Cheesecake is my all-time favorite dessert...but until recently, I had never made it! I have always been intimidated by the process. Many recipes involve a water bath, lots of prep and cooking time, and special implements. The Instant Pot recipes looked promising, but I didn’t have the right sized springform pan to fit my IP.
Enter: This super simple recipe from King Arthur Flour (which ironically contains no flour). This recipe looked so easy, I was afraid it was too good to be true. It is not! This simple recipe is as delicious as it is easy. My cheesecake was the perfect consistency and simply delicious.
I have modified the original recipe to include some flavors I love, like cinnamon. Feel free to do the same when you make this! You could add a bit of lemon zest or chocolate chips to the batter. I recommend serving this cheesecake with homemade whipped cream and berries. Chocolate syrup would be delicious too!
Two notes of interest: I used farm fresh, free-range eggs which have VERY yellow yolks. This made my cheesecake turn out a little yellow in color, but did not affect the flavor in any way (if anything, it made it more delicious!). Finally, you will need a springform pan for this recipe.
You Will Need:
1 ½ cups ground graham crackers (use a food processor to make your own OR do what I did- place grahams in a zip lock bag and use a rolling pin to bust them up)
¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
⅔ cup melted butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2 cups room temperature cream cheese
2 large eggs
⅔ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Make the crust by combining the first five ingredients in a bowl. Press the crust mixture into a well greased springform pan (I used Pam Baking Spray to ensure an easy release, as well as a round disk of parchment paper to cover the bottom of the pan). I prefer my crust to just be on the bottom, but if you like you can press some crust mixture up the sides of the pan as well.
Using a stand or hand mixer on low speed, combine the remaining ingredients. It is VERY important that everything is at room temperature. This ensures easy mixing and fewer lumps. Mix these ingredients until they reach a smooth consistency. Be patient and do not turn up the mixer speed.
Pour mixture over crust. Bake for 45 minutes, or until temperature check shows 165-170 degrees (the middle may or may not look quite set at this point). Set on a cooling rack and allow to come to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
A few pointers: The original recipe says to bake for 30 minutes- I found 45-50 minutes to be more accurate. You may want to place your springform pan on top of a baking sheet to avoid burning the bottom of the crust. Your cheesecake may start to brown quickly- if this happens, cover with foil and continue baking. I used a thermometer with a spike, which did leave a hole in the cake after the temperature was checked- you may want to consider using a digital thermometer to avoid this, if it matters to you.
Comentários