BASIC (CREAM CHEESE) CHEESECAKE

Basic (Cream Cheese) Cheesecake image

This is a basic (not overly sweet) cream cheese cheesecake recipe. "cooking time" includes the separate baking time for the crust.

Provided by Dee514

Time 1h33m

Yield 1 9-inch cake

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sifted flour
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 1/2 lbs cream cheese (five 8-ounce packages)
1 1/4-1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup heavy cream

Steps:

Crust:.
Cream butter and sugar together.
Add egg yolk and vanilla.
Gradually add flour and lemon zest, and mix until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.
Grease the bottom only of a 9-inch springform pan.
Pat dough evenly over the entire bottom of pan.
Bake bottom crust at 350°F for 5 minutes.
Cool completely before greasing sides of pan.
Filling:.
Note: All ingredients MUST be at room temperature!
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar together on lowest speed until well blended, scrape sides of bowl.
Add flour and salt, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each.
Scrape bowl, then add 2 egg yolks.
Add vanilla, lemon zest and heavy cream, stir to mix well.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in a preheated 500°F oven for 8 minutes.
Turn oven temperature down to 350°F and continue baking for one hour.
Remove from oven and cool cake completely before removing the sides of pan.
Refrigerate until ready to serve (at least 4 hours).
Note: I have never used a water bath with this recipe and have never had the cheesecake crack. Overbeating the filling and overbaking the cake is what will cause cracks.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 7204.1, Fat 548, SaturatedFat 333.5, Cholesterol 3196.8, Sodium 4989.9, Carbohydrate 449.6, Fiber 4.4, Sugar 305.3, Protein 141.9