I made a cheesecake for the July 4th holiday. Not exactly summer fare, but I figured if I served it with some fresh fruit I could get away with it. Because sometimes you just need a little cheesecake!
This is what I call a “ruleless cheesecake”. You can make it in a springform pan, cake pan, or a pie plate – whatever you have on hand. It also doesn’t require a water bath. Simple.
As for the recipe – the crust is made with Nilla Wafers which infuses a more vanilla flavor than a graham cracker crust. It’s creamy and smooth, and has a wonderful sweetness/slight tang combo, which is repeated by the silky sour cream topping. Serve it with fresh berries, and you can call it your “Summer Cheesecake”!
Crust:
- 40 Nilla Wafers, crushed into crumbs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
Cheesecake:
- 2 – 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping:
- 2 cups sour cream
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 375º. Grease a 9″ springform pan or cake pan.
- Crush Nilla Wafers in a plastic bag with a rolling pin or in a food processor. Pour the contents in a medium bowl add the sugar and butter. Stir to combine and pour into prepared pan. Press into bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake for 8 minutes, let cool on a wire rack.
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time beating after each addition. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Pour into cooled crust and bake for 20 minutes until center is set.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Spread over the cooled cheesecake.
- Raise oven temperature to 475º, and let it preheat for 3 minutes. Place the pan back in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Let cool on a wire rack and refrigerate overnight.
Interesting, thanks!
I can see you making this for your next writer’s dinner party!