American Cheesecake Food

AMERICAN CHEESECAKE RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
• In a bowl, add the crushed graham crackers and melted butter and stir to combine.
• Place the graham cracker mixture in a greased 8-inch (20-cm) springform pan, spreading them in an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes or until in turns slightly golden on the top.
• In a bowl, mix the cream cheese and sugar using a hand mixer until smooth.
• Add the eggs and vanilla, and continue beating until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
• Add the cream cheese mixture to the top of the graham cracker crust.
• Bake for 1 hour, or until it looks semi-jiggly in the center and set on the edges.
• Refrigerate for 12 hours, or overnight.
• Enjoy!

CLASSIC CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
• For the crust: Melt the butter, covered in the microwave, in a medium microwave-safe bowl, or a saucepan. Brush a 9-inch springform pan with some of the butter. Stir the remaining butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom of the pan, taking care to get the crust evenly into the edges. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool. Wrap the bottom and up the sides of the pan with foil and put in a roasting pan.
• For the filling: Beat the cream cheese on medium speed with a hand-held mixer until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and beat just until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl and beaters as needed. Slowly beat in the sour cream, then eggs, vanilla and both citrus zests; take care not to over whip. Pour into the cooled crust.
• Bring a medium saucepan or kettle of water to a boil. Gently place the roasting pan in the oven (don't pull the rack out of the oven). Pour in enough hot water to come about halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake the cheesecake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes---the outside of the cake will set but the center will still be loose.
• For the topping: Stir together the sour cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Spread over the top of the cooked cheesecake and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Turn the oven off, cook the cheesecake in the residual heat in the oven for about 1 hour. This gentle finish minimizes the risk of the dreaded crack in your cheesecake.
• Remove cheesecake from the roasting pan to a rack. Run a knife around the edges and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Bring cheesecake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Remove the springform ring. Dip a knife in warm water, wipe dry before slicing each piece. Serve with berries, if desired.

NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Position an oven shelf in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 180C/ 160C fan/ gas 4.
• Line the base of a 23cm springform cake tin by putting a square piece of parchment paper or foil on top of the tin base and then clipping the side on so the paper or foil is trapped and any excess sticks out of the bottom.
• For the crust, melt 85g butter in a medium pan. Stir in 140g digestive biscuit crumbs and 1 tbsp golden caster or granulated sugar so the mixture is evenly moistened.
• Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack while preparing the filling.
• For the filling, increase the oven temperature to fan 220C/ 200C fan/ gas 7. In a table top mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 900g full-fat soft cheese at medium-low speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
• With the mixer on low, gradually add 250g golden caster sugar, then 3 tbsp plain flour and a pinch of salt, scraping down the sides of the bowl and the paddle twice.
• Swap the paddle attachment for the whisk. Continue by adding 1½ tsp vanilla extract, 2 tsp lemon zest and 1½ tsp lemon juice. Whisk in 3 large eggs and 1 yolk, one at a time, scraping the bowl and whisk at least twice.
• Stir a 284ml carton of soured cream until smooth, then measure 200ml (just over ¾ of the carton). Continue on low speed as you add the measured soured cream (reserve the rest). Whisk to blend, but don't over-beat. The batter should be smooth, light and somewhat airy.
• Brush the sides of the springform tin with melted butter and put on a baking sheet. Pour in the filling - if there are any lumps, sink them using a knife - the top should be as smooth as possible. Bake for 10 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 110C/ 90C fan/ gas ¼ and bake for 45 minutes more. If you gently shake the tin, the filling should have a slight wobble.
• Turn off the oven and open the oven door for a cheesecake that's creamy in the centre, or leave it closed if you prefer a drier texture. Let cool in the oven for 2 hours. The cheesecake may get a slight crack on top as it cools.
• Combine the reserved soured cream with a 142ml carton soured cream, 1 tbsp golden caster sugar and 2 tsp lemon juice for the topping. Spread over the cheesecake right to the edges. Cover loosely with foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Run a round-bladed knife around the sides of the tin to loosen any stuck edges. Unlock the side, slide the cheesecake off the bottom of the tin onto a plate, then slide the parchment paper out from underneath.

