Lemon Cheese Cake With Sour Cream Topping

I recently purchased this giant cookbook "How To Cook Everything" By Mark Bittman.The book weighs five pounds, so I decided that I would work off any calories from the recipe just moving the book around.
The Giant Cook Book
After looking through the book I decided that I would attempt the
Lemon Cheese Cake With Sour Cream Topping. This is the outcome of my attempt.
Lemon Cheese Cake With Sour Cream Topping
Recipe By Mark Bittman
The cake is very light and has the perfect hint of lemon.
I topped it with Blackberries from our last years harvest. It was just delicious!
 Prepare The Graham Crackers For The Crust
 Add The Butter To The Graham Crackers
Beat The Egg Whites Until Soft Peaks
Fold The Egg Whites Into The Cheese Batter
Bake The Cake In a Water Bath
Top The Baked Cake With The Sour Cream Topping
Enjoy!
Lemon Cheese Cake With Sour Cream Topping
Mark Bittman How To Cook Everything
Page 916
Prepared in Miz Helen's Kitchen
Makes at least 12 Servings
Time about 11/2 hours
Unsalted butter for greasing the pan
Double recipe Graham Cracker Crust (page 930)
4 eggs, separated
Three 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 cup sugar plus 1 optional tablespoon
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 cups sour cream (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
The Graham Cracker Crust From Page 930
3 tablespoons sugar
6 ounces broken graham crackers, about 1 1/2 cups
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted plus more as needed)
Combine the sugar with the graham cracker crumbs in a bowl or food processor.
Press the crumbs into the sides of a 9 inch pie plate.
1. Liberally butter a 9 inch spring form pan, then, press the crust into the bottom. Heat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Use an electric mixer to beat the egg yolks until light; add the cream cheese, lemon zest and juice, and 1 cup of the sugar and beat until smooth.  Stir in the flour.
3. Beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks; use a rubber spatula or your hand to fold them into the yolk-cheese mixture gently but thoroughly.  Turn the batter into the prepared pan and put the pan in a baking pan large enough to hold it comfortably. Add enough warm water to the baking pan to come to within an inch of the top of the spring form pan. Transfer to the oven and bake until the cake is just set and very lightly browned about 1 hour.
4.Remove the cake from the oven.  If you're making the topping, turn the oven up to 450 degrees and combine the sour cream with the vanilla and the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar if you're using it; spread on the top of the cake, Return it to the oven for 10 minutes, without the water bath; turn off the oven and let the cake cool for 30 minutes before removing it. With or without the topping, cool the cake completely on a rack, cover with plastic wrap, than refrigerate until well chilled before slicing, and serving. This will keep in good shape refrigerated for several days.

The recipe went very well until I got to the topping. The required oven temperature was 450 degrees for 10 minutes, that was to hot for my oven, the oven was to hot so the topping got to brown around the edge in a couple of places and it cracked in a couple of places. For my oven I would need to cook it at 400 degrees for 10 minutes and it would really need to sit in the oven after it is off for 1 hour rather than 30 minutes. The time required was 1 1/2 hour and that would be cooking time only for the cake and the topping and would not include the preparation time, and then there is the cooling time before it can be sliced and served. If you want to serve it for dinner start early in the morning. It is a great cake and I will make it again with those adjustments for my oven and be sure to allow lots of time.

I really enjoyed preparing the recipe and I hope that you enjoy it. I am going to bring this Cheese Cake to Tackling Bittman at Girli Chef, A Moderate Life  and of course I will bring it to Full Plate Thursday.
Thanks for stopping by today and I hope that you will come back real soon!
Peace and Joy
Miz Helen
This Post is Linked To:
Full Plate Thursday
This Weeks Cravings
Cookbook Sundays
Sweets For Saturday
Sweet Tooth Friday
Feed Me Tweet Me Follow Me Home On Friday
Friday Pot Luck
Fat Camp Friday
Tackling Bittman Recipe Hop
Foodie Friday
Tackling Bittman Book Giveaway
Hearth and Soul Hop
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
 Delectable Tuesday
Made From Scratch Tuesday
Countdown to 2012































Miz Helen
Miz Helen

Cookbook Author, Recipe Developer, Organic Gardner.


Comments

  1. I think it's beautiful, Miz Helen. It's making my mouth tingle and water...way to break in the new book :D Thanks so much for sharing it w/ Tackling Bittman this month!

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  2. I love the sour cream topping on cheese cake but had never added it when baking. Thanks for the explanation.

