Cheesecake Recipe

Gary's Birthday Cake

This past Sunday, was my company barbecue. One of the employees was having a birthday. I was to bring dessert, so I asked him his favorite kind of cake. Luckily, he chose cheesecake! My favorite to make. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo because it was cut up and eaten before I had a chance to take one.

Classic Cheesecake for a Crowd

4 packages (8 oz each) of cream cheese, at room temperature
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup sour cream
30 Oreo cookies
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325F. Line one 9" x 13" baking pan with parchment paper. Crush the cookies to make fine crumbs. Add melted butter and mix well. Press into the bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, blending well between each addition. Add lemon juice. Blend in sour cream. Pour mixture over crust in prepared pan. Bake at 325F about 50 minutes until center of cake is set. After center is set, turn off oven, but do not remove cake. Leave the cake in the oven for about one hour to cool down. After about an hour, place pan on cooling rack to cool completely. Once cake is completely cooled, refrigerate. Top with your favorite fruit or pie filling before serving. I use a combination of pie filling and fresh fruit. Blueberries are my favorite.

Serves 16

For a fluffier cake, place a oven proof dish of water on the lower oven rack. This will add moisture to the oven's atmosphere and help make a moister cake.