Who doesn't love cheesecake? Cheesecake is a rich, filling dessert that has been served on family tables for years. It's the reason why cream cheese has become such a staple in American dishes, aside from its use as a topping for bagels.
Everyone loves a good slice of cheesecake after dinner. Or, sometimes it's great to just eat some cheesecake on its own! Regardless of how and when you eat your cheesecake, it's important to have the right recipe. The right recipe can make the difference between a great dessert to remember and one that you want to forget.
This recipe is one of the best cheesecake recipes around. It's relatively straightforward to make, so you don't need any advanced baking skills. You can make this recipe for just your family, or treat everyone and bring it to your next gathering or event!
This cheesecake is rather plain in flavor, so it can easily be customized to fit your taste buds. Chocolate, raspberry, and caramel are just a few of the many cheesecake flavors that families love. Experiment a little and find the one that you and your family love!
Mama's Best Cheesecake
Ingredients:
½ Tablespoon butter, room temperature
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups sugar
4 eggs
⅓ cup graham cracker crumbs (for after cake is baked)
Directions:
1. Move oven rack to lowest position in oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease a 3″ deep 8″ round one-piece cake pan all the way up to the rim, including the rim itself, with butter. Mix lemon zest and juice in a small bowl.
3. Put cream cheese into the bowl of a standing mixer and beat on medium high, scraping sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula often, until completely smooth. Beat in vanilla and sugar well.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, but do not beat any more than necessary to mix. Stir in lemon zest and juice with the spatula.
5. Generously spray the buttered cake pan with nonstick spray, and then pour in batter.
6. Place cake pan inside a larger 3″ deep pan. Place it in oven and pour hot water into larger pan, about 1 ½” deep.
7. Bake in preheated oven until top of cake is rich golden brown and feels dry to the touch, 1 ¼ – 1 ½ hours (cake will be soft inside and become firm when cooled and refrigerated).
8. Lift cake pan out of water and place it on a cake rack. Let cake cool in pan for 3 hours.
9. Cover pan with plastic wrap. Place a flat plate on top, invert, and remove pan. Sprinkle bottom of cake with cracker crumbs.
10. Gently place another flat plate on top of crumbs. Very carefully invert again, leave plastic wrap in place, and refrigerate cake overnight. Very carefully remove plastic wrap.