Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

I have been wanting to tell you about the last cheesecake I made from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook before we left for vacation. It was the best vanilla bean cheesecake I have tasted in a long time. I have the recipe neatly typed and saved in the draft but never gotten around posting it. Mostly because the only photo I have taken of the cheesecake was a poorly lit and hideous one. It simply doesn't do the cake justice, let alone convincing you, my friends, that it's the best vanilla bean cheesecake one could ever ask for.

So, upon returning from vacation, I took this mission of capturing the beauty of the best vanilla bean cheesecake upon myself. This cheesecake entry deserves a better photo than the first hideous one I took!But really, if you know me well, you know that this is only half the truth. The bigger motivation for repeating the recipe, I am afraid, is the imminent expiring dates printed on the few bars of cream cheese I overbought on discount. OCT said I am so predictable.

As a trademark of the famous Junior's Cheesecakes, this cake has a sponge cake crust. Although it takes a few more steps to prepare the sponge cake, I find the outcome more than worth the effort it demands. Even if you are a hardcore cookies crust fan, I encourage you to give it a shot. Either way, the real star here is the cheesecake filling speckled with vanilla beans. The original recipe has the vanilla flavor infused by sticking the vanilla pod in the sugar overnight, and uses vanilla extract in the filling. I pumped up the vanilla flavor by scraping out the morsels and added them into the batter after the overnight infusion.

If you love cheesecake, I am sure you will like this one. In fact, all the cheesecake recipes from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook have garniered nothing but rave reviews from my tasters. I have to wait until Easter for another round of cheesecake baking. Meanwhile, be prepared to see some bread posts ahead!

Have a great weekend and stay warm, y'all!

You may also like:
Apple Cheesecake
Mango Cheesecake
Tropical Cheesecake

Other cheesecake recipes from the same book:
Little Fellas Raspberry Swirl
Little Fellas Cappuccino
Little Fellas Chocolate Swirl

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
adapted from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook

four 8-ounce packages Philidaphia Cream Cheese (I use 3 packages of 1/3 less fat Neufchtel and 1 package of original cream cheese), at room temperature
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean (about 7 inches long)
1 recipe 9-inch Junior's Sponge Cake Crust, recipe below
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra large eggs ( 3 large eggs are fine too)
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
one half pint fresh raspberries (about 6 ounces) (optional)
confectioners's sugar

The night before you plan to make this cake, put the granulated sugar in a small bowl and bury the vanilla bean in it, covering it completely. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand overnight to flavor the sugar. When you are ready to make the cake, set the vanilla bean for later use.

Preheat oven to 350F. (I used 325F)Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springformpan. Wrap the outside with aluminium 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.

Put one package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup of vanilla flavored sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few 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 1/3cups vanilla sugar, then the scraped vanilla beans and vanilla extract. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Beat in the cream just until it's completely blended. Be careful not to be overmix. Gently spoon the batter on top of the crust.

Place the cake on a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch u the sides of the springform. 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 let the cake cool for 2 hours. Leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cold, preferably overnight or at least 4 hours.

Wash and drain the raspberries and place them on paper towels to dry, if using. Release and remove the sides of the springform, leaving the cake on the bottom of the pan. Place on a cake plate. Put some confectioners' sugar in a tea stainer and sift enough over the top of the cake to evenly cover it with a fine dusting. Decorate the top with raspberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice the cold cake with a sharp straight edge knife, not a serrated one. Cover any leftover cake and refrigerate, or remove the decorations, wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.

Junior's sponge cake crust

for one 9-inch cake crust:
1/3 cup sifted cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 extra large eggs, separated
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 drops pure lemon extract (or zest of half a lemon)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

for one 8-inch cake crust:
1/4 cup sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 extra large eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 drops pure lemon extract (I used zest from half a lemon)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 350F and generously butter the bottom and sides of a 8- or 9-inch springform pan (preferably a nonstick one). Wrap the outsde with aluminium foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides.

In a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Beat the eggyolks in large bowl with an electric mixer on high for 3 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and beat until thick light yellow ribbons form, about 5 minutes more. Beat in the extracts.

Sift the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in by hand, just until no more white flecks appear. Now, blend in the melted butter.

Now wash the bowl and beaters really well (even a little fat is left, this can cause the eggwhite not to whip). Put the eggwhites and cream of tartar into the bowl and beat with the mixer on high until frothy. Gradually add the remainining sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the whites will stand up and look glossy, not dry). Fold about one-third of the whites into the batter, then the remaining whites. It's ok if you see a few white specks, they will disappear during baking.

Gently spread out the batter over the bottom of the pan, and bake just until set and golden (not wet and sticky), about 10 minutes. Touch the cake gently in the center. If it springs back, it's done. Watch carefully and don't let the top brown. Leave the crust in the pan and place on a wire rack to cool. Leave the oven on while you prepare the batter.

Dark Chocolate Sponge Cake Crust
Use the above recipe and technique, except you stir in 2 ounces of melted and slightly cooled bittersweet chocolate when you add the extracts.