Junior's-style cheesecake on a sponge cake base, and a strawberry version on a Nilla wafer crust
Anything with Alvin · ♥ 11.3K likes · 373.6K views · 12 min video
Read about cream cheese in the BrightCulinary Book
Timestamp
Ingredients
Method
Techniques
- 8 package cream cheese
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 666 g sugar
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 whole large eggs
- 1½ cup heavy cream
Process the cream cheese, cornstarch, sugar and vanilla until smooth and lump-free, then add the eggs, then the heavy cream. Set the batter aside.
Cheesecake batter from the Junior's cookbook
- 2 whole egg yolks
- 2 tbsp sugar
For the sponge base, beat the egg yolks on high about 3 minutes, slowly add 2 tablespoons sugar and beat to a pale, fluffy ribbon stage.
- lemon extract
- vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup cake flour
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Add lemon and vanilla extract, then the sifted cake flour until smooth, then the butter.
- egg whites
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- ⅓ cup sugar
Beat the remaining egg whites with the cream of tartar until frothy, slowly add the remaining sugar and beat to glossy stiff peaks without over-beating.
Mix about a third of the whites into the yolk batter to lighten it, then fold that back into the whites with a J motion until smooth.
- butter
Pour into a buttered 8-inch springform pan wrapped in foil and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes; cool completely in the fridge.
Press the cooled sponge down into an even base and pour half the cheesecake batter on top; tap to remove bubbles.
Assembling the plain cheesecake
- 1 bag nilla wafers
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 8 tbsp melted butter
Variation, strawberry cheesecake: pulse the Nilla wafers with the baking powder in a food processor about 30 seconds to fine crumbs, add the melted butter until like wet sand.
Nilla wafer crust
Press into a second foil-lined 8-inch springform pan, bake at 350 about 10 minutes until aromatic, then chill. Pour the rest of the batter on top.
Set both cheesecakes in a large pan with a water bath about one inch up the sides, the foil keeping water out.
Bake at 300 for about an hour and a half to two hours, by eye; at about 60% cooked, turn the oven off and leave the cheesecakes in until the oven returns to normal temperature, about 2 hours more.
Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate a whole day; the slow temperature decline and the water bath lower the risk of cracking.
- strawberry jello
- squeezable strawberry jelly
- 1 parts cornstarch
- 1 parts water
For the strawberry topping, make the jello with half the water, add squeezable strawberry jelly, then thicken in a pan with a 1:1 cornstarch-water slurry until a thick gel.
Strawberry gel topping
- strawberries
Hull and wash the strawberries, set them on the strawberry cheesecake and spread the gel over to hold them.
- oats
- softened butter
For the streusel, food-process the leftover wafer crust mixture with oats and extra softened butter, mix by hand, spread on a parchment-lined sheet tray and bake at 325 until golden and crunchy.