Cherry Cheesecake
The key to a great cheesecake is a smooth, silky and simple batter (ours has just 5 ingredients) and your perfect idea of the ratio between graham cracker crust and cake. You’re welcome to use your favorite boxes graham crackers, but our homemade version makes your house smell awesome and makes enough to snack on before blitzing into fine crumbs for a crust.
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Ingredients
Graham Crackers
- 6 oz unsalted butter 168g
- 1/2 cup brown sugar 110g
- 2 tbsps honey 40g
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 180g
- 1/3 cup whole wheat flour (stone ground is best) 45g
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 4 oz butter, melted 112g
Cheesecake
- 24 oz cream cheese, at room temperature 672g
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150g
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup heavy cream 80g
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Cherry Compote
- 1 lb cherries, fresh and pitted 454g
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 60g
- 3 tbsps granulated sugar
Instructions
Graham Crackers
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Cream the sugar, butter and honey with the paddle attachment of your stand mixer (or use softer butter and cream in a bowl with a wooden spoon). Add dry ingredients and mix just until a dough forms.
- Roll out between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/4” thickness. Peel off top parchment and dock the top of the dough with a fork all over. Bake at 350F for 8-12 minutes, or until just golden on the edges. Once cooled, place in a food processor with melted butter and pulse until finely ground. Press into prepared 8” pan and bake to crisp up for three to five minutes.
Cheesecake
- Heat oven to 350F. If using a springform pan. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. If using a regular 8” x 3” tall round cake pan, line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper and the sides of the pan with a tall strip of parchment paper.
- Take a large roasting pan and fill it ¾ of the way up with water; you’ll want the water to reach nearly the top of the cake pan once you place it in the roasting pan. Place this into the oven.
- Cream the cream cheese and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand-held mixer until smooth; this may take up to 10 minutes! You should not see any lumps. Add the eggs one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated before you add the next one. Add in the cream, salt and lemon juice and beat another 5-6 minutes, or until very, very smooth.
- Strain the batter into your prepared cake pan. Place the cake pan inside your roasting pan in the oven and turn the heat down to 300F. Bake for about 1 hour, or until just set in the center. Leave the door open and allow the cake to cool slowly. Chill the cake at least 3 hours before serving. Serve just as it is or with a compote.
Cherry Compote
- Cook all ingredients down in a small pot until the cherries just begin to soften. Spoon out the cherries and reduce the liquid by half.
