My husband’s favorite cake is cheesecake, and each year on his birthday I make some variation of the classic dessert. This year he requested — of course — the traditional New York style cheesecake.
Ingredients:
3 8-ounce blocks of cream cheese
8 ounces sour cream
1 ½ cup sugar
3 large eggs
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 dashes salt
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a spring form pan with cooking spray. Fill a secondary pan with water to place under the cheesecake.
Beat cream cheese and sour cream on medium-low for about a minute. Remember to scrape down the bowl after each addition!
Add the sugar. Beat for about another minute or two, or until combine. Add an egg. Beat for about 30 seconds to a minute. Add another egg. Beat for about 30 seconds to a minute. Add the final egg, and beat for 30 seconds to a minute more.
Add the remaining ingredients. Beat on high for about two minutes.
Pour batter into the spring form pan (crust is optional). Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then lower the heat to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 60 minutes. When it’s finished, turn off the oven and let the cheesecake rest for about 30 minutes. If it looks a little imperfect, don’t sweat it! Call it “rustic” or “wabi-sabi,” and you’re good to go!
Let it cool on the counter for another 15-30 minutes before storing in the fridge overnight (or at least 8 hours). Serve plain or with toppings.
