Although I really LOVE cheesecake, I don’t usually bake them. Why? There are too many things that can wrong with a “traditional” cheesecake recipe and there are too many ingredients. First of all, no matter what I would do, they would crack. I think that’s why most recipes call for some sort of a fruit topping. You have to bake them in a water bath and since I don’t run a restaurant, I don’t keep extra big foil around that will wrap the pan to prevent leaks. Most recipes call for 4 blocks of cream cheese…making it kind of expensive. The list goes on, but mainly, a cheesecake is daunting. I’ve tried frozen cheesecakes. Sorry, but they are just a no-go. The crusts don’t hold together and they just taste like there’s nothing going on inside.
So, what to do? I started by stripping away some of the “luxuries” like the water bath and any extra ingredients I didn’t think were really necessary, which left me with cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla for the filling. The crust, of course, is a classic so no need to fool with it. What can go wrong with graham crackers, sugar and butter?
Well, all that was great, but it still cracked! What to do? Make up a topping, but something that wasn’t a fruit compote? What to use? Hmmm…something with a tang to it but not fruity? Sour cream! I flavored some sour cream and poured it over the top of the almost baked cheesecake and continued baking. I couldn’t believe how nicely it came out. It’s a looker and really tastes luscious. I hope you try this super easy to make treat. The hardest part of the entire recipe is the 12 hours you need to wait while it refrigerates to enjoy it!
Easy Creamy Cheesecake
INGREDIENTS:
CRUST:
- 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 14 full crackers)
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 6 tbsp. butter, melted
FILLING:
- 2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
- 2 large eggs, room temp., lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
SOUR CREAM TOPPING:
- 1 cup full fat sour cream
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS:
- If not using already prepared graham cracker crumbs, then put your graham crackers in a zip-lock bag and roll over them with a rolling pin until they are finely crushed. Stir in the sugar and melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. Then, press the mixture onto the bottom and a third of the way up the sides of a 9” spring form pan, using the bottom of a measuring cup to pack it. Set aside.
- For the filling, in a medium bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the lightly beaten eggs, sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Pour into the prepared crust and bake in a pre-heated 375° oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool at room temperature for 20 minutes. Increase your oven temperature to 450°.
- Meanwhile, for the sour cream topping, combine the sour cream, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl and mix together. Spread over the the par-baked cheesecake. Bake for 10 minutes more in the 450° oven. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours. Once cooled, run a sharp knife around the edges and unmold from the spring form pan. ENJOY!
