Best River Road Cheesecake Recipes

CLASSIC NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the lower middle position. Wrap a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with one large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, covering the underside and extending all the way to the top so there are no seams on the bottom or sides of the pan. Repeat with another sheet of foil for insurance. Spray the inside of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt. Stir until well combined. Press the crumbs into an even layer on the the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until set. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Set a kettle of water to boil.
• Make the batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and flour together on medium speed until just smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to be sure the mixture is evenly combined. Add the vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt; beat on low speed until just combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until incorporated, scraping the bowl as necessary. Mix in the sour cream. Make sure the batter is uniform but do not over-mix.
• Check to make sure your oven has cooled to 325°F, then set the cheesecake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour the batter on top of the crust. Pour the boiling water into the large roasting pan to come about 1 inch up the side of the cake pan. Bake until the cake is just set, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes. (If the cheesecake starts to look too golden on top towards the end, cover it loosely with foil.) The cake should not look liquidy at all but will wobble just a bit when the pan is nudged; it will continue to cook as it cools. Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Cool the cheesecake in the water bath until the water is just warm, about 45 minutes. Remove the springform pan from the water bath and discard the foil. If necessary, run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the cake to make sure it's not sticking to the sides (which can cause cracks as it cools), then cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to cool for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• For serving: Remove the sides of the springform pan. Serve the cheesecake right from the base of the pan; or, to transfer it to a serving platter, run a long, thin spatula between the crust and the pan bottom, and then use two large spatulas to carefully transfer the cheesecake to a serving dish. Slice with a sharp knife, wiping the knife clean between slices. Serve with berry sauce, if you like.
• Make Ahead: The cheesecake can be made and stored in the springform pan in the fridge, tightly covered with plastic wrap, up to two days ahead of time.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cheesecake can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, place the cake in the freezer briefly, unwrapped, to firm it up. Then double-wrap it tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator the night before you plan to eat it.
• Pro Tip: Springform pans are notorious for leaking. Since a cheesecake bakes in a water bath, the foil prevents the water from seeping in during baking. Please do not attempt to use standard 12-inch (30cm) aluminum foil - you can't have any foil seams on the bottom or sides of the pan. No matter how well (or how many times) you wrap the pan, if there are seams exposed to the water, the water will find a way in. Even when wrapped properly, you can occasionally get some condensation inside the foil. If this happens, don't worry - the crust is likely just a bit moist around the edges. Simply remove the sides of the springform pan before refrigerating and let it dry out in the refrigerator.

ROCKY ROAD CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Fill a large roasting pan about one-third of the way with water and carefully place on the middle oven rack. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Wrap the outside of an 8-inch springform pan with aluminum foil. Coat the inside of the pan with cooking spray.
• Finely crush 3 chocolate cookies and sprinkle the crumbs in the bottom of the springform pan; tap out the excess. Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar, eggs, 3/4 cup cream and the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and beat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is creamy, scraping down the bowl as needed (do not overbeat; if there are still lumps, whisk the batter by hand to smooth them out).
• Put the chocolate and the remaining 1/4 cup cream in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until the chocolate melts, about 45 seconds. Stir in the cocoa powder until smooth.
• Divide the batter between 2 large liquid measuring cups or bowls (about 2 1/2 cups batter in each). Stir the melted chocolate mixture into one of the batters. Pour about half of the vanilla batter into the pan, then slowly pour half of the chocolate batter into the center of the vanilla, letting it spread. Pour the remaining vanilla batter into the center of the chocolate batter, letting it spread; pour the remaining chocolate batter into the middle.
• Carefully transfer the cheesecake to the pan of hot water and bake until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly, 1 hour, 30 minutes to 1 hour, 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and keep the cheesecake in the oven with the door ajar, 30 minutes. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and transfer to a rack. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen and let cool completely, then refrigerate overnight.
• Remove the springform ring. Crush the remaining 3 chocolate cookies and toss in a bowl with the crushed meringues and peanuts. Press into the sides of the cake.