James Beards Sour Cream Cheesecake Recipes

EASY SOUR CREAM CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Cream together cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs one at time, blending well. Add vanilla and sour cream. Pour into shortbread crust.
• Bake for 60 to 70 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cake jiggles evenly across the top when lightly shaken. Run a knife around the outside edge, but leave the cake in the pan. Let cool on counter, then place in refrigerator. Remove from pan when completely chilled, and serve.

JAMES BEARD'S SOUR CREAM CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Mix 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs with sugar and butter. Press into bottom and sides of a lightly buttered 10-inch springform pan. Set aside.
• Beat the cheese until soft and creamy. Add sugar and mix thoroughly.
• Blend in egg yolks one at a time.
• Add the sour cream, vanilla, flour, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix well.
• Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Stir in one-third of whites into cheese mixture. Then fold the remaining whites in gently.
• Pour the cheese mixture into the prepared crust.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for one hour. Turn off the heat and allow the cheesecake to sit in the oven for one more hour.
• Remove to a wire rack and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Sprinkle the remaining crumbs on top of the cake.
• Chill over night. Dust with confectioner's sugar just before serving, if desired.

SOUR CREAM CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• 1.Crust: Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl.
• 2.Press into the bottom of a 9-inch spring-form pan.
• 3.Refrigerate the crust while making the filling.
• 4.Filling: Combine the cream cheese, 2/3 cup sugar, salt, beaten eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl. Beat at medium speed for 5 minutes.
• 5.Pour the filling into the spring-form pan over the graham cracker crumb crust.
• 6.Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
• 7.Cool 30 minutes before adding the sour cream topping.
• 8.Topping: Mix the sour cream, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla together in a small bowl. Pour and spread on top of the slightly cooled cheesecake.
• 9.Bake for 10 more minutes at 350°F. Cool to room temperature and then place in refrigerator to chill before serving.

SOUR CREAM CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Brush some of the melted butter around a 9 by 3-inch cake pan. Adhere parchment to the bottom and the sides.
• In a small bowl, combine crumbled graham crackers, the remaining melted butter, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Press 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the parchment-lined pan. Place remaining crumbs on a sheet pan and bake both the crust and the remaining mixture for 10 minutes. Cool. Reserve additional crumb mixture for sides.
• In a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat sour cream for 10 seconds. Add the cream cheese and sugar and mix on low for 30 seconds and then turn up to medium. Scrape the bowl.
• In a separate container, combine vanilla, eggs, yolks, and heavy cream. With the mixer on medium, slowly pour the liquid mixture in. When half of it is incorporated, stop and scrape. Continue adding the mixture until the rest of the ingredients are incorporated. Once completely combined, pour into the cooled crust.
• Lower oven temperature to 250 degrees F. Place cheesecake into a preheated water bath, in the oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and open the door for one minute. Close the door for one more hour. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place in the refrigerator for 6 hours to completely cool before serving.
• When ready to serve, place the entire cake pan into a hot water bath for about 15 seconds. Unmold onto a cake round or serving dish. Take the remaining graham cracker mixture and press into the sides of the cake.
• To slice, place your knife into a hot water bath and wipe dry each time you make a pass through the cake.

SOUR CREAM CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom of the springform pan and line with parchment or waxed paper. Set aside.
• To make the base: Beat together the butter and sugar by hand until light and fluffy. Beat in the yolk until smooth. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. With a rubber spatula, gently fold into the butter mixture. The mixture will be crumbly.
• Place the dough in the pan and use your hands to pat it down evenly and firmly over the bottom. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and baked through. Transfer to a rack and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• To make the batter: In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on the lowest speed just until smooth, no more than 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beater. Add the sugar in a stream, mixing for no more than 30 seconds. Stop and scrape again. Add 1 cup of sour cream and mix only until it is absorbed, no more than 30 seconds. Repeat with the remaining sour cream. Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing only until each is absorbed; stop and scrape after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
• Wrap heavy-duty aluminum foil around the bottom of the springform pan so it comes at least 1 inch up the sides. Pour the batter into the pan. Place the pan in a jellyroll pan or roasting pan and pour warm water into the pan to a depth of 1/2-inch.
• Bake the cheesecake for about 55 minutes, or until it is lightly colored and firm except for the very center. Remove from the oven and lift the cheesecake out of the hot water. Remove the foil and let cool completely on a rack. Wrap the cheesecake and chill overnight.
• To unmold the cheesecake, run a knife or thin spatula around the inside of the pan pressing the knife against the pan, not the cake. Unbuckle the pan side and lift off. Leave the cake on the base, or run a spatula under the cake base and slide the cake onto a platter.

GRANDMA'S SOUR CREAM CHEESECAKE BITES

Steps:

• Mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar for crust together in a bowl until combined. Transfer to a 10x14-inch glass pan and press to cover the bottom. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine cream cheese and sugar for cream cheese layer in a bowl. Blend with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix in vanilla and eggs, one at a time, until blended. Pour on top of the cooled crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are puffed and surface of cheesecake is firm except for a small spot in the center that will jiggle when the pan is gently shaken, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
• Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Beat sour cream, sugar, and vanilla for sour cream layer in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour on top of the cooled cheesecake.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle remaining graham cracker crumbs over top. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, then cool in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
• Cut into 1-inch squares and serve.

SOUR CREAM CHEESECAKE WITH VANILLA BEAN

Steps:

• In a bowl stir together crushed wafers and cinnamon with a fork. Pour in butter, and stir until mixture is moist. Press mixture into a 9-inch springform pan, forming a crust just over 1 inch high around the sides. You might think you need more wafers, but you don't. Press patiently until a tight, thin layer forms. Chill until needed.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees with baking sheet on center rack. In an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until creamy and fluffy. Add eggs, 2/3 cup sugar and seeds from vanilla bean, and beat until very smooth. Scrape bowl with a spatula to break up lumps. Pour into crust, and place on baking sheet. Bake 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, blend sour cream with 3 tablespoons sugar. After 25 minutes, remove cake from oven, and let sit 5 minutes. Increase oven heat to 450 degrees. Gently spoon sour cream mixture on top, and spread evenly. Return cake to oven, and bake 7 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

CLASSIC CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees.
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine graham crackers, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon (if using) and process until you've got fine crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl and add melted butter. Using your hands, mix well until no dry spots remain (crumb mixture should not be sandy or dry, but hold small clumps when pressed together).
• Press crust evenly into the bottom and at least 1 1/2-inches up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to make sure the bottom is as even as possible. Bake on the middle rack until crust is set and just starting to brown around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove pan from the oven and set aside while you prepare the filling. Reduce heat to 300 degrees.
• Prepare the filling: Combine cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a paddle attachment, beat on high until mixture is completely smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary, about 4 minutes.
• Reduce speed to medium and 1 at a time, add eggs and yolk, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each egg is added. With the mixer on low, add flour and beat just to blend, until no lumps remain.
• Pour filling into prepared crust (if filling goes above the crust, that is O.K.). Bake until the edges of the cheesecake are completely set and the 2-inch inner circle of the cheesecake wobbles just slightly, 60 to 70 minutes.
• Turn heat off and let cheesecake remain in the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and let sit on a wire rack to cool completely at room temperature. When cool, transfer to refrigerator until totally set, at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.