Bake Club Cheesecake

The Crust

1 stick butter

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (bought as is or made by grinding 12 full sheets of crackers down)

¼ cup milk powder

¼ cup sugar

Place a large baking sheet in the oven on the middle rack and heat oven to 325F.

Line a 9” cake pan with aluminum foil above the pan’s edges, then grease or grease a 9” springform pan and wrap the bottom edges with foil.

In a medium size bowl, melt the butter then toss with graham cracker crumbs, milk powder and sugar until well combined. Transfer to the greased baking pan and, with the palm of your hand and fingertips, press the mixture evenly across the surface and completely up the sides to the wall of your cake pan or 2-inches of a springform pan . Set aside.

The Filling

4 8-oz blocks cream cheese, at room temperature

1 ½ cup sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

4 ea eggs

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

In a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, slowly paddle the cream cheese on low speed until smooth, scraping down the sides of the walls and paddle intermittently.

Paddle in sugar a little at a time, continuing to mix on low speed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the walls and paddle intermittently. With the last addition of sugar, add the flour, too, to ensure it’s evenly distributed.

Still on low, add the eggs and vanilla one at a time, continuing to mix on low speed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the walls and paddle intermittently.

PRO TIP: If there is ANY doubt of the smoothness and density of your mixture, pull out a fine-mesh sieve and strain the mixture.

Gently transfer the mixture into your crust and spread evenly. Gently transfer the pan to the heated oven, to the center of the baking sheet, and before closing the oven, fill the baking sheet with hot tap water to create a “water watch”. Gently close the oven door (so many “gently”s, I know! But we want a gentle bake so as not to color or crack our luxurious cheesecake!). 

Bake for 90 minutes, where your cheesecake will set firmly in the center but not get much color if any at all. Add another 5-10 minutes until you get this result. Before removing the pan from the water bath and oven, turn the oven off and prop the door open for 10 minutes. This will allow the cheesecake to gently cool down, so as to avoid any cracking. 

Remove the cheesecake from the oven and finish cooling at room temperature before refrigerating for the final cool. I like my cheesecake as is, but feel free to make jammy blueberries or strawberries or cherries or a sour cream glaze if you please. 

Wrap well in plastic and keep refrigerated when you’re not busy crushing slice after slice.