New York Cheesecake

By mistynoelle13

The perfect New York cheesecake! Placing a small bowl of water in the oven while baking your cheesecake keeps the humidity up preventing cracking.

Ingredients

• CRUST:
• 1 1/2 cups graham crackers, finely crushed
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• FILLING:
• 5 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
• 3/4 orange peel grated
• 3/4 lemon peel grated
• 5 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• TOPPING:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 orange peel grated
• 1/4 lemon peel grated

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oven to 350ºF. Mix all ingredients. Press in bottom and up side of pie plate, 9x1 1/4-inches. Bake 5 minutes; cool.

Increase oven temperature to 475°F. In large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, orange peel, lemon peel and salt with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth. Beat in eggs, 2 egg yolks and 1/4 cup sour cream, beating on low speed until well blended. Pour into baked crust. Bake 15 minutes. Put small bowl of water in oven to keep humidity up so cake wont crack much.

Reduce oven temperature to 200°F. Bake 1 hour longer. Cheesecake may not appear to be done, but if a small area in the center seems soft, it will become firm as cheesecake cools. (Do not insert a knife to test for doneness because the hole could cause cheesecake to crack.) Turn off oven; leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven and cool in pan on cooling rack away from drafts 30 minutes.

Without releasing or removing side of pan, run metal spatula carefully along side of pan to loosen cheesecake. Refrigerate uncovered about 3 hours or until chilled; cover and continue refrigerating at least 9 hours but no longer than 48 hours.

Run metal spatula along side of pan to loosen cheesecake again. Remove side of pan; leave cheesecake on pan bottom to serve.

In chilled small bowl, beat 1 cup whipping cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, and remaining lemon and orange peel with electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Spread whipped cream over top of cheesecake. Decorate with almonds. Store covered in refrigerator.