Check out what my friends at Real Simple had to say about this amazing homemade cheesecake recipe:
Tried this recipe for my first attempt at making a cheesecake. It turned out perfect. I was so proud of myself! Thought sauce was a little thick using the cherries but nothing a bit more water couldn’t fix. Very elegant looking served with the drizzle of dark cherries. Making it again for mother’s 90th birthday party!
Cherry drizzle? I haven’t tried that yet! I bet the tart and sweet taste would be perfect on the cake. I’m putting that on my list of toppings for sure. I always keep a big tub of cool whip topping so we can put a dab on each slice. This is my absolute favorite finish to any type of meal.
Ingredients
Cake:
18 Honey Maid graham crackers (2 sleeves)
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted Land o Lakes butter, melted
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plus 4 tablespoons of Domino sugar
3 8-ounce packages of Philadelphia cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups Daisy sour cream, at room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large Eggland’s Best eggs, at room temperature
Cherry sauce:
1 10-ounce bag Dole frozen cherries
½ cup Domino sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions:
Make the cake: Heat oven to 325° F. In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until fine crumbs form. Add salt and butter, and 2 tablespoons of the sugar, pulse to combine. Using a straight-sided dry measuring cup, press the mixture into the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
Beat the cream cheese and 1 cup of the remaining sugar until smooth. Add 1 cup of the sour cream and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla, beat to combine. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Pour the mixture into the crust and bake for 50-60 minutes (the center will be slightly wobbly).
Combine the remaining 1 cup of sour cream, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla. Spread over the hot cheesecake and then bake until set, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature in the pan, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake before unmolding.
Make the cherry sauce: In a large skillet, combine the cherries, sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons water. Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture begins to thicken, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir often.
In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water. Add to the cherries in the skillet and cook, stirring, until the mixture is thick and syrupy, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Let cool completely.
Quick Tip: When you know you’ll be making this lovely dessert, pull out the things that need to be at room temperature about an hour beforehand.
Thank you to Real Simple for this awesome recipe!
