- Hey guys, today I'm gonna show you how to make
one of my favorite springtime desserts.
It's a homemade creme fraiche cheesecake.
Now this recipe is going out to Anna from Malaysia.
Anna, you have been very patient with me
as you have waited for this recipe.
Well today is your day and I'm gonna show you
how to make a killer homemade cheesecake.
So we're first gonna create the crust for our cheesecake.
Traditionally cheesecake is made with graham crackers
and that is the basis for the crust.
The easiest thing to do is just to put your
graham crackers in a ziplock bag
and give 'em a good whack with a rolling pin.
That will prevent having to drag out the food processor
and then clean it, one of my worst kitchen chores.
Once your graham crackers are finely ground
you're gonna transfer them to a bowl,
add a little bit of sugar, and salt,
then we're gonna add six tablespoons of melted butter.
Now the trick with the melted butter when it comes to
a graham cracker crust is to go easy on the butter.
We've all had those cheesecakes where you bite into it
and the crust is hard as brick,
it's usually because there's too much butter in it,
so you really want to go easy on it
and that will give you a nice crumbly crust which is,
in my opinion, the mark of a great cheesecake.
Now to make a cheesecake you really need to invest
in a nine inch springform pan.
A springform pan is essentially just a cake pan that has
a springed ring to it and what that will do is
allow your cheesecake to easily release once it's cooked.
They're really critical for a cheesecake
so if you don't have one you can usually pick one up for
under ten dollars and they're a great investment to make.
You want to butter the bottom and the sides
of the springform pan to allow your cheesecake
to release once it's done.
Then you're gonna take your crumbly mixture,
you're gonna pour the whole thing in the bottom of the pan
and then you're gonna start to pat it down.
And at first you might be thinking
"Oh my gosh, how is this ever gonna turn into a crust?"
but it does, and here's a little trick for you.
You wanna take a measuring cup and just kind of
push it into the side of the ring, moving the pan as you go
and you will see that will help it adhere to the sides
all the way around the ring.
And then here's the final tip to get a pretty crust,
you wanna then take your finger and along the top
of the graham cracker crust just pat it down.
You basically are trying to create a uniform ring
so that the edges are all roughly the same size.
This will allow for your cheesecake to have
a really pretty crust once you release the mold
and prevent kinda that ragged crust looking cheesecake
that we've probably all seen.
Then you're gonna pop your crust in the oven at 325
for anywhere from 10 to 12 minutes.
So now for our filling.
So for me the secret of a light, fluffy cheesecake
is to use already whipped cream cheese.
Now cheesecakes are also know for their tang
and the tang is typically coming from sour cream
but for me I like my cheesecake to be more
luxurious and creamy, and I kinda go easy on the tang,
so I like to use creme fraiche instead.
Creme fraiche is just a French product
that mimics sour cream but for me it's not as tangy
and it's really delicious in something like a cheesecake
because it will help with the texture and make it
all the more smooth, creamy, and delicious.
Then you're also gonna add your sugar.
You're gonna beat that all up just until combined
and then you're going to add your eggs.
The secret with the eggs, though,
is to get the balance right between whole eggs and egg yolks
and I've done a lot of experimentation
and for me I find the best combination
are two whole eggs to three egg yolks.
So go head and add your eggs one at a time
making sure that each one is well-incorporated
before adding the next and then scrape down the bowl
and give it one good final whirl.
Now a lot of people at this stage would add
lemon zest to a cheesecake and that is good
you could definitely do that,
but I tend to like to use vanilla instead.
Especially for this recipe because
we're going to be adding raspberries on top
which have a little bit of a bitter tang to them anyway.
I like to use vanilla beans instead of
vanilla extract in this because it tends to look
a little bit more gourmet and impressive
but if you can't find the vanilla beans
or if they're really expensive where you live,
'cause sometimes they can be, then definitely use
a vanilla extract, that would work as well.
Give that a good mix and then you're gonna add your flour.
The flour is also gonna help with the structure and make it
a little bit more cake-like so that when you actually cut in
to the cheesecake you'll get cleaner cuts.
At this point your crust is nice and cool
and you can go ahead and pour the filling into the pan.
I know there are bakers out there
that swear by the bain-marie.
If you're not familiar with the bain-marie
it's basically taking a pan of hot water,
wrapping your cheesecake in foil,
placing it in the water, and baking it that way.
And a lot of people swear by this because they say
it makes a creamier, more luxurious cheesecake.
I have tried it that way, I've done it both,
and I can tell you this,
with this recipe it makes no difference.
So I say don't go through the effort
of a bain-marie 'cause it can be kind of a pain,
and just pop your cheesecake in the oven.
So typically what I will do is at the hour mark
I will insert a toothpick and see if it comes out
looking like a cheesecake center.
You're not looking for it to actually come out clean
but you just don't want it to come out gooey and wet inside.
That means it's not done,
it needs at least another 10 to 15 minutes.
If it comes out looking like kinda fluffy
like a cheesecake center then you know it's done
and go ahead and pull it out.
So while your cheesecake is baking you can then get on
with making the homemade whipped cream for the topping.
You're going to whisk together some heavy cream,
some vanilla, and some powdered sugar.
So whisk that up just until stiff peaks form.
You really want to make sure that
that whipped cream is stiff because you're going to
eventually transfer it into a pastry bag with a star tip.
You're gonna be using this whipped cream
in a decorative fashion so it's really a lot better
if it has some structure to it.
Now when your cheesecake is done,
let it cool for just about ten minutes
and then release it from the springform pan.
At that point go ahead and pop it in the fridge.
Your cheesecake should really be completely cold
before you go ahead and put the topping on it.
Four hours or sometimes even overnight is really ideal.
When it comes time to decorating your cheesecake
here's what you're gonna do.
You're gonna take a half a cup of raspberry jam,
pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds,
you just want that jam to become liquefied.
If you don't have a microwave, that's okay,
you can put it in a little saucepan
and heat it over a low flame.
You're then gonna allow it to cool slightly,
you don't wanna put hot jam
onto your nicely cooled cheesecake,
and then slowly spoon over the jam on top of the cheesecake
spreading it all around just until
you get a nice thin layer.
On top of the jam you're gonna add some fresh raspberries.
And then the final step is to take
your homemade whipped cream,
transfer it into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip,
and go ahead and create little rosettes
all around the perimeter of the cheesecake.
(folk-style instrumental music)
So Anna there you have it.
A homemade cheesecake that will definitely
impress your new husband and probably your new in-laws, too.
I hope you give this one a try
and let me know what you think
and I'll see you guys back here next week
when I'm gonna share with you another
easy and delicious recipe.
I'll see you then.
(gentle strumming music)