Categories: Dessert: Chesecake
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch junior's sponge cake crust
- FOR THE CHERRY FILLING:
- one 24 oz jar pitted red sour cherries in juice (fresh, frozen and thawed, or canned)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- red food coloring (optional)
- FOR THE CHEESECAKE:
- three 8 oz packages cream cheese, soft
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 extra-large eggs
- 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- FOR THE TOPPING:
- Junior's cinnamon crumb topping
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Wrap the outside in aluminum foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides. Make and bake the cake crust and leave it in the pan. Keep the oven on.
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To make the filling, drain cherries, reserving 1 cup of the juice, if necessary add water to make 1 cup). Refrigerate 7 cherries for decorating the cake. Stir the cornstarch into the juice in a small saucepan until completely dissolved, then stir in the sugar. Bring to a full boil over medium heat. cook and stir constantly until the mixture turns clear and thickens (very important!), about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and food coloring, if you wish. Fold in the cherries. Let cool while you make the cheesecake batter.
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Put one package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl several times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each one. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1 1/3 cups sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the cream just until completely blended. Be careful not to over mix! Spread half the cherry mixture over the crust. Gently spoon the cheesecake batter over it, then top with the remaining cherry mixture. Be sure to spread the cherries out evenly, close to the edges.
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Place the cake in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the spring form pan. Bake until the edges are light golden brown and the top is slightly golden tan, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and cool for 2 hours (just walk away-dont touch it). Then, leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refridgerate until completely cold, preferably overnight, or at least 4 hours.
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Make and bake the cinnamon crumb topping. To decorate, release and remove the sides of the spring form pan, leaving the cake on the bottom of the pan. Place on a serving plate. Top the cake with the cinnamon crumbs and decorate the center with the reserved cherries. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice the cold cake with a sharp straight edged knife, not a serrated one. Cover any leftover cake and refrigerate or freeze for up to one month.