Lion House Cheesecake {New York Style}

I love {<3} cheesecake, it’s one of my favorite desserts. This recipe would be awesome for your sweetheart if you're in the mood for making them a special treat.  Cheesecake is something I would request for a birthday treat, it’s something I want as part of Thanksgiving, it’s also something my dad and husband would request for Father’s day or their birthdays. In my family, it’s pretty much loved all around and accepted and devoured at any family function or holiday festivity. 

I know making a baked cheesecake scares a lot of people away from making, but really, they aren't very complicated, especially this simple New York Style cheesecake. Some of the fancier flavored cheesecakes seem like more work (but usually it's just more ingredients and swirling in flavors, etc), but this baby, is easy-peasy!

If baking a cheesecake really scares you, these no-bake Cheesecake Cups might suite you better!

I looked up what New York Style cheeseckae meant on wikipedia, and it basically means it has cream or sour cream used in it. Which this particular recipe does. This recipe has a sweetened sour-cream topping, and I love it, because it gives the cheesecake a smooth-all-the-same-color topping. Sometimes you might get a little crack or different browning spots on the cheesecake top, but the sour cream topping not only tastes a.m.a.z.i.n.g., it can hide any little flaws you might have.

 

 

Lion House Cheesecake {New York Style}

Printable Version
Ingredients:

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Crust:
    1 ½ cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
    3 tablespoons white sugar
    6 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
    3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
    1 cup white sugar
    3 eggs
    ¾ teaspoon vanilla
    2 teaspoons lemon juice
Topping:
    2 cups sour cream
    3 tablespoons white sugar
    ½ teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

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Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Prepare crust: To crush graham crackers place in a ziplock bag and roll with a rolling pin, or blend/food process in blender or food processor.  Thoroughly mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press firmly onto bottom and sides of a 9 or 10 inch springform pan (or pie pan if you don’t have a springform pan; set aside while preparing filling. I like to press it down by placing my hand it a plastic bag so I don’t get the butter all over me.

Filling: In a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer bowl, like BOSCH), beat (with BOSCH whips or hand mixer) cream cheese until smooth; add sugar a little at a time. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in vanilla and combine thoroughly. Pour into crust; fill to within half an inch of top to allow room for topping. Bake 55 to 60 minutes, until set or when the pan is gently moved, the center does not move.

When cheesecake is almost finished baking, beat sour cream with a wire whisk; add sugar and vanilla and mix well. Pour over cake and smooth out; and bake an additional 10 minutes. Cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Top with desired fruit topping or serve plain. Makes about 8 servings.  (Best to refrigerate for 24 hours before serving!)

A few tips:
-Make sure your cream cheese really is softened to room temperature or it’s hard to get a smooth cheesecake with no lumps. Let it sit out for 4-6 hours in the foil packaging on the counter.  

-You don’t want to over whip the cream cheese mixture. You want it smooth, but if you over whip it will have lots of bubbles in it.  

-To let cheesecake cool, just turn the oven off and open the door, this way it doesn’t cool as quickly as on the counter and is less likely to crack on the top.  Make sure you don’t have any small children or animals that will touch the oven! :)

-If you use a springform pan, consider wrapping the bottom and up the sides with aluminum foil. Some springform pans don’t have a tight seal when done up and the grease from the crust will leak through into your oven. You could also just place a cookie sheet or something underneath for a mess free bake job.  

Recipe Source: Lion House Recipes, LDS Living Magazine

For the topping: 
I use any berry (strawberr, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, or a mixture of those) I'm in the mood for with this recipe.

Berry topping recipe:
1 1/2 cups berries (raspberries or strawberries work great), smashed slightly
1/2 cup sugar
1/4-2/3 cup water
1 Tbsp cornstarch

In saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch, mix until the cornstarch is evenly mixed into the sugar. Add water and smashed berries. Turn heat on stove to medium-low. Heat thru and let it bubble and thicken. If it gets thicker than you want add a little more water (1/2 Tbsp at a time).