Cordon Rose Cream Cheesecake

A rich and creamy cheesecake taken from Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Cake Bible. I adapted the recipe to include a digestive biscuit base to lend a crunch to the creamy custard. I don't normally bake cheesecake. It's just simply too rich, but delightfully delicious. It's perfectly fine to indulge in it occasionally. I baked this cake for my niece's 13th birthday. No more chocolate cake request from her. Vanilla cheesecake is her new favorite.

You can use the stand mixer or food processor for this cheesecake. And this is the first time I used my Magimix food processor to make a cake. It's so easy and the cake turned out yummy & beautiful. To make a creamy and moist cheesecake, bake it over a hot waterbath at moderate temperature. To prevent cracks and shrinkage, let the cake cool in the oven for about an hour and at room temperature for another hour before refrigerating it. Another important thing to note is not to create too much air into the mixture while whisking or blending. Just blend enough to achieve a smooth batter without lumps. Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature too.

Cordon Rose Cream Cheesecake (Adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum Cake Bible)

Ingredients:

120g digestive biscuit
50g unsalted butter, melted

302g Philadelphia cream cheese block, cut into cubes, at room temperature
115g sugar
2 large eggs
31g lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
484g sour cream

Preparation:
Pre-heat oven at 175˚C.
Grease the bottom and sides of a 6" by 3" round springform pan or a pan with a loose bottom, base lined with parchment paper. Wrap the outside of the pan with a double layer of aluminium foil. This is to prevent water from seeping into the pan when placed in a water bath. 

Method:

1. Crush the digestive biscuits till fine. You can use a food processor or a rolling pin to crush the biscuits placed in a ziplock bag.  Add the melted butter to it and mix well.
2. Line the base of the pan with a layer of the biscuit mixture. Leave it in the refrigerator to set.
3. Add the cream cheese and sugar into the bowl of the food processor. Pulse it for 30 seconds or until smooth.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, with the motor running. Add the lemon juice, vanilla, salt, and sour cream and pulse to combine.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Set the pan in a larger pan, filled with very hot water of about 1" in height.
6. Bake for 45 minutes. Turn the oven off without opening the door and let the cake cool for 1 hour.
7. Remove from the oven and let it cool to room temperature on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
8. To unmould, have a serving plate and a 7" round cake board covered with plastic wrap ready. Place the pan on a heated burner and move it around for 15 seconds. Wipe sides of pan with hot, damp towel.
9. Run a thin metal spatula around the sides of the cake and release the sides of the springform pan. Place the plastic-wrapped cake board on top and invert. Remove the bottom of the pan and the parchment. Reinvert onto the serving plate and use a small metal spatula to smooth the sides. Refrigerate until shortly before serving.