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–+ servings

Vanilla Cheesecake

Indulge in the amazing taste of a Vanilla Cheesecake. Velvety smooth, creamy cheesecake is full of vanilla bean and is nestled atop a buttery graham cracker crust, making for a perfect classic cheesecake. You can optionally top it with a delicious and fresh strawberry compote.
5 fra 2 stemmer
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 slices
Calories 431 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

COOKIE CRUST

  • 250 g digestive cookies
  • 1,5 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 90 g butter melted

CHEESECAKE

  • 600 g cream cheese full fat, room temperature
  • 200 g granulated sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean seeds scraped or 3 teaspoon vanilla paste
  • 150 g sour cream 18% room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 3 large eggs room temperature

STRAWBERRY COMPOTE (OPTIONAL)

  • 400 g strawberries frozen or fresh, can also be switched out for blueberries, blackberries or raspberries
  • 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
 

COOKIE CRUST

  • Preheat the oven at 160ºC/325ºF, conventional oven.
  • In a food processor, blend the digestive cookies and granulated sugar together until a fine sand-like texture. Melt the butter. Add the melted butter to the food processor and blend it together with the blended cookies.
    250 g digestive cookies, 1,5 tablespoon granulated sugar, 90 g butter
  • In a 22 cm/ 9-inch spring cake pan add parchment paper to the bottom. Add the cookie crumbs and press the cookie crust down with the bottom of a glass, and up against the side of the pan, so it’s well packed together and flattened out. Bake it for 10 minutes. Then let it cool down so that it’s cool to touch.

CHEESECAKE

  • Keep the oven temperature at 160ºC/ 325ºF conventional oven.
  • Split a vanilla bean pod in half by cutting it lengthwise. Scrape out the vanilla bean with a knife. Out of the 200g (1 cup) of sugar take 1 tablespoon out of it and add it to the cutting board. With the knife, rub the sugar and vanilla bean together until well combined and fragrant.
    1 vanilla bean
  • In a bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer cream the cream cheese for 1 minute on low speed. Then gradually add the granulated sugar. Once all the granulated sugar is added, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla bean sugar and let it mix for 1 minute on low speed.
    600 g cream cheese, 200 g granulated sugar
  • In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream and cornstarch until smooth. Add it to the cream cheese and let it mix on low speed until combined. Then add one egg at a time and let it mix on low speed until combined. Once all the eggs have mixed in, scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it a final mix to make sure all the ingredients have incorporated.
    150 g sour cream 18%, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 3 large eggs
  • Pour the cheesecake batter into the spring pan.
  • Boil up water in a kettle. Place the springform pan in a 25 cm/10 inch cake pan. Place the cake pan in another baking pan or roasting pan and fill it with hot water ⅔ up the side of the pan. This method will prevent water from getting into the crust.
  • Alternatively, add a triple layer of aluminium foil around the cake pan to safely seal it from the water before placing it in a water bath. There might be a possibility of water leaking in, so make sure it's covered well if choosing this method.
  • Bake for 1 hour and 10 min.
  • Once the time has passed, give the tray a very gentle shake. The cheesecake should still be a bit wobbly in the middle. Turn off the oven and have the oven door slightly open and let the cheesecake cool down in the oven for 1 hour.
  • Then take it out of the oven and remove it from the water bath. Take off the aluminium foil and place the cheesecake on a cooling rack. Let it cool down for 1 hour to room temperature. Once at room temperature, place it in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap. Let it chill for at least 6 hours, preferable overnight.

STRAWBERRY COMPOTE (OPTIONAL)

  • Add all of the ingredients to a medium sized saucepan and heat it up to a bubble. Once it starts bubbling, take it down to a medium heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes. While it cooks, give the strawberries a stir once in a while. Pour the compote into a flat surfaced bowl, so it can cool down faster, and cover it with plastic wrap. Place it in the fridge until cold.
    400 g strawberries, 3 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Release the cheesecake from the springform and move the chilled cheesecake to a serving dish. Add the strawberry compote on top of the cheesecake and even it out. Place it back in the fridge until ready to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 431kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 6gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 362mgPotassium: 136mgFiber: 1gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 996IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 1mg
Keyword cheesecake
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