CHEESECAKE SUPREME

CHEESECAKE SUPREME image

I made this delicious cheesecake for Valentines Day for my husband. I wanted to make one that I had never made before. I found this recipe in one of my Vintage Southern Living- Dessert Cookbooks. These recipes are ones that my mom always relied on. It did did not disappoint. The recipe itself is not hard but the most challenging...

Provided by Rose Mary Mogan

Categories Cakes

Time 1h40m

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

LEMONY CRUST
1 c sifted all purpose flour
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 stick butter or margarine
1 large egg yolk, slightly beaten
1 tsp lemon emulsion or lemon extract
CHEESECAKE FILLING
5 pkg cream cheese, softened 8 oz. each
1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
zest from 1 large lemon
1 3/4 c sugar
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 large egg yolks
1/3 c heavy whipping cream (original called for 1/4 cup)
1 Tbsp lemon emulsion or lemon extract (my addition)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. These are the main ingredients I used to make the crust. I decided to use Lemon Emulsion also for extra added lemon flavor.
2. INSTEAD OF MIXING THE CRUST BY HAND, I DECIDED TO USE MY FOOD PROCESSOR. Add the flour, sugar, lemon zest to a food processor or medium size bowl. Then using a pastry blender cut the butter into the flour mixture, or AS I DID CUT BUTTER INTO PATS AND ADD IT TO THE FOOD PROCESSOR AND PULSE UNTIL MIXTURE IS CRUMBLY.
3. THEN ADD THE EGG YOLK VANILLA BEAN PASTE, & LEMON EMULSION AND BLEND THROUGHLY UNTIL DOUGH COMES TOGETHER.
4. Pat a third of dough on the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan, until dough covers the entire bottom of pan, but REMOVE SIDES FIRST.
5. BAKE IN PREHEATED 400 DEGREE OVEN FOR 8 MINUTES OR UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN. Please contain yourself as you inhale the aroma from the crust while it bakes.
6. Allow bottom to cool then attach the sides of pan to the bottom, and pat the remainder of the dough to the sides of the pan to a height of about 1 3/4 inches. Then set aside till needed.
7. FILLING: TO MAKE THE FILLING, Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature. I leave mine out overnight. Add the cream cheese to a large stand mixer, then add in the lemon Zest, and Vanilla Bean Paste.
8. Beat the cream cheese mixture until creamy. Combine the sugar, flour & salt in a medium mixing bowl. Then gradually add it to the cream cheese.
9. Add the 5 large eggs plus the 2 egg yolks to a separate bowl. Now beat in one at a time, beating well after each addition, just until blended together.
10. Now switch from beater to a large spatula and gently stir in the whipping cream into cream cheese mixture until blended together.
11. Add filling to the crust lined Pan, & bake at 450 degrees F. for 12 minutes. Please note cake will rise well above top of cake pan during baking.
12. Then, Reduce oven temp to 300 degrees F. and continue baking for 55 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Then loosen sides of pan, and run a spatula around the sides of the pan, BUT LEAVE SIDES ON PAN. Remove sides after 1 hour. Allow to cool for 2 additional hours, then refrigerate to chill completely. Top with your favorite fruit filling, and serve.
13. PLEASE NOTE THE ORIGINAL RECIPE DID NOT SAY TO USE A WATER BATH, BUT I DO PLAN TO USE ONE THE NEXT TIME I MAKE THIS RECIPE TO PREVENT THE CRACKS IN THE SURFACE. The cracks do become smaller as the cake cools down, plus it is covered with fruit, but creating moisture in the oven should prevent the cracks all together.