the perfect cheesecake recipe

(1 rating)
Recipe by
Heidi Hoerman
Hingham, MA

My father loved cheesecake. (The acorn didn't fall very far from the tree in that respect.) He would bring home recipe after recipe trying to find the perfect cheesecake. This was the last cheesecake recipe he brought in because this was, indeed, perfect. It requires you to find old fashioned farmer cheese and Zweiback teething crackers. Friendship dairies still makes Farmer Cheese but Nabisco no longer makes Zweiback. I think slicing and slowly toasting/drying challah in the oven might result in a good Zweiback substitute.

(1 rating)
yield 12 serving(s)
prep time 8 Hr
cook time 2 Hr

Ingredients For the perfect cheesecake recipe

  • for the filling
  • 3/4 lb
    cream cheese
  • 3/4 lb
    farmer cheese
  • 3 lg
    eggs
  • 1 1/2 c
    sour cream
  • 1 1/2 c
    milk
  • 2 tsp
    vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 c
    sugar
  • 3 Tbsp
    cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp
    salt
  • for the crumbs
  • 2 1/2 c
    zweiback crumbs
  • 1 tsp
    cinnamon
  • 1/4 c
    sugar
  • 1/4 lb
    butter or margarine (1 stick)

How To Make the perfect cheesecake recipe

  • 1
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  • 2
    To make the filling, beat together the cream cheese and farmer cheese until smooth.
  • 3
    Continue beating and add the eggs (one at a time), milk and vanilla.
  • 4
    Mix together the sugar, cornstarch and salt and add to the wet ingredients, beating until smooth.
  • 5
    To make the crust, mix together the crumbs, cinnamon and sugar. Add the butter and work with your hands until it is well distributed and coats the crumbs.
  • 6
    Set aside 1/4 cup of the buttered crumbs to use later on top of the cheesecake.
  • 7
    Lightly butter a springform pan and place the pan on a cookie sheet to avoid later disaster. Press the crumbs into the sides and bottom of the pan to form a crust.
  • 8
    Never NEVER pick up the springform pan without supporting its bottom. Nothing is sadder than a whole cheesecake smashed on the oven door or inside the refridgerator. This is the voice of experience speaking!!!
  • 9
    To assemble, pour the filling carefully into the crust trying not to move the crumbs.
  • 10
    Sprinkle the reserved crumbs on top of the filling.
  • 11
    Bake for one hour on a rack in the middle of the oven. Turn off the oven and allow the cake to stand in the oven for a second hour.
  • 12
    Refrigerate for several hours before attempting to remove the sides of the springform pan and serving.

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