Pacific Northwest Sour Cream and Citrus Cheesecake

Time

prep 0:30       total 1:30

Yield

10 to 16 servings

Ingredients

Ingredients

Crust

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp. melted butter
2 tsp. sugar

Filling

1 lb. cream cheese
1-1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 lemon, zest of
1 lime, zest of
1 orange, zest of
5 room temperature eggs
2 cups sour cream

Instructions

Grease cylindrical pan with butter or shortening. Preheat oven to 375°F.

Crust:
Melt butter in glass bowl. Mix in graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Press into pan, using bottom of drinking glass to smooth and pack. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F.

Filling:
Mix sugar and cream cheese until totally smooth and blended. Add lemon, lime and orange zests; mix well. Add vanilla extract, and eggs, one at a time, until blended well. Add sour cream and mix.

Pour filling on top of crust and place dish inside larger ovenproof dish. Fill outer dish with hot tap water until at least halfway up inner dish. (This water bath will ensure that this cheesecake is smooth.) Bake for 1 hour at 350°F.

The water in water bath will be very hot, so it is best to remove some with a turkey baster before trying to remove from oven. Remove cheesecake pan from water bath pan; let stand until entire cake is room temperature.

Put in refrigerator for at least 3 hours before serving.

Author's Comments

The filling can be made entirely in a cuisinart. Easiest way to go...

If you use a corningware instead of a springform, you may want to cook for additional 7-10 minutes and once chilled, run a knife around the edges, place flat dish on top and turn entire pan over and jiggle lightly until cake comes out with crust on top. Then take serving dish and center (right side down) over crust. Flip once more... VERY CAREFULLY. With a springform, you just cut around the edges once cool and release the pan once centered on serving dish.

I don't recommend attempting to cool a still-warm cake in the refrigerator. The texture will not be the same. You can also use fat-free cream cheese and reduce the baking time by 15 minutes. I also don't recommend using a sugar substitute in this recipe. Doesn't go well with the citrus. I like decorating this cake with fresh flowers. Goes well with a sweet dry desert wine or non-casked chardonnay (California??).

This is great for birthdays or any sort of special occasion. Homemade cheesecake is the best!

This recipe is a modification to a cheesecake served at Sur La Table in San Francisco... Only this is better (wink!).

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