New York Cheesecake with Cherry Topping

As a kid, my favourite cake was American-style cheesecake. I especially loved it when there was a fruity topping to contrast the tart, creamy cheese and slightly spiced graham cracker crust. I always thought it must be healthy (I was raised in a very pro-cheese household, and cream cheese was still kind of cheese)- at about ten years of age I was scandalized to find that was not the case. It's still delicious, though.

 I've long been cautious about making my own cheesecake, because of the price of the ingredients, but since organic cream cheese went on sale at my grocery store last week I decided it was time to attempt my dearly beloved dessert at home. I decided to use a sour cherry topping, because it's not only delicious but also covers up the brownness (and potentially, cracks) of the cake's top. I used homemade graham crackers to max out the homemadeness of this cake, as well as because I don't trust storebought graham crackers- had I been a bit lazier, I would've used good quality whole grain biscuits like digestive biscuits with cinnamon and sugar to taste.

Though I didn't use a water bath (I didn't have a container larger than my springform) the cake still didn't crack, to my great surprise and glee. It did get a bit too brown on top, but I just skimmed that layer off with a sharp knife and doused the whole thing in cherries anyways.

In any case, the cheesecake was a success. I made it for a get-together and it was wildly popular- later my family had some, and even those who normally only like the lighter European-style cheesecakes thought it was great. I think it comes down to the simplicity of the recipe, tasting fresh and bright, mainly consisting of cream cheese and high fat sour cream with no flour to thicken it. The lemon and vanilla add an extra bit of flavour without too many frills, so that the main centre of attention is still the tangy cheesy goodness.

It wasn't nearly as hard to make a good cheesecake as I previously thought- I hope that organic cream cheese goes on sale more often. One of the best parts of being an adult is having your favourite cake on demand (and one of the greatest tribulations is learning restraint...)

I didn't have time to take a picture of the cake when it was whole, but take that as a testament to its irresistability. Mmmm.


New York Cheesecake with Cherry Topping
Adapted from Moje Wypieki

For the Bottom:
100 g. Butter, melted
200 g. Graham crackers or digestive biscuits

Grind the graham crackers into crumbs using a food processor. Add the butter and blend until the mixture has the consistency of wet sand.

Press the mixture firmly onto the base of a 9" or 10" springform pan. If using a water bath, double-wrap the bottom of the springform securely in two layers of aluminium foil. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

For the Cheesecake:
750 g. Cream cheese, not reduced fat
180 g. Sour cream, 18% (I used 19%. A mixture of 14% sour cream and creme frâiche in a 3:1 ratio might also work well.)
220 g. Extrafine caster sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
60 ml. Lemon juice
3 Eggs

Preheat the oven to 170℃.

Make sure that all the ingredients are about the same temperature to prevent lumpiness.

Blend all with a paddle attachment on medium-low until well-combined. Take care not to incorporate air into the mixture.

Pour onto the chilled base. If using a water bath, place the springform into a larger heatproof vessel and surround it with water. Bake for 75-90 minutes, until firm. Cover with aluminium foil if it is browning too quickly. Let cool gradually inside the oven, with its door wide open.

Refrigerate the cheesecake, without removing the springform or foil, overnight.

For the Topping:
1/2 Jar of sour cherries in light syrup, about 2 cups
2 TBSP Sugar
1 TBSP Cornstarch
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 Tsp. Almond extract, optional

Mix the cornstarch and sugar. Dissolve in some of the light syrup from the cherries, then mix it back in with the rest. In a small saucepan, bring to a boil. Cook until thickened- the cloudiness of the starch will go away and the mixture will be translucent.

Let cool while stirring off heat. Add the lemon juice and Almond extract. Pour onto the cheesecake while still warm and refrigerate 30 minutes to set.