CLASSIC AMERICAN CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Brush a 9-inch springform pan generously with melted butter.
• For crust: Melt butter, stir in cookie crumbs and sugar.
• press the mixture into the bottom of the pan, spreading evenly with the back of a spoon.
• Bake until lightly toasted- about 13-15 minutes.
• Remove from oven and cool.
• For the cheesecake: In an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on low speed until soft and smooth.
• Add sugar, vanilla and salt and continue beating until light and creamy- 3-4 minutes.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating until smooth and scraping down the sides after each addition.
• Stir in zest.
• Pour batter into springform pan and bake until done (center will be slightly jiggly)- 1-1 1/2 hours.
• Turn oven off and leave door slightly open for 1 hour.
• Transfer to refrigerator and chill overnight.
• Remove sides of springform and cake on pan base.

CLASSIC NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the lower middle position. Wrap a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with one large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, covering the underside and extending all the way to the top so there are no seams on the bottom or sides of the pan. Repeat with another sheet of foil for insurance. Spray the inside of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt. Stir until well combined. Press the crumbs into an even layer on the the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until set. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Set a kettle of water to boil.
• Make the batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and flour together on medium speed until just smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to be sure the mixture is evenly combined. Add the vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt; beat on low speed until just combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until incorporated, scraping the bowl as necessary. Mix in the sour cream. Make sure the batter is uniform but do not over-mix.
• Check to make sure your oven has cooled to 325°F, then set the cheesecake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour the batter on top of the crust. Pour the boiling water into the large roasting pan to come about 1 inch up the side of the cake pan. Bake until the cake is just set, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes. (If the cheesecake starts to look too golden on top towards the end, cover it loosely with foil.) The cake should not look liquidy at all but will wobble just a bit when the pan is nudged; it will continue to cook as it cools. Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Cool the cheesecake in the water bath until the water is just warm, about 45 minutes. Remove the springform pan from the water bath and discard the foil. If necessary, run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the cake to make sure it's not sticking to the sides (which can cause cracks as it cools), then cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to cool for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• For serving: Remove the sides of the springform pan. Serve the cheesecake right from the base of the pan; or, to transfer it to a serving platter, run a long, thin spatula between the crust and the pan bottom, and then use two large spatulas to carefully transfer the cheesecake to a serving dish. Slice with a sharp knife, wiping the knife clean between slices. Serve with berry sauce, if you like.
• Make Ahead: The cheesecake can be made and stored in the springform pan in the fridge, tightly covered with plastic wrap, up to two days ahead of time.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cheesecake can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, place the cake in the freezer briefly, unwrapped, to firm it up. Then double-wrap it tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator the night before you plan to eat it.
• Pro Tip: Springform pans are notorious for leaking. Since a cheesecake bakes in a water bath, the foil prevents the water from seeping in during baking. Please do not attempt to use standard 12-inch (30cm) aluminum foil - you can't have any foil seams on the bottom or sides of the pan. No matter how well (or how many times) you wrap the pan, if there are seams exposed to the water, the water will find a way in. Even when wrapped properly, you can occasionally get some condensation inside the foil. If this happens, don't worry - the crust is likely just a bit moist around the edges. Simply remove the sides of the springform pan before refrigerating and let it dry out in the refrigerator.

GORDON RAMSAY'S BAKED NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and graham crackers until stiff but pliable.
• Line the bottom of the cake tin with graham cracker crust mix. Mix all of the ingredients except the sultanas in a food processor until smooth, and then fold in the sultanas. Pour the mix into a spring-form pan and bake for 40 minutes at 325ºF-350ºF. Turn off the oven and leave the cake to cool down in the oven for about one hour to prevent the top from cracking. Chill the cake in the fridge overnight and dust the top with powdered sugar.