I can make you a cheesecake that'll knock your socks off....
In my family, the key to a perfect cheesecake is all in the cheese to crust ratio. There must be an adequate amount of crust. All too often, a good cheesecake remains just "good" and not OUTSTANDING, because there just isn't enough golden-sweet-caramelized-graham-cracker-crust-goodness. After some tinkering with the cheese to crust ratio on this recipe, it has been unanimously decided that THIS cheesecake recipe is THE cheesecake recipe to beat. One bite will send your taste-buds straight to cloud nine. It is dreamy and decadent. Pure Perfection!
You can top your cheesecake however you'd like, but please don't ruin it with canned pie filling. This is a cheesecake deserving something far better than artificial-tasting pie cherries. Top it with something equally good, like a mile high pile of whipped cream with raspberry coulis, or italian Amarena cherries. If you've never tried Amarena cherries, I strongly suggest you do. They are like italian wild black cherries, richly-flavored and unique, and much better than canned cherry pie filling. They are incredible! I can just imagine them in a modern twist on an Old-Fashioned cocktail. (Any mixologists out there? Try it out! It could be your new "signature" drink!)
Anyway, back to the cheesecake. This cheesecake recipe is so good that it will put you in a state of pure happiness. Thus, it's namesake. And despite people saying cheesecake is complicated to make, this is actually a fairly simple and fool proof recipe. I’ve included several pointers throughout the recipe, and attached a PRINTABLE VERSION for your convenience. Give it a shot, and you won't be disappointed.
Cloud Nine Cheesecake
Makes ONE heavenly 9” Cheesecake, or TWO smaller 6” Cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the Crust:
14-15 crushed graham crackers (or ~2 cups graham cracker crumbs)
½ cup salted butter, melted
¼ cup granulated sugar
OPTIONAL: dash of cinnamon
For the Cheesecake Filling:
4 (8 oz.) packages of softened, full fat cream cheese
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs, crack and beat in a separate dish
1 cup sour cream
For the Raspberry Coulis:
12 oz. frozen raspberries
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2-3 Tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
For the Whipped Cream:
2 cups heavy whipping cream (at least 36% fat)
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
Prepare the Crust: Crush your graham crackers in a large Ziplock bag with a rolling pin until no visible chunks remain (or use the ready-made graham cracker crumbs). Transfer to a bowl with melted butter and sugar. Mix to combine, and press into springform pan(s). Bake in the oven at 350 for 8-10 minutes, or until the outside edge is just beginning to get toasted & golden brown. Set aside.
To make the Cheesecake Filling: With an electric mixer, beat room temperature cream cheese for about a minute or two until smooth. (If cream cheese isn't quite soft yet, microwave for 15 second intervals until it is. Maybe about a minute.) Add in eggs, both sugars, sour cream, and vanilla, and continue beating another minute or two until smooth and fluffy. Pour filling atop crust in springform pan.
Bake the Cheesecake: Bake time varies widely depending on oven and pan size. TWO 6” springforms take about 55-60 mins to bake in my oven. ONE 9” springform takes 65-75 mins. To prevent cracking, add an oven safe dish of water to the oven while your cheesecake is baking. I put a casserole dish or glass 9x13 on the bottom rack, full of water, and the cheesecake above that in the center of the oven. This creates a more humid environment in the oven and can almost completely eliminate all unsightly cracks. Do not be tempted to open your oven for at least the 45 minutes of baking--don’t want to lose the steam!
Cool the Cheesecake Slowly: After the first 50-60 minutes of baking, I check my cheesecake for doneness. It may need 5-10 minutes longer. It is done when it appears to be mostly set up (not soupy in the center) and golden brown around the edges. A tiny bit of jiggling in the center is acceptable. At this point, shut the oven off and leave the door cracked open. Leave the cheesecake in the oven as it begins to cool. You can leave it for a couple hours in the cracked oven or transfer to your counter or fridge once it is cool enough to touch and 30-45 minutes or so has passed. Cooling slowly like this helps prevent cracks.
To make the Raspberry Coulis: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Heat until just dissolved. Smash with a potato masher to get all of the juice out of the raspberries. Then, using a sieve and a spoon, strain the mixture. This leaves you with a beautiful smooth sauce. I spoon the coulis over cheesecake when serving. A little goes a long way. It is delicious and does not have the same bitterness of a coulis made with the raspberry seeds blended in.
To make the Whipped Cream: Whip together heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until it is almost, but not quite, butter. If you get it nice and stiff, it pipes beautifully onto the cheesecake. But, if you're like me, and 'ain't nobody got time fo' that,' you can just plop it on top of your cake and spread it out for a more "rustic" look.
Always serve cheesecake completely chilled. It needs to remain refrigerated. Serve with a healthy dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of the smooth raspberry sauce. Cheesecake can be frozen. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil before freezing for up to a month.
