Creamy, Dreamy Cheesecake
new rules for cheesecake and my foolproof recipe
When I was a kid my mom baked a cheesecake for every family event. Even at birthday parties, where the layer cake was the star, there was always a cheesecake. It was really a simple treat, made from the recipe printed on the cream cheese package, but with my mom’s upgrades of a touch more sugar and a whole lot more vanilla. My mom taught me back then that it was okay to overmeasure your vanilla, and letting the measuring spoon overflow just made the cheesecake taste better.
The one thing that set my childhood cheesecake apart was the crust. My mom and I always used the premade shortbread crusts from Keebler, the kind that comes pre-formed in a disposable pie pan with a plastic lid that doubled for storage once the cheesecake was done baking. The crusts were also sold in mini size, and I’ll never forget the time my Mom spent an entire day baking dozens of mini cheesecakes for me to take into school to celebrate my birthday. It was that crumb crust base, pressed into a pie pan, that’s always stuck with me as an ode to the cheesecakes of my childhood. And even to this day I know that I can make every member of my family happy if I bring a cheesecake to the party.
As a budding young baker, having mastered simpler cheesecakes, I set out to bake one like the pros did, springform pan and all. My first attempt, which was destined for a birthday party, was a disaster because I had unknowingly underbaked the cheesecake. When I went to serve it the next day I was met with a cheesecake pudding situation, not the creamy and sliceable masterpiece that I'd hoped for. I wasn't aware back then that I could actually judge the doneness of cheesecake by more than eye alone- an instant read thermometer would take guesswork out of the equation. It was learning to measure the internal temperature to gauge doneness that was a game changer in my cheesecake baking.
I've made many types of cheesecake over the years, from minis, to bars and no-bakes, all to my family’s delight, and decided to include my “creamy dreamy” cheesecake recipe in Bake Your Heart Out. While developing the recipe that follows for my book, I discovered one of the most unique (IMO,) baking tips in my arsenal… melted cream cheese-more on that below.
Some tips that I find helpful when baking cheesecake
Melt your cream cheese- Instead of softening cream cheese and then patiently mixing it to remove lumps, just melt it. I cut the blocks of cream cheese into cubes, place them in a large microwave safe mixing bowl and microwave in 20-30 second increments. Stir after each blitz to smooth everything out until the cream cheese has melted to the consistency of mayonnaise. Keep in mind that it won’t take more than a minute or so- we’re going for warm and melty, not hot and steaming.
Whisk your eggs before adding them to the custard- By whisking the eggs along with the liquid in your recipe (like sour or heavy cream,) the eggs will incorporate more easily into the cream cheese. This means that you're less likely to overmix and incorporate excess air into your custard.
Be generous with vanilla and don't forget the salt- I enjoy the flavor of a full tablespoon of vanilla extract in my cheesecake. And while I baked cheesecakes for years and didn’t add any salt (many recipes don’t call for it,) the salt definitely highlights the flavors in the finished cheesecake.
Trust in the thermometer- I always found it tricky to judge a cheesecake's doneness purely by observing how much it wobbles, and that method is what led to my underbaked cheesecake situation all those years ago. Nowadays I rely on an instant read thermometer, inserted into the very center of the cheesecake, and I aim for a temp between 155-165*F. Once the cheesecake reaches that temp I turn off the oven and crack the door, then let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 45 minutes. This slow cool prevents cracking and allows carryover heat to fully set the center of the cheesecake.
And now for my Creamy Dreamy Cheesecake Pie, found on page 171 of Bake Your Heart Out. It’s baked in a pie pan so there’s no fear that the water bath will leak into the pan during baking, and it’s easy to slice and serve. Though if you were feeling particularly ambitious you could easily double the filling recipe and bake the cheesecake in a 9” springform pan for a taller New York style cheesecake presentation. Note that a larger amount of custard will take longer to bake, but aim for the internal temp specified in the recipe and you’ll have a perfectly set cheesecake. Checkout this video on how to hack the springform pan so that it won’t leak when using a water bath.
Creamy Dreamy Cheesecake Pie
Reprinted from Bake Your Heart Out
Serves 8
Crust
1 2/3 cups (190 g) fine vanilla wafer crumbs, from about 45 vanilla wafers, or 1 2/3 cups (190 g) graham cracker crumbs, from about 12 crackers
2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated or light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake filling
16 ounces (452 g) full-fat cream cheese, cut in 1- inch cubes
3⁄4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup (60 g) heavy cream, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
For serving
1 cup (240 g) heavy cream, whipped
1 ounce dark chocolate, shaved
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center position. Butter just the bottom of a 9- inch pie pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment, smoothing it into place.
2. To make the crust: Combine the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and mix until evenly moistened. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Form the crust by pressing the crumbs onto the sides of the pan, aiming for a thickness of about 1⁄4 inch. Spread the loose crumbs onto the bottom of the pan. Use a flat-bottomed measuring cup to compress the crumbs firmly onto the bottom and up the sides, extending the crust just a bit beyond the rim.
3. Bake on the center rack for 10 to 12 minutes, or until it smells toasty and feels set. Place the baked crust onto a rimmed baking sheet and set aside while you make the filling. The walls of the crust may shrink down a bit as it cools, but that is fine. Leave the oven on.
4. To make the filling: In a large microwave- safe bowl, heat the cream cheese for 30 seconds. Move the pieces around with a rubber spatula, then heat for another 30 seconds. Use the spatula to stir and smear the cream cheese until it is nearly smooth, with a texture like mayonnaise. Heat for 10 more seconds and stir until no lumps remain. Add the sugar and salt to the melted cream cheese and stir for 60 seconds, or until it is smooth and shiny like yogurt.
5. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks until completely homogeneous; there should be no strands of egg white clinging to the whisk when it is raised from the eggs. Whisk in the cream, vanilla, and lemon juice. Use the spatula to stir the egg mixture into the cream cheese one-third at a time, blending completely after each addition. Pour the filling into the warm crust; it should fill the crust just to the top of the crumbs.
6. Lower the oven temperature to 325°F. Place the cheesecake on its baking sheet on the center rack and carefully pour very hot water into the baking sheet to make a 1⁄2- inch- deep water bath. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the outer 2 1⁄2 or 3 inches of the cheesecake is set and the inner portion wobbles like jelly. The internal temperature at the center of the cheesecake should be 155°F to 165°F (see Baker’s Note). Don’t worry if the top browns a little, that’s just fine.
7. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake stand in the oven with the door open just a bit (slip a wooden spoon into the opening to hold the door open a crack) for 45 minutes. Lift the pan out of the water bath and place the cheesecake on a wire rack. (Let the water cool a bit before discarding.) Cool the cheesecake for about 90 minutes, or until the bottom of the pan is cool to the touch. Cover with an inverted plate or drape with a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
8. To serve, warm the bottom of the pan to help release the crust by setting it on a rimmed baking sheet filled with steaming- hot water for 2 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of chocolate shavings.
Baker’s Note
Taking the internal temperature of the cheesecake is the easiest way to know that it is baked. A temperature of around 155°F yields a creamier cheesecake and 165°F indicates a firmer texture.
Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter! Be sure to let me know if you try my cheesecake recipe, and if you haven’t checked out my cookbook I would delighted if you did. Until next time -Dan
Pie-pan cheesecake is the way to go! Better crust-cake ratio and no soggy bottom.