How to Bake the Perfect Cheesecake

All cooks have one dish they can prepare with their eyes close; my dish is cheesecake. I can equate preparing cheesecake to a coach preparing his team for the big game. Every step, ingredient, pan and utensil has a pivotal part to the success of the cake. To create the perfect cheese cake, you must prepare the necessary components before beginning the task at hand. It is essential to have everything you need out and ready for use before beginning this process.

The quickest way to take your cheesecake from decadent to disaster is using ingredients straight from the refrigerator. It is vital that all ingredients be at room temperature for the best results. The ingredients needed for the cheesecake are forty four ounces of Philadelphia Cream Cheese. You will be using one and two thirds cups of sugar, three tablespoons of sifted all-purpose flour, and one tablespoon zest of half a lemon and half an orange. You need a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, along with five large eggs and two large egg yolks.

The utensils needed include a large mixing bowl for the filling, and a medium mixing bowl for the crust, and two small bowls for egg separation. You can use an electric mixer for the filling. I will be using a standalone mixer; it produces a creamier filling. Next, gather your measuring cups and spoons, along with a rubber or silicon spatula. I recommend using a spring form pan and aluminum foil. You also need a large spoon or drinking glass. Last but not least, you will need a roasting pan or baking dish for the water bath which we will cover later. You also need a grater for the orange and lemon zest, along with a sifter for the flour.

Prepping the spring form pan is the first step in preparing cheesecake. The spring form pan consists of a round base and an interlocking band. It averages two to three inches in height forming the sides, and a latch for opening and closing. When readying the pan for baking, take it apart and line the base with aluminum foil, then reassemble the pan. Pull the extra foil up around the sides of the pan to prevent batter from leaking into the oven. Use vegetable spray to grease the side of the pan; we will be using this pan again in a later step.

We will prepare the crust using the medium mixing bowl. To begin, combine two cups of finely crushed graham crackers, one fourth cup of sugar, and one half cup of unsalted, melted butter. To ensure your crust is perfect, once you have mixed the ingredients together, squeeze some in your fist. If the crumbs hold together, then you have the perfect crust. (Crownover) Once the crust is blended, and you are happy with the consistency, pour it into the previously prepared spring form pan. Using the back of a large spoon or the flat bottom a drinking glass; press the crumb mixture firmly and evenly across the bottom of the pan. Use your fingers to move the mixture about an inch up the side of the pan. It is not necessary to pre-bake the crust. Pre-baking helps hold the crust together. Additionally, baking the crust gives it a crisp texture that compliments the creamy custard filling. To pre-bake the crust, preheat the