New York Cheesecake (Jim Fobel's Old-Fashioned Baking Book)
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups (one pint) sour cream, room
temperature
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese,
room temperature
8 tablespoons (one stick) unsalted
butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Generously butter the inside of a
10-inch spring form pan. Wrap a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil
tightly around the outside bottom and sides, crimping and pleating the foil to
make it conform to the pan. This will help to prevent water seeping into the
pan when you put it into the bain-marie. Position the baking rack in the center
of the oven; preheat the oven to 300* Fahrenheit. In a large mixing bowl, using
an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the sour cream
until well blended. In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese with the
butter until smooth and creamy. Add this to the egg-sour cream mixture and beat
until smooth. Add the sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest
and beat thoroughly, about 2 minutes. Pour into the prepared springform pan and place in a roasting pan (or other pan)
large enough to prevent the sides from touching. Place in the oven and
carefully pour in enough very hot tap water to reach halfway up the sides of
the springform pan. Bake for 2 hours, 15 minutes, or
until the cake is very lightly colored and a knife inserted in the center
emerges clean. Remove from the water bath and carefully peel the aluminum foil
from around the pan. Let stand at room temperature until completely cool, about
4 hours. Refrigerate, covered, until well chilled. For best flavor and texture,
this cheesecake is best chilled overnight.
Gail Ford Deese shared Jacquie Bernhardsson's photo.