For some reason the humble cheesecake is something that every aspiring home chef seems to have troubles with at one point or another. There are many restaurant copycat recipes that are so difficult to locate and many common problems baking the super easy lemon cheesecake recipes, include large slits , burned top, clumpy filling, collapsed middles and the awe-inspiring shrinking cheesecake (cake shrinks around the outside).

Many of these problems tend to leave when the cheesecake is prepared and baked properly. Before we get baking , a little science if you please. Some of the issues mentioned above all stem from an improper baking process . That usually is because people treat the recipe as if it was for a cake. But the truth is, cheese cake is a lot more similar to a custard pie than it is to a basic cake recipe. So, that means we need to work and bake the ingredients not the same . First is the pan. Alot people recommend using a spring form pan but I don’t like them. The reason will you will see when we get into the cooking process. For now find a 9 inch round cake pan with very high sides (at least 2 inches). We first want to treat the pan so we can get the cooked cheesecake out later . For that, melt some butter and using a brush, baste the entire inside of the dish . Next , using waxed paper, cut out a circle for the backside of the pan and a long rectangle for the side. Once the parchment paper  has been added to the pan, we can focus on the crust. Many
people like a cookie crumble crust but I prefer good old graham crackers. I take about 2 dozen and place them in a plastic ziptop bag. Using my fingers only, I squeeze them for about 30 seconds to a min. . Don’t worry,some big chunks are ok. Now , melt 1/4 cup of unseasoned butter and add the cracker crumbs to it along with 1 table spoon of sugar. Combine with a spatula briefly and add to the bottom of the dish . Next grab a heavy glass with a flat bottom or other tamping tool (the ones used to flatten beef works great ). You will want to tamp down all the crumbs in the pan so they stick to each other and help the crust form. Cook the crust blind for Ten minutes at three hundred degrees. Now comes the filling. Before you began working on the pan preparation , you should have taken your cream cheese out of the refridgerator and set it on the counter to soften (at least 30 mins or so). You are also going to need 1.25 cups of sourcream , 1 cup of sugar, 1/3 cup of cream (whipping or heavy), one tbs. of vanilla extract, 5 large eggs, one quarter cup of lemon juice, the zest of one lemon, and one tablespoon of cornstarch (optional). Now , the mixing of the batter is important. We want everything mixed well but we do not want to add any air into the batter. Air is usually the problem when a cheese cake falls or has a sunken center. So, the best tool in my opinion is the Kitchenaid stand mixer (or your favorite brand).
To begin , place the sourcream in the mixing bowl and with the paddle attachment, beat on medium low for a minute. Next add the creamcheese , the sugar and the optional cornstarch. The cornstarch acts to help slow down the binding of the eggs in the custard which prevents cracking. Think of it as a little extra insurance. If you follow this recipe you should not need it but if this is your first time trying this recipe, you may want to consider adding it.

So, next we beat this combine on low speed for one minute. Then turn up the speed to medium for a few more minutes. Stop the machine and scrape the bowl. Next, in a container mix the one third cup of cream, vanilla, two large eggs, three egg yolks, lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix this up well with a fork.

Turn the mixer on medium low speed and slowly drizzle in 1/2 of the cream and egg mixture. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl again. Start it again but this time on medium high speed and add the remaining egg mixture. Continue mixing for about one more minute. The batter should be uniform (no lumps) and not airy.

Next , the cooking . Pre heat the oven to 250 degrees. Remember when we cooked the crust blind. Well, you want to add the batter to the pan but first make sure the crust is completely cool (let it cool out of the oven for at least fifteen minutes). Add the batter to the pan. Give the pan a few little twists left and right to help any air bubbles come to the top.

At the same time, boil at least 2 quarts of H2O (the amount will depend on your pan size). We need to create what’s called a “bain marie” (Marie’s bath). If you have another cake pan that is a few inches larger?  in diam use that. If not, a throw away aluminium baking dish works well too (the kind for lasagne or roasting). Add a clean towel to the bottom of the large pan and insert into the oven. Add the cheese cake pan into the bigger pan and carefully push it to the side . Next , with kid gloves add the stewing water into the larger pan. Pour enough to come up two thirds the way up the cheese cake pan.

Now , being very careful ,  center the cheesecake pan in the larger pan and close the oven. Bake at two hundred fifty for 1 hour. Here’s the hard part. After one hour the cake will not looked cooked. But the problem is you don’t want to overcook the cheese cake . So, open the oven door for about 30 seconds to let some heat escape. Next , close the door and leave the cake alone for another hour. After that, carefully take the cake pan out of the water pan and place it in a fridge for six hours.

Finally we have cheesecake. There are some minor tumbling necessary to get the cake out of the pan. First, fill your sink 1/2 way up with hot water directly from the tap (the hottest it will go). Next , let the pan float in the sink for 15 seconds . Now remove it and put it on a towel. Using a sharp thin knife gently trace around the outside of the pan and then gently remove the waxed paper from the side of the pan. Next , take some wax paper and cut a circle the same size as the cheesecake . Put the wax paper on top of the cheesecake. Place a round plate or the bottom from a spring form pan on top of the cheesecake and gently but quickly invert it. Next remove the pan.

Ok, but now you are looking at the bottom of the cheese cake . Remove the waxed paper from the bottom. Decide what dish you will use to serve the cheesecake (or take a nice size bakers cake round). Put that on the bottom of the cheesecake and once again invert it gently . Lastly, remove the wax paper from the top and cut your cheesecake .

If all went well we should have a delicious and beautiful lemony cheesecake that your friends and family will think you bought . And you know what, if the top does crack, who cares. That’s why they invented whipped cream! Right?

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