The major ingredients in almost all plain cheesecakes are cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, egg yolks, whole eggs, and either heavy cream or sour cream. The ratios of these ingredients determine the final taste (tangy or sweet) and texture (dense or fluffy).
My recipe starts with a quick preparation of the crust. Assemble 4 ounces of graham crackers, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and 4 tablespoons of melted butter. 
Break the graham crackers into small pieces and place into a food processor.
Pulse the food processor until the graham crackers have been reduced to fine pieces (about 10 one second pulses). (The crackers can also be broken by placing them into a large resealable plastic bag and crushed by rolling a pin over the bag.) Then, in a medium bowl, mix the sugar and butter with the crackers until all the crackers take on a wet appearance.
Melt one tablespoon of butter and use half of it to butter the bottom of a 10 in. springform pan. Then, pour the graham cracker mixture into the pan. Use a flat bottomed cup to press the cracker crumbs down into an even layer.
Use a flatware teaspoon to press in the outer circumference of the crust.
Bake the crust for about twelve minutes at 325°F.
Once the crust has become fragrant and turned a golden brown, remove it from the oven to cool on a wire rack. When the crust has cooled, use the remaining half tablespoon of butter to butter the sides.
While baking the crust and letting it cool, assemble and prepare the filling: 2-1/2 pounds cream cheese (at room temperature), 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1-3/4 cup sugar, 1/8 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 2 large egg yolks, and 6 large eggs.
Cut the cream cheese into small chunks and place the pieces into work bowl of a standing mixer. Beat the cheese on low until smooth, about two or three minutes. It may be easier to beat half the cream cheese first, followed by the second half. Once the cheese is smooth, add the salt and about a third of the sugar. Beat until integrated and scrape down the sides. Add another third of the sugar and continue to mix until the sugar is mixed in. Then add the final third of sugar and mix in. Optionally, three tablespoons of flour can be added with the sugar to help add a bit of stability to the cake. Adding flour will not affect the taste or texture of the cake, but will reduce the likelihood of a cracked cake. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix.
Scrape the sides down and add the heavy cream. The cheese should be much easier to work with at this point.
Add the egg yolks and mix until they are blended in.
Now add three whole eggs and mix until the eggs have been completely mixed into the filling. Scrape down the sides and beat in the final three eggs. Now, pour the filling into the springform pan onto the cooled crust. A 10-inch pan should fill up to almost its rim with this filling. Lift the pan an inch or two above your counter or cutting board and drop it to bring any bubbles trapped inside to the surface. Place the springform pan onto a sheetpan (for easy handling and safety), and slide into the middle of an oven preheated to 500°F.
After ten minutes, reduce the temperature to 200°F and allow the cheesecake to bake as the oven gradually reduces temperature (do not open the oven door). Bake the cheesecake until the center of the cake registers as 150°F (making sure it does not exceed 160°F), about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Feel free to use an instant read thermometer in the center of the cake - a slightly blemish is worth a perfect cake. Note: When baking the example cheesecake, I kept the cake at 500°F for only five minutes (thinking that the pizza stone would keep the temperature higher for longer). Notice that the edges of the cake had begun to brown, but the whole surface of the cake is still a light shade. This cake resulted in the texture of a New York style cheesecake, but failed to achieve the look. Remember to keep baking at 500°F for the full ten minutes. (Some recipes even call for fifteen minutes, but I generally use ten.)Latest Articles
Remove the cake from the refrigerator about thirty minutes before serving and slice with a sharp knife. Use a tall glass of warm water to dunk the knife into between cuts to make slicing easier. The strawberry glaze from the Strawberry Glazed Angel Food Cake works well with this cheesecake.Plain New York Style Cheesecake (serves twelve)
Graham cracker crust
| Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C) | ||||
| 4 oz. (110 g) graham crackers | process to crumbs | mix | form in pan | bake 325°F (160°C) 12 min. |
| 4 Tbs. (55 g) butter | melt | |||
| 1 Tbs. (12 g) sugar | ||||
Cheesecake
| Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C) | |||||||||
| 2-1/2 lb. (1.1 kg) cream cheese | mix until smooth | mix | mix in thirds | mix | mix | mix | mix in halves | bake 500°F (260°C) 10 min. | bake 200°F (93°C) 100 min. until 150°F (65°C) |
| 1/8 tsp. (1 g) salt | |||||||||
| 1-3/4 cup (350 g) sugar | |||||||||
| 3 Tbs. (23 g) all-purpose flour (optional) | |||||||||
| 2 tsp. (10 mL) lemon juice | |||||||||
| 1 tsp. (5 mL) vanilla extract | |||||||||
| 1/2 cup (120 mL) heavy cream | |||||||||
| 2 large (34 g) egg yolks | |||||||||
| 6 large (300 g) eggs | |||||||||
| 1 graham cracker crust | |||||||||
I have read in numerous places that you need to be careful not to overbeat a cheesecake batter. I've never had a problem with the top cracking, so I suppose I must not be overbeating it. Or is there actually no basis in that advice? If there is, what is it? Why would overbeating cause the top to crack?
As I understand the potential problems while making a cheesecake, overbeating does not contribute directly to a cracks forming on the surface of the cheesecake. However, overbeating could introduce air bubbles into the batter. If these air bubbles are around while baking, then the bubbles could expand causing the