Restaurant Style Cheesecake

OOTBubby

Wed, May 16 2012, 2:28 pm

This fits your description. Don't be scared off by the length of the recipe -- it is very simple. She just gives extremely detailed instructions and there are several variations at the end.

Cheesecake

From: Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Desserts

Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 lbs. cream cheese (brick type), preferably at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs (to be used after cake is baked)

Adjust rack one-third up from the bottom of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a round, 8-inch, 3 inch deep baking pan (do not use a spring form). Grease (with butter or margarine) it lightly all the way up to the rim and inside the rim itself, or the cake will stick to the rim and will not rise evenly. Any ungreased spots will prevent the finished cake from sliding out of the pan easily.

Mix the lemon rind and juice and set aside. In the large bowl of an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat the cheese until it is absolutely smooth. All during the mixing continue to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula in order to keep everything evenly mixed. When the cheese is smooth, beat in the vanilla and sugar. Beat well and then add the eggs one at a time. After adding the eggs, do not beat any more than is necessary to mix ingredients thoroughly. With rubber spatula stir in the lemon rind and juice.

Turn the batter into the prepared pan. Level top by briskly rotating the pan a bit, first in one direction, then in the other. Place the cheesecake pan inside a larger pan (a large frying pan or larger round cake pan will do). The larger pan must not touch the sides of the cake pan and must not be deeper than the cake pan. Pour hot water into the larger pan until it is about 1-1/2 deep. (If the large pan is aluminum, adding about 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar to each quart of water will keep the pan from discoloring.)

Bake for 1-1/2 hours. The top of the cake should be a rich golden brown and feel dry to the touch, but cake will still be soft inside.

Lift the cheesecake pan out of the water and place it on a rack for a few hours until it is completely cool. Do not cool the cake in the refrigerator or the butter will harden and the cake will stick to the pan.

When the bottom of the cake pan has reached room temperature, place a flat plate or a board on top and invert. Remove the cake pan. Sprinkle the bottom of the cake evenly with graham cracker crumbs. Gently place another flat plate or board on top of the crumbs. Very carefully and quickly invert so that the cake is right side up. Do this without pressing too hard or you will squash the cake, which will still be soft.

Refrigerate for at least 5 or 6 hours or overnight. Or freeze it — it freezes perfectly. Serve very cold. When cutting the cake, always dip the knife into hot water, or hold it under running hot water, before each cut to prevent the cake somewhat from sticking to the knife. (It will stick a bit anyhow).

Note: The cheesecake will rise above the top of the pan while it is baking and will sink down below the top as it cools.

Nut Cheesecake:
Mix the batter as in the previous recipe, but eliminate the lemon rind and juice, and add a scant 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract along with the vanilla, and add 7-1/2 ounces of ground almonds or hazelnuts (filberts) to the batter after adding the eggs. Beat until evenly mixed. Continue with remaining ingredients.

Black-and-White Cheesecake
In the top of a small double boiler over hot water, melt 2 ounces (2 squares) of unsweetened chocolate. Remove from heat and let cool.

Prepare oven, cake pan and batter for cheesecake as in recipe above, omitting lemon juice and rind and adding 1/4 teaspoon almond extract with the vanilla.

Place one-third of the batter in the small bowl of an electric mixer. Add melted chocolate and mix until smooth.

Place alternate large spoonfuls of the white batter and small spoonfuls of the chocolate batter in the prepared pan, placing some of the chocolate directly against the rim of the pan so that it will show on the outside of the cake. Bake and finish as above.

Three Layer Cheesecake
Prepare oven, cake pan and batter for cheesecake as in recipe above, omitting lemon juice and rind. Remove 2 cups of the batter and transfer to a mixing bowl. (The remaining batter should be left at room temperature while the layers are being frozen). Add 3-3/4 ounces ground hazelnuts (filberts), almonds, walnuts or pecans and 1/8 teaspoon almond extract to the 2 cups of batter and stir to mix.

This will be the first layer. Pour it carefully into the middle of the pan. Very gently shake the pan to make the cheese mixture as smooth and level as you can. Keep the edges clean and straight.

Place the pan in the freezer for 1 hour or a bit longer until the layer is firm enough to be covered with the next layer without losing its shape.

Remove and set aside 2 more cups of the basic batter for the top layer.

Place 2 ounces (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate in the top of a small double boiler over hot water on moderate heat. Cover until melted. Then uncover and remove the top of the double boiler.

Mix the chocolate into the batter that is remaining in the mixer bowl.

Place the chocolate batter carefully by rounded teaspoonfuls all over the cold nut layer and very gently shake the pan to level the chocolate mixture — keep the edge as straight and neat as you can.

Return the cake to the freezer. The chocolate layer will need only about 15 to 20 minutes to become firm. When it is firm enough, spoon or pour the white layer carefully and evenly over it. Level the top by briskly rotating the pan a bit first in one direction and then another.

Bake for 1 hour and 50 minutes. (This takes more baking time than the other variations because it is partially frozen when it goes into the oven). Continue as above. Then, to facilitate removing the cake from the pan, dip the pan for a few seconds into a large container of deep, hot water (it can be boiling). Dry the pan. Then invert and remove and finish as above.

Mevater

Wed, May 22 2019, 11:30 am

Thanks OOTBubby!

OOTBubby wrote:

Cheesecake

From: Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Desserts

Three Layer Cheesecake
Prepare oven, cake pan and batter for cheesecake as in recipe above, omitting lemon juice and rind. Remove 2 cups of the batter and transfer to a mixing bowl. (The remaining batter should be left at room temperature while the layers are being frozen). Add 3-3/4 ounces ground hazelnuts (filberts), almonds, walnuts or pecans and 1/8 teaspoon almond extract to the 2 cups of batter and stir to mix.

This will be the first layer. Pour it carefully into the middle of the pan. Very gently shake the pan to make the cheese mixture as smooth and level as you can. Keep the edges clean and straight.

Place the pan in the freezer for 1 hour or a bit longer until the layer is firm enough to be covered with the next layer without losing its shape.

Remove and set aside 2 more cups of the basic batter for the top layer.

Place 2 ounces (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate in the top of a small double boiler over hot water on moderate heat. Cover until melted. Then uncover and remove the top of the double boiler.

Mix the chocolate into the batter that is remaining in the mixer bowl.

Place the chocolate batter carefully by rounded teaspoonfuls all over the cold nut layer and very gently shake the pan to level the chocolate mixture — keep the edge as straight and neat as you can.

Return the cake to the freezer. The chocolate layer will need only about 15 to 20 minutes to become firm. When it is firm enough, spoon or pour the white layer carefully and evenly over it. Level the top by briskly rotating the pan a bit first in one direction and then another.

Bake for 1 hour and 50 minutes. (This takes more baking time than the other variations because it is partially frozen when it goes into the oven). Continue as above. Then, to facilitate removing the cake from the pan, dip the pan for a few seconds into a large container of deep, hot water (it can be boiling). Dry the pan. Then invert and remove and finish as above.

Has anyone made this Three Layer Cheesecake?
Do the layers look neat after freezing and baking?
Hows the taste?

Im not sure I go for the nut layer, what else can I use for the third layer?