Sour Cream Cheesecake

[kirra]

Sour Cream Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 7 crackers)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake:

1 pound cream cheese, softened
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of one lemon
5 eggs, at room temperature
2 cups sour cream

Preparation:

For the crust, lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9 1/2 inch spring form pan.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and adjust the rack to the lower part of the oven.

Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar and the melted butter until the crumbs are moist. Press the crumbs into a flat layer in the bottom of the spring form pan. (You can use the flat bottom of a glass to get an it even.)

Bake the crust for 9 minutes until golden brown. Set the pan aside on a cooling rack while you prepare the batter. Reduce the heat of the oven to 350 degrees.

For the cheesecake, mix the cream cheese and the sugar until there are no lumps. Add the vanilla and lemon zest. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until completely. Stir in the sour cream.

Pour the batter over the crust in the pan. Set the pan into a larger pan, such as a roasting pan, and pour warm water until it reaches about one-third of the way up the side of the pan.

Bake the cheesecake in the water bath for 55 minutes, until the cake is still very jiggly, but in a semi-solid mass. Do not overbake.

Cool the cake on a wire rack until room temperature, the refrigerate in the spring form pan at least 3 hours until thoroughly chilled. Makes one 9 1/2 inch cake

To serve, run a thin, sharp knife around the outside of the cheesecake to loosen it from the pan. Remove the spring form, then cut slices with a sharp knife dipped in warm water.

(Don't be tempted to cool a warm cheesecake in the refrigerator since the condensation can cause the cake to be soggy. )

Note: If using Quark, a nonfat cream cheese, the baking time will need to be reduced to 35-40 minutes.

If quark is not smooth, press it through a medium strainer to get rid of any lumps.