Deluxe Cheesecake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Combine crumbs, 2 TBSP sugar, butter, and cinnamon in a medium bowl; mix well.
• Press in a 10-inch spring form pan; set aside.
• Beat cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until soft and creamy.
• Gradually add 1 cup of sugar, beating until fluffy.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after addition.
• Stir in 1/2 tsp vanilla.
• Pour cream cheese mixture into crust.
• Bake at 375°F for 25 to 35 minutes or until cheesecake is set.
• Increase oven temperature to 500°F.
• Beat sour cream on medium speed with electric mixer for 2 minutes.
• Add 3 TBSP sugar and remaining 1/2 tsp vanilla; beat 1 minutes longer.
• Spread over cheesecake.
• Bake at 500°F for 5 to 8 minutes or until bubbly.
• Cool to room temperature and chill 8 hours or over night.
• Once completely chilled, top with your favorite fruit, chocolate syrup, etc!

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the wafer crumbs, confectioners' sugar, cocoa and butter. Press onto the bottom and 1-1/2 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Bake at 350° for 7-9 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack. , In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the sour cream, flour, vanilla and salt. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Remove 1-1/2 cups batter to a bowl; stir in butterscotch chips. , Pour over crust. Add chocolate chips to another 1-1/2 cups batter; carefully spoon over butterscotch layer. Stir vanilla chips into remaining batter; spoon over chocolate layer., Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Cool for 1 hour., For topping, place each flavor of chips and 1/2 teaspoon shortening in three small microwave-safe bowls. Microwave on high for 25 seconds; stir. Heat in 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over cheesecake. Chill for at least 3 hours. Remove sides of pan. Refrigerate leftovers.

Steps:

• The day before you plan to serve the cheesecake:
• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Make and bake the cake crust as directed and leave it in the pan. Keep the oven on.
• 2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment if your mixer has one, beat 1 package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch together on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl several times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each.
• 3. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in the cream just until completely blended. The filling will look light, creamy, airy, and almost like billowy clouds. Be careful not to overmix! Gently spoon the batter over the crust.
• 4. Place the cake pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes halfway (about 1 inch) up the side of the springform. Bake until the edge is light golden brown, the top is light gold, and the center barely jiggles, about 1 1/4 hours. If the cake still feels soft around the edge, let it bake for 10 minutes more (the cooking time will be about the same for both the 8- and 9-inch cheesecakes). 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 before serving, preferably overnight or for at least 6 hours.
• On serving day:
• 5. Release and remove the side of the springform, leaving the cake on the bottom of the pan. Place on a cake plate. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice with a sharp straight-edge knife, not a serrated one, rinsing the knife with warm water between slices. Refrigerate any leftover cake, tightly covered, and enjoy within 2 days, or wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.

Steps:

• Make the crust: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the flour, sugar and lemon zest. Cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly. Add the egg yolk and vanilla. Mix.
• Pat a third of the dough over the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with sides removed. Bake about 6 minutes, or until golden. Cool.
• Butter the sides of the pan and attach to the bottom. Pat remaining dough around the sides to a height of 2 inches.
• Increase the oven heat to 475 degrees.
• Prepare the filling: Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add vanilla and lemon zest.
• In a separate bowl, combine sugar, flour and salt. Gradually blend into cheese mixture. Beat in eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, and the cream. Beat well.
• Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 200 degrees. Bake 1 hour longer, or until set. Turn off oven heat and allow cake to remain 30 minutes in the oven with the door ajar. Cool on a rack. Chill at least 3 hours before serving. Adorn with fruit if you'd like.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan., In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs, pecans and butter. Press onto the bottom of prepared pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack., For filling, in a large bowl, beat 1 package of cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in remaining cream cheese, one package at a time until smooth. Add remaining sugar and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. , Place 2 cups filling in a small bowl; stir in pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Remove 3/4 cup pumpkin filling; set aside. Pour remaining pumpkin filling over crust; top with remaining plain filling. Cut through with a knife to swirl. Drop reserved pumpkin filling by spoonfuls over cheesecake; cut through with a knife to swirl. , Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake until center is just set and top appears dull, 55-65 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. , If desired, garnish with chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, whipped topping and additional crushed gingersnaps.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. In small bowl, mix crust ingredients; press in bottom of ungreased 10-inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool 3 to 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat both kinds of cream cheese, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla and 2 tablespoons lemon juice with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and well blended. On low speed, add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition until blended. Add flour; beat until smooth.
• Pour filling over crust. Bake 55 minutes. Cool on cooling rack 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix sour cream layer ingredients.
• Spoon and spread sour cream mixture evenly over top of cheesecake. Bake 10 minutes longer. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 2 hours. Cover; refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
• Before serving, remove side of pan. Garnish each serving with fresh strawberries and a drizzle of strawberry sundae syrup and a dollop of whipped cream. Store in refrigerator.