    Mely

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  3. yummy.....my Birthday is coming this cookbook looks yummy...I want to try this soon

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  4. YUM! That sounds really, really good! Thanks for sharing. Hopefully you will bring it to Tip Day Thursday too. :poke :poke Home with two sick kiddos on this rainy day....trying to keep sane by blog hopping to my favorite blogs. ;-)

    Wendy
    Around My Family Table

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  5. That sounds delightful. That book practically taught me how to cook! Love it.

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  6. Miz Helen, that looks delicious! Come on over to enter my first give away!
    mickey
    http://monstermama-monstermama.blogspot.com/

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  7. Miz Helen, you make such delicious looking food and I am so hungry. :-)

    -Brenda

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  8. You sure do make a beautiful cheesecake Miz Helen :). Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters

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  9. That looks delicious! Thanks for linking up to Made From Scratch Tuesday!
    Jen

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  10. This looks so yummy!! I love that cookbook too, it's one of my personal favorites :)

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  11. Oh Miz Helen, I'm laughing because I've checked that cookbook out from the library. You see, I ride my bike the 16 mile round trip to the library, so I always have to think twice about getting a book that big. But it just might be worth it to have some cheesecake ;) Thanks for sharing with the Hearth and Soul hop.

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  12. Oh my, this looks divine! LOVE cheesecake ~ :-)
    Not sure how I've missed your blog...love it! I'm a new follower and fellow Texan. I'm in the DFW area.

    Thanks so much for sharing the recipe! Stop by and say hi when you can ~ and stay warm.

    Pat

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  13. Anything Lemon, I'll take it or I'll make it!Mmmmm.
    ~Rainey~
    http://theprojecttable.blogspot.com

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  14. Oh my, now that's a dessert!!! Looks great:@)

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  15. I've just bought Mark Bittman's book too! I haven't made anything from it, but I'm tempted to start with that wonderful cheesecake! The one you have made looks delicious, Miz Helen.

    Thank you for linking up with Feed Me Tweet Me - I've followed your lovely blog. Have a wonderful weekend.

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  16. Those blackberries are the perfect accent. The cake is beautiful!

    I hope you'll stop by and share your recipe on Sweet Tooth Friday! http://alli-n-son.com/2011/02/03/chocolate-toffee/

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  17. This recipe looks divine. I came by from the Feed Me Tweet Me Follow Me Home blog hop. I'm your newest follower.

    Please stop by when you have a chance and follow back.

    Have a great weekend,
    http://wineladycooks.blogspot.com

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  18. I just stumbled upon your blog, and saw Mark Bittma's cookbook...I had to see what recipe you found, because I also have his book, but in the soft cover addition, which I found at Goodwill store last year, brand new...since I also have a thrift blog in addition to my food, I have already posted about the book and a recipe a while back. I paid 79 cents for this amazing book, and it's like a "bible" in my home. Love it!

    Love your cheesecake, so glad you mention the page#...your cheesecake, is light, fluffy, and oh so scrumptious and delicious. Love the photos as well.
    I'm following your blog, please stop by my blog too, and say hello!

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  19. It takes a certain kind of woman to wade through a cookbook that size. One of absolute fearlessness, resolve and determination....however the first recipe choice speaks volumes too! Love the cheesecake and thanks for sharing at the Hearth and Soul hop.

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  20. My husband loves lemon . . .so this is one I will have to try!!! Looks delicious!

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  21. This is beautiful in presentation and sounds positively delicious!

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  22. Oh wow - sounds wonderful - good choice for "christening" the book :-)

    Thanks so much for sharing at the Tackling Bittman Recipe Hop - I hope you'll join in again next month.

    Sue :-)

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  23. What a gorgeous cheesecake Miz Helen! That cookbook is on my wish list, I've heard nothing but good things about it from so many bloggers. Thank you so much for sharing today with Cookbook Sundays!

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  24. Hi, Miz Helen! My friend, Elisabeth, mentioned your lovely blog on her site and I had to come over and take a peak. And here I find a fabulous cheesecake (and a cookbook I must buy!). So nice to find you!!!

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  25. Thanks so much for linking to THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS!

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  26. Thanks to you I will never be intimidated by those huge cookbooks again! Love the rationale of working off the calories just by moving the book around! If the other recipes are as yummy as this -- it's a good book! thanks so much for sharing your menu and recipes for the week on Busy Monday!

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  27. This looks beautiful- I love all things lemon and/or cheesecake! I am going to adopt your fitness plan: "work off any calories from the recipe just moving that big cookbook around"! LOL! Thanks!
    ~Joy from Yesterfood

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Miz Helen