Great American Cheesecake

By Addie

“Surprisingly, Grandma got this recipe from her pen pal who lived in Austria.”

Ingredients

• 4 ounces zwieback, crushed
• 1 cup plus 4 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 5 1/3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 4 egg whites, stiffly beaten
• 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.


Reserve 1/4 cup zwieback crumbs. Combine remaining crumbs, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and butter in a small bowl and mix well. Press on bottom and partway up sides of a 10-inch springform pan.


Combine cream cheese, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and lemon juice in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer set at medium speed until light and fluffy.
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Grandma's Secret Trick:

As zwieback became more difficult to find, especially in smaller towns, Grandma sometimes substituted graham crackers or digestive biscuits. She also has used gingersnaps and chocolate wafers for the crust.







Fold in egg whites. Spoon into prepared springform pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 475ºF.


Combine sour cream, remaining granulated sugar and remaining vanilla extract in a small bowl and mix well. Spread on top of cheesecake. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Bake until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Chill, covered, for 3 hours.