Any Tips For Making A Cheese Cake?

[deb1]

My youngest daughter requested a cheese cake for Thanksgiving. She did not want the nobake type that I usually make but the kind that she has had from the store(I am thinking that she means New York Cheese Cake) I have a recipe and a springform pan. The problem is that I have never made a cheese cake before.

Do any of you have tips or suggestions for making this come out correctly? One book that I read said to wait 48 hours to eat the cake so that the flavors were more intense. Um....how do I get three kids and my hubby to wait two full days to eat a cheesecake?

Is it possible to make a cheese cake ahead of time and freeze it? That is the only way that I could keep the cake free of my greedy family's clutches for two days.

 

[chickabator]

I do the one that is on the philladelphia cream chees where you bake it and it is fine the next day our girls love them but I also top with fruit like cherry pie filling or blueberry pie filling. but this year im doing it the fast simple way
2 pks cream cheese
1 small tub cool whip
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
mix all of it together and put in graham cracker pie crust
top with my fruit.

 

[jojo54]

These are the two recipes I use. We love them both! The peaches and cream is very tasty while the minis can change with your taste - using your favorite pie filling or fresh fruit. Enjoy! We eat them both the same day - who wants to wait with a cheesecake staring you in the face.

PEACHES ‘N CREAM CHEESECAKE

3/4 cup flour
1tsp. Baking powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 package vanilla pudding (not instant)
3 tbsp. Marg.
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 can peach slices, drained (reserving 3 tbsp. Syrup)
1 250 GM. Package cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. Sugar
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

Grease 10 inch pie plate. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, pudding mix, butter, egg and milk. Beat on low beat til blended. Then beat for 2 min. at medium high. Pour into pie plate. Arrange peach slices on top. In small bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and peach syrup. Blend well. Spread over cheese mixture. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over cheesecake. Bake at 350 for 30 - 35 min. Cool.



MINI CHEESECAKES

1 box vanilla wafers
1 can cherry or blueberry pie filling
2 eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 250 GM. Packages cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar

Put wafer in bottom of muffin cup. Mix cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Pour onto the wafer. Bake at 325 for 15 to 20 min. Spoon pie filling on top. Can also top with fresh fruit (strawberries, kiwi, etc.) Makes 3 dozen medium. Small cups fit the wafers better and you get about 4 1/2 dozen small.

 

[ChickenToes]

Find a recipe that has sour cream in the batter, it keeps the cheesecake smooth and creamy. Also, don't overbake it! Pull the cheesecake out when the edges are set but the very center is still wobbly. Once it cools, it will set, and the cheesecake will be creamy instead of tough.

 

[bwebb7]

ALSO,
Put a shallow pan of water in the bottom of the oven-it should keep your cheesecake from cracking.
ETA: I also like to line my springform pan with parchment paper

 

[halo]

This one is killer:

Mix together 1 1/2 c. crushed graham crackers, 1/4 c. melted butter, 1/4 c. sugar. Grease bottom and sides of your springform pan (I use Pam). Press graham cracker mixture in the bottom of the pan.

Preheat oven to 325. Put a pan of water on the bottom rack.

4 packages cream cheese, room temp (important)
1 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 c. sour cream
2 Tb. vanilla (I go a little heavy with this)

Mix all together until well blended, dont over mix. Pour into prepared crust. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour.

Mix together large carton of sour cream, 1/4 c sugar, and 1 T. vanilla(I also add choc. chips, but thats optional, Ive known people to add things like raspberry preserves in the sour cream topping). Pour gently over the top (the middle of the cheese cake will be wobbly, but thats okay). Put back in oven for 10 mins. Turn off oven. Keep cheesecake in oven for 2 hours. Take out of oven, chill overnight.

This is KILLER. And foolproof. I dont know about freezing it, it was perfect the next day from the fridge.

 

[Hillsvale]

Quote:
exactly.... and keep the oven very low, don't be tempted to rush things... it won't happen. One of my recipies is in the oven for something like 6 hours at 275. One of my favorites is pumpkin cheesecake.

 

[bwebb7]

Halo~
Is that 3 oz or 8 oz pkgs of cream cheese?

 

[halo]

Thats the 8 oz, the large box.

 

[Katy]

Yummy...some new recipes to try!!

I'm not a big fan of graham cracker crusts so I make a pastry crust for my cheesecake.

Pastry Cheesecake Crust

5 T softened butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cup flour.

Mix together well. Spread dough on bottom of 10" springform pan and 1-2 inches up the side. Bake at 450 for 5 minutes. Cool

Cheesecake filling
5 8oz packages of cream cheese softened
1 3/4 cup sugar

Beat cream cheese & sugar at low speed and blend in:

3 T flour
1 tsp vanilla
5 eggs + 2 yolks
Beat until smooth.

Fold in 1/4 cup heavy cream.

Pour into cooled crust and bake at 500 for 8-10 minutes. Reduce heat to 200 degrees and bake 1 hour & 15 minutes. Turn oven off and leave cheesecake in the oven until cool.