Richard's Birthday Cheesecake

By ShannonB

I made this cheesecake for Richard's 40th birthday and wish now I had taken a photo! It got good reviews.

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 2 cups finely ground graham crackers,
• 30 about 30 squares
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 stick butter, melted
• Filling:
• 1 pound (2 8-oz blocks) cream cheese, softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups nonfat plain yogurt
• 1 lemon, zested
• Dash of vanilla

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

For the crust:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, combine crust ingredients with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8 inch springform pan with non stick cooking spray. Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup, press the crumbs down into the base and 1 inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes.

For the filling:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add yogurt, lemon zest, and vanilla. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and beaters. The batter should be well-mixed but not over beaten. Pour the filling into the crust lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

[Using an 8-inch pan you may find you have leftover filling and can make some additional individual cheesecakes in ramekin dishes.]

Set the chhesecake on a large piece of aluminum foil, and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan and pour boiling water into the pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. This foil will keep water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake for 45-50 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle. It will firm up after chilling. Be careful not to overcook. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the fridge for 4 hours at least. Loosen the sides of the cheesecake by running a knife around the inside rim. Unmold and transfer to plate. Spread on your choice of topping or eat plain.

For a berry cheesecake, slice and arrange berries on top. Heat some apricot jam until warm and spread on using a pastry brush, taking care to not disturb your arrangement. Chill and serve.