White Chocolate Cheesecake
This may be one of the best desserts in my collection. I’ve even been told by friends who claim they don’t like white chocolate that this is the best cheesecake they’ve ever eaten. If you want to make it extra decadent, substitute crème fraiche for the sour cream. It tastes richer, a little less tangy, and results in a creamier texture. Although this cheesecake is delicious on its own, it can be served with chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, or simply with berries and whipped cream.
Ingredients
Serves 10
Crust:
1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup sugar
½ stick butter, melted
Filling:
2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese (or crème fraiche), room temperature
½ cup sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
3 cups sour cream, room temperature (or crème fraiche)
9 ounces white chocolate (good quality), chopped
Process
Crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in bowl. Press into 9-inch springform pan on bottom and up sides, about one inch. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool completely while you make the filling
Filling:
In a large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese and sugar until very smooth (about 3 minutes), preferably with a whisk beater. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until smooth and scraping down sides of bowl. Add the lemon juice, vanilla, and salt and beat until incorporated. Melt white chocolate over double boiler or in microwave oven. If using a microwave, melt it very slowly, stirring every 15 seconds. Add cooled chocolate and sour cream (or crème fraiche) to filling mixture and beat until well combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared crust. Bake 45 minutes, until cake is just slightly jiggly when gently shaken. It will set up when it cools. Turn off oven and open oven door slightly. Let cake cool for 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Remove the sides of the springform pan and slice. Keeps in refrigerator up to 5 days.
