If you were to ask me what my one biggest guilty pleasure is, it would definitely be cheesecake. I love cheesecake. I love the sweet, tangy, creaminess of it. I love the way it smells when it’s baking. I love to look on a menu and see cheesecake listed among the desserts.
I just really love cheesecake.
I am known among my friends (or used to be before we had kids and stopped being as social) for making killer cheesecakes. This one is no exception. Rich and velvety – not to mention knock-out gorgeous! I listed some garnish idea below.
White Chocolate Cheesecake
Crust:
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350º. In a small mixing bowl, combine ingredients and press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes and then remove from oven. Decrease oven heat to 250 º.
Filling:
- 2 pounds cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 eggs
- 8 ounces of white chocolate, melted
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and combine until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each and then add vanilla. Turn off mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure there are no chunks of cream cheese that are not mixed in. Return mixer to low speed and slowly spoon in melted white chocolate. Pour filling over baked crust and thunk the pan on the countertop a few times to make any air bubbles come to the surface.
Bake at 250 º for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cheesecake cool to room temperature – 2-3 hours. Place cheesecake in refrigerator and cool until completely chilled – 3 or more hours. When ready to serve or garnish, run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake, loosen the ring around it and lift it off carefully.
Garnishing Ideas:
Cocoa-Dusted Shapes: For the cheesecake pictured, I printed a fleur de lis onto vellum paper and then carefully cut it out. I use velum because it sticks less than regular paper. Lay the cut-out on top of the chilled cheesecake and press slightly. Dust lightly with cocoa powder, blow off excess. Carefully peel away the cutout and discard.
White Chocolate Ganache: Mix 6 ounces of white chocolate and 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream and microwave one minute at a time until melted – usually only takes a couple of minutes. Spoon ganache around the edges of the cheesecake and allow to drip down the sides.
Raspberry Sauce: Place 1 pint of thawed raspberries and 1 cup of sugar in a blender and puree. Pour into a bowl through a small-holed strainer to remove seeds, stirring and pressing slightly with a spoon or rubber spatula. Discard seeds. Use a small kitchen funnel to pour sauce into a squeeze bottle. I make a zig-zag design with the sauce in the bottom of a dessert plate and then place a slice of cheesecake on top. Sauce can be made several days in advance.
Well Duh #1: 2 pounds of cream cheese is four 8-ounce packages
Well Duh #2: Because of the low baking temperature, I have never had a problem with this cheesecake cracking.
Well Duh #3: Blowing the cocoa off the top of the cheesecake can be really messy, so be sure you blow toward the sink! I actually step outside and blow the cocoa to the wind!
Well Duh #4: I found great little squeeze bottles at my grocery store that were made for taking condiments to picnics, etc. The opening is very small which gives you lots of control in making designs.
Whenever I’m making cheesecake, the kids come into the kitchen with sad faces and ask, “Who are you making that cheesecake for?” If I tell them that it’s for us, they are overjoyed!
Guess I’ve passed my love of cheesecake on to them!
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