Oven Roasted Cheesecake

As promised, I tried my hand last week at making the “best ever cheesecake” and let me tell you, this is a recipe for those who are serious about their cheesecake! The recipe calls for a five hour baking cycle, and then it must sit in the refrigerator overnight. With that kind of cooking cycle, and a title like “Best Ever Cheesecake,” I knew the bar was set high. And with the additional pressure of wanting to make my step dad (the cheesecake connoisseur) proud, I knew I was in for quite a challenge! Thus far, despite my admission to being a novice cook who struggles in the kitchen, all of my recent endeavors have turned out relatively well and people are beginning to doubt that I struggle in the kitchen. No one can believe that I once ruined sugar cookies (I think I’m the only person in the world who can mess up a sugar cookie), or that I still follow a recipe when making macaroni and cheese (from a box.) Determined to do everything “right” this time, I followed the instructions with great care and I’m pretty sure I made everyone miserable in the process (the family eventually went outside so that I could be alone with my endeavors.) Following is the recipe for the “best ever cheesecake” with pictures, of course!

Ingredients:

1 Box Nabisco graham cracker crust mix – Make per package directions
3 packages Philly cream cheese – at room temperature
4 large eggs
1 ½ c. sugar
16 oz sour cream
½ pint heavy cream
2 Tbsp pure vanilla
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (place pan of water in oven on bottom rack.)
2. Make crust (press into 9” spring form pan)

(Can those of you who cook tell me if this looks right? I never could get the crust to go all the way to the top of the pan, or to stop crumbling in the process. Any advice?)

3. Beat together eggs and cream cheese until smooth
4. Gradually add sugar and beat until smooth

5. Add vanilla and lemon juice
6. Pour into spring form pan

Can anyone guess what’s wrong with this picture (and no, I’m not talking about the fact that it’s lumpy!)

7. Bake 1 hour (do not open oven door!)
8. After one hour turn oven off and leave in oven for at least four hours (do not open oven door!)

Oooooh how I was tempted to open that door! But I restrained myself (and my family) and fully expected to see the most glorious sight ever when, five hours later, I took my first peek at the Best Ever Cheesecake…

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This is soooooooo not what I had in mind!

Did you know that you’re not supposed to fill the pan all the way to the top? What’s the deal? There was no baking soda in that cake! Not a hint of baking powder! It’s not like it had yeast in it! How was *I* supposed to know it would rise?! And then explode?! In an effort to salvage the mess, I moved on to the last step with the hope that even if it WAS ugly, it would still taste good!

9. Chill in refrigerator overnight

The next day, I took the cheesecake out of the pans and cut the tops off. Rather than try to accomplish this with a knife (which I think would have led to an even bigger disaster), I took a bit of string and tied it around the tops of my cake to cut the tops off (as you pull, it slices through the cheesecake and then you can just lift the top off.)

And just so I don’t give you the wrong impression by making it seem as if I know some nifty cooking tip for salvaging burnt cheesecake, I learned that little trick in art class… it’s the way we cut through clay. Which is about what I expected my cheesecake to taste like. 😉

In all, I have to say it wasn’t bad. In my opinion, it tasted a little bit burnt but no one else seemed to think so. In the end, I wish I could have regaled you with my wonderful cooking experience and brag about making the Best Ever Cheesecake, but if you want to know whether it’s really the “best ever” you’ll need to make it yourself. Because, quite frankly, I wouldn’t know. 🙂

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