Lemon Cheesecake

Since I'm a grown up now and live on my own, when I attend family gatherings I have to contribute to the feast. I guess "have to" might be too strong. I like to contribute. Being in love with baking naturally I wanted to bring dessert. I decided on making a strawberry milk cheesecake featured on sprinklebakes. However once I fell in love with this cake, and obtained all the ingredients except one, which was strawberry milk powder I hit a little bit of a problem. Canada does not have strawberry milk powder, or at least not where I live. I went to a number of stores and my mother being the great women she is helped me look as well with no success. I even looked on ebay! The dilemma was then what should I make instead? Cheesecake naturally because I had the ingredients, but what kind? Lemon and Strawberries was all I could think about, both remind me of spring flavours and it just so happened that strawberries were on sale this week, bonus! I then had to decided what lemon cheesecake recipe to use. After I looked at so many recipes, and had to avoid all recipes that contain gelatin as my brother and his fiance are vegetarians I decided on one from creative-culinary. It seemed easy enough, which is what I needed as I had never made a cheesecake before. I did however look at multiple other sites to tell me how to know when it was done. To be honest right until I cut into this cake I was still unsure of whether or not I cooked it enough, or too much or how this cheesecake turned out. It seemed alright but having no cheese

cake experience except for eating it I had nothing to go on except what I read, my faith in my trusty old gas oven, and my baking spirits. And I must say the cheesecake gods must have been looking down on me because this was lemon bliss.

Lemon Cheesecake
recipe from creative-culinary

Crust:

2 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup granulated sugar

6 tbsp melted butter

preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

mix together crumbs, sugar and butter. once combined press into a large spring form pan. on the bottom and sides. (I used a 10 inch, the original recipe calls for 11-12 inch.)  

bake crust for 5 minutes and allow to cool.

Filling:

3 - 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened

3 eggs

1 1/3 cup granulated sugar

3 tbsp lemon juice (fresh squeezed prefered)

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon zest

beat cream cheese until smooth.

add in eggs one at a time, beat until smooth each time.

add the sugar, vanilla and lemon juice. beat until smooth and combined.

stir in lemon zest.

pour into cooled crust.

baked in heated 350 degree F oven for about 45 mins. (since I used a smaller pan I had to bake it longer original recipe says bake time 35 mins.) 

Sour Cream Topping:

2 cups sour cream

3 tbsp granulated sugar

mix sour cream and sugar together.

once baked remove from oven.

spread sour cream topping on cheese cake and return to oven.

bake for another 15 mins. 

remove from oven and allow to cool on rack for 30 minutes.

place in refrigerator and allow to cool.

prepare lemon glaze.

Lemon Glaze:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch

1/2 cup water 

2 tbsp lemon juice

in sauce pan combine sugar and cornstarch.

place on medium heat and stir in water and lemon juice.

bring to boil, stir constantly and until mixture is thickened.

take off heat and allow to cool.

once cool pour onto cheese cake and refrigerator cake overnight.

Top with whipped cream and strawberries, or whatever you've like.