Simply add a topping, chocolate sauce, ganache, fresh fruit, OMT!’s pear or apple butter, or whatever you desire, over the top, thereby hiding any cracks.
Y’all we’re baking here – it’s not rocket ship building – we get to zig if the cake develops zags in the form of cracks.
Alright, my babies – if you’ve read this far, congratulations, you no longer have to search for the most amazing cheesecake you’ll ever bake.
Manhattan Cheesecake Revisited
active time: 1 HOUR 20 MINUTES total time: 1 HOUR 20 MINUTES
The last cheesecake recipe you'll ever need.
Ingredients
CRUST:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 egg yolk
1 stick unsalted cold butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
FILLING:
5 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese – softened
1 3/4 cups of sugar
3 tbsp flour
1 1/2 tsp grated orange peel
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 egg yolks
5 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
CRUST
Combine flour, sugar and lemon peel.
Make a well in center of flour and add vanilla, egg yolk and butter.
Work quickly with a pastry blender or fingers until well blended.
Form into ball and wrap in wax paper.
Refrigerate for one hour.
After refrigerated for one hour, preheat oven to 400°.
Roll out half of dough 1/8 inch thick.
Remove sides of 9-inch spring form pan.
Butter bottom of pan and place dough on it, trimming off excess.
Bake about 9-10 minutes or until crust is golden.
Remove and cool completely.
When crust is cool, butter sides of pan and attach bottom w/crust.
Prepare filling, then finish crust by rolling out remaining dough.
Line sides of pan with strips of dough, making sure it does not go up any more than 3/4ths of the way up the pan.
FILLING
Preheat oven to 500°.
Beat together cream cheese, sugar, flour, orange and lemon zest, and vanilla until smooth, using a wooden spoon. DO NOT use an electric mixer.
Add egg yolks and eggs, one at a time, stirring lightly after each addition.
Blend in cream thoroughly.
Pour filling into crust, then place in the 500° preheated oven.
Bake 10-12 minutes. Reduce heat to 200° and bake an additional hour.
If top starts to brown too much, cover with foil.
DO NOT top cheesecake with foil unless it is browning too quickly.
When cheesecake is done remove from oven and cool for one hour in draft-free place.
Refrigerate overnight.
Notes
~ For the crust, I never fiddle with the sides of the pan. I simply roll out enough for the bottom, filling in any weak spots with extra dough, then bake per instructions.
~ Since oven temps vary (especially in older ovens), you may need another 10ish minutes of baking.
~ When cheesecake is done (will still be a bit wobbly in the center if you shake the pan), I simply turn off the oven, crack the oven door and let it rest there for an hour.
