When Lyle and Emily came to stay with us in New York we began a
search for the best cheesecake. This one
won hands down. It takes a while to make
it, but it is so worth it. I am sure you
will all love it as much as we do. This recipe makes a 9-inch cheesecake, about
2 1/2 inches high.
Junior's Original New York Cheesecake
Surprisingly, this is one of the easiest cakes to make. It just takes some time. Follow this
recipe from Junior’s that has been adapted for a home kitchen and
you’ll soon be slicing up the best cheesecake you've ever tasted. Alan Rosen
explains what makes it so special: “It’s light but not crumbly, oh-so-creamy
but not dense, and with that heavenly cream cheese flavor that makes Junior’s New York cheesecake
famous the world over.”
Sponge Cake Crust:
No one really knows just whose idea it was to
use a sponge cake crust for Junior’s cheesecake. It worked, and that same
recipe continues to work today.
For One 9-inch Cake
Crust
1/3 cup sifted cake
flour
3/4 teaspoon baking
powder
Pinch of salt
2 extra-large eggs,
separated
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure
vanilla extract
2 drops pure lemon
extract
2 tablespoons
unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cream of
tartar
For One 8-inch Cake
Crust
1/4 cup sifted cake
flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 extra-large eggs,
separated
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon pure
vanilla extract
2 drops pure lemon
extract
2 tablespoons
unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cream of
tartar
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously butter the
bottom and sides of an 8- or 9-inch spring-form pan (preferably a nonstick
one). Wrap the outside with aluminum foil, covering the bottom and extending
all the way up the sides.
2. In a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt
together.
3. Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl with an electric mixer
on high for 3 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add 2 tablespoons of the
sugar and beat until thick light yellow ribbons form, about 5 minutes more.
Beat in the extracts.
4. Sift the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in by
hand, just until no more white flecks appear. Now, blend in the melted butter.
5.Wash
the mixing bowl and beaters really well (if even a little fat is left, this can
cause the egg whites not to whip). Put the egg whites and cream of tartar into
the bowl and beat with the mixer on high until frothy. Gradually add the
remaining sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the whites will
stand up and look glossy, not dry). Fold about one-third of the whites into the
batter, then the remaining whites. Don’t worry if you still see a few white
specks, as they’ll disappear during baking.
6. Gently spread out the batter over the bottom of the pan,
and bake just until set and golden (not wet or sticky), about 10 minutes. Touch
the cake gently in the center. If it springs back, it’s done. Watch carefully
and don’t let the top brown. Leave the crust in the pan and place on a wire
rack to cool. Leave the oven on while you prepare the batter.
The Junior’s Way
Bake the cheesecake crust in the same springform pan you’re using for
the cheesecake. Watch the crust closely; since it’s so thin, it needs only 10
to 12 minutes to bake.
Cream Cheese Filling
Four 8-ounce packages
cream cheese (use only full fat), at room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon pure
vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs
3/4 cup heavy or
whipping cream
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter the bottom
and sides of a 9-inch spring-form pan. Wrap the outside with aluminum foil,
covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides. Make and bake the
cake crust and leave it in the pan. Keep the oven on.
2. Put one package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the
sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on
low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl several times. Blend
in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping down the bowl
after each one.
3. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the
remaining 1 1/3 cups sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time,
beating well after adding each one. Beat in the cream just until completely
blended. Be careful not to overmix! Gently spoon the batter over the crust.
4. Place the cake in a large shallow pan containing hot
water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the spring-form. Bake until the
edges are light golden brown and the top is slightly golden tan, about 1 1/4
hours. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and
let cool for 2 hours (just walk away—don’t move it). Then, leave the cake in
the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely
cold, preferably overnight or for at least 4 hours.
5. To serve, release and remove the sides of the spring-form,
leaving the cake on the bottom of the pan.
Place on a cake plate. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice the cold cake with a sharp
straight-edge knife, not a serrated one. Cover any leftover cake and
refrigerate or wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.
TO MAKE AN 8-INCH
CAKE:
Make an 8-inch sponge cake crust and use the cheesecake
filling ingredient amounts as follows: three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, 1
1/3 cups sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, 2
extra-large eggs, and 2/3 cup heavy or whipping cream. The cooking time will be
about the same.
The Junior’s Way
Master Baker Michael Goodman
says: “Always bake the cheesecake in a water bath, as we do here at Junior’s.
It keeps the heat in the oven moist and helps the cake bake slowly, gently, and
evenly. This helps ensure that your cheesecake comes out of the oven with a
smooth top—and no large cracks.”
http://www.chefjamie.com/desserts/727-juniors-cheesecake-recipes
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