Make A Lemon Flavored Cheesecake At Home
Homemade cheesecakes have always been a challenge to amateur cooks because they seem to encounter problems with making it. Some problems are cheesecake shrinks, the center has collapsed, filling is lumpy, top is burned and cracks that appear.
These common issues won’t be there when proper care is taken to make your homemade cheesecake. Below are the simple steps to making that homemade and delicious lemon-flavored cheesecake.
Prior to starting to make your homemade cheesecake, let’s try a bit of scientific approach here. The problems that I mentioned in preparing cheesecakes are because they’re being prepared the wrong way. This happens because individuals have this tendency to view cheesecakes like an ordinary cake which is not the case.
Cheesecakes are more like custards so it just means that its ingredients must be treated differently when cooking and preparing them.
First order of business would be the kind of pan being used for baking your homemade cheesecake. Others would suggest that using the spring-form pan is better, but for me a good 9-inch round shaped cake pan that has high enough sides is okay.
Pan must be greased with some melted butter first so it won’t be such a problem to take your homemade cheesecake out from your chosen pan later. After greasing with the butter, get some parchment paper then cut a round shape for your pan’s bottom and some rectangular ones for its sides then place paper inside your greased pan.
Then, focus your attentions on making your crust. Other people prefer the crumbled cookies for crust but personally I prefer the old fashioned Graham crackers. Usually I use around 2 doz and just put them all inside a ziploc bag then using your fingers, crumble them to bits. Some large bits are okay. Don’t crumble them too fine.
Then, get 1/4 c of butter (unsalted is preferred) then add your crumbled crackers into it together with 1 tbsp sugar. Blend everything well together using your spatula then place inside lined pan. Tamp your crust well into pan and ensure that its even and flat and also for them to stick together well. Crust must be baked for around 10 minutes inside a 300 degree oven.
Filling: Before starting on pan preparations, take out the cream cheese from your fridge so it can start to become soft. Also measure out 1 & 1/4 c sour cream, 1/3 c heavy or whipping cream, 5 big eggs, 1 c sugar, 1 tbsp vanilla & 1 tbsp cornstarch (opt.).
Blending batter will then be the next step. Batter must be mixed really well and just be careful to not add air. Use a KitchenAid Mixer. It works for me just fine. With your mixer, add in your sour cream into your bowl then beat at medium-low for around 1 min.
Next, blend in cream cheese, cornstarch and sugar. Cornstarch will assist in slowing down your eggs from binding together with your custard to prevent the cracks from appearing. Beat mixture at low settings for 1 min. more.
Turn machine off. In another container, blend together zest of a lemon, lemon juices, 3 pcs. yolks, 2 big eggs, vanilla and 1/3 c cream. Mix them well together using fork. Next, turn mixer at medium settings then drizzle 1/2 of your egg and cream mixture slowly. Turn of mixer then scrape your bowl.
Turn mixer at medium-high settings then add in remainder of your egg mix. Mix it for around 1 min. Batter shouldn’t have air or lumps. Oven should then be preheated to around 250 deg. F.
After your pre-baked crust has cooled sufficiently, you can add in your batter. Boil some water, around 2 qts. but amount depends on the size of your chosen pan. This water is for that “water bath” where you’ll cook your homemade cheesecake in.
Get a bigger pan then fill it with the heated water and have water come around 2/3’s of the way of your pan. Bake cheesecake for one hr in 250 deg. F. After 1 hr., open door of your oven for 30 secs. to allow hot air to escape a bit.
Close door of your oven again & leave your pan inside for 1 hour more with your oven turned off. After the hour is up take out your pan then place cheesecake inside your refrigerator for around 6 hrs.
After it has chilled sufficiently, put a piece of parchment paper atop of pan then flip it onto a plate to ease cheesecake free from your pan. Do the process carefully. After cake comes off your pan, then take parchment papers out. Enjoy your dessert!