGREDIENTS FOR MORE TOPPING

  • 1 pint = 12 ounces (340 g) fresh raspberries / strawberries
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar (100 g), or 0.333 cup for less sweet (67g)
  • 0.5 cup water (120 ml)
  • (erin’s mile-high) zest of 1/2 lemon
  • (erin’s mile-high) zest of 1/2 orange / 0.5tsp orange extract (zest as finely as possible)
  • (erin’s mile-high) 1 Tbsp grand marnier

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED

  • 9-inch diameter circle 2.75-inch high springform pan, or two 6-inch square pans of similar height
  • Heavy-duty, 15-inch wide aluminum foil
  • A large, high-sided roasting pan that fits the springform pan(s)

DIRECTIONS FOR PAN PREPARATION

  1. Prepare the springform pan so that no water leaks into it while cooking:
  2. Place a large 18-inch by 18-inch square of aluminum foil on a flat surface.
  3. Place the springform pan in the middle of the foil.
  4. Gently fold up the sides of the foil around the pan.
  5. Make sure to do this gently so that you don’t create any holes in the foil.
  6. (If there are any holes, water will get into the pan and ruin the crust.)
  7. Press the foil around the edges of the pan.
  8. Place a second large square of foil underneath the pan, and repeat.
  9. Gently crimp the top of the foil sheets around the top edge of the pan.

DIRECTIONS FOR GRAHAM CRACKER BASE

  1. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor or blender until finely ground.
  2. Put in a large bowl, and stir in the sugar and salt.
  3. Use your (clean) hands to stir in the melted butter.
  4. It should have the consistency of moist sand.
  5. Put graham cracker mix in the bottom of the springform pan.
  6. Gently press down on the crumbs using your fingers.
  7. Push crumbs to about halfway up the inside edges of the pan (need not be precise).
  8. Flatten layer at the bottom of the pan.
  9. Be careful as you do this, as not to tear the aluminum foil.
  10. (optionally) Put pan into fridge/freezer until ready to make the rest of the cake.
  11. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C), with rack in lower third of oven.
  12. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. (Prebaking the crust gives it the nice crunch.)
  13. Remove from the oven and let cool.

DIRECTIONS FOR CHEESECAKE BATTER

  1. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. (160°C)
  2. Cut the cream cheese into chunks and place in the bowl of an electric mixer with metal blades (Scrape down the bowl every now and then)
  3. Mix on medium speed for 4 minutes until smooth, soft and creamy.
  4. Add yolks
  5. Add all 0.75 cups sugar and the salt, beat for 4 minutes more, until cream cheese looks light.
  6. Beat in the vanilla
  7. Increase blender speed to max
  8. Reduce mixer speed to low
  9. Add the sour cream and/or heavy cream, beat until incorporated. (Occasionally scrape sides of mixer bowl to avoid unmixed bits.)
  10. Whip whites with half a cup of sugar to medium peaks, then fold the cheesecake mix in
  11. Place the foil-wrapped springform pan in a large, high-sided roasting pan.
  12. Prepare 2 quarts/liters of boiling water.
  13. Pour the cream cheese filling into the springform pan, over the graham cracker bottom layer.
  14. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
  15. Pour hot water into roasting pan to about half the height of the springform pan.
  16. Place the roasting pan with the springform pan in it, in the oven, on the lower rack. (Or put in oven first then pour later, whichever is easier.)
  17. Cook at 325°F (160°C) for 1½ hours (1 hour should work).
  18. Turn off the heat of the oven.
  19. Crack open the oven door up to 1-inch (propped open with a wooden spoon), and let the cake cool in the oven, as the oven cools, for at least another hour. (If the oven has a cooling fan and exhaust then just leave it closed maybe) (This gentle cooling will help prevent the cheesecake surface from cracking, if it hasn’t already)
  20. Cover the top of the cheesecake with foil, so that it doesn’t actually touch the cheesecake.
  21. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, or preferably overnight.

DIRECTIONS FOR TOPPING

  1. Place 1/3 cup sour cream in a medium sized bowl, stir/blend in the powdered sugar and vanilla, until smooth
  2. Fold into the remaining sour cream
  3. Chill until you are ready to serve the cake.
  • Note: this is enough for a VERY thick topping and some extra to spoon over individual pieces of cheesecake, if desired.
  • If you would like a thinner layer of topping and no extra, reduce the sour cream topping ingredients in half.

DIRECTIONS FOR MORE TOPPING

  1. Place raspberries/strawberries, sugar, and water in a small saucepan.
  2. Use a potato masher to mash the raspberries.
  3. Heat on medium, whisking, about 5-10 minutes, until fruit is soft and the sauce begins to thicken.
  4. Lastly, stir in grand marnier, if using
  5. Remove from heat.
  6. Let cool.
  7. Serve chilled

DIRECTIONS FOR SERVING

  1. Remove the cake from the refrigerator.
  2. Remove the foil from the sides of the pan, and place the cake on your cake serving dish.
  3. Run the side of a blunt knife between the edge of the cake and the pan.
  4. Dorie recommends that you use a hair dryer to heat the sides of the pan to make it easier to remove.
  5. Open the springform latch and gently open the pan and lift up the sides.
  6. Spread the top with the sour cream mixture.
  7. The easiest way to cut cheesecake is to use a long, thin knife that has been run under hot water and lightly wiped.
  8. Keep warming the knife as you cut slices of the cake.
  9. Serve plain or drizzled with raspberry sauce.
  10. Wrapped well, the cake will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or for up to 2 months in the freezer. (If frozen, it’s best to defrost the still-wrapped cheesecake overnight in the refrigerator.)

Notes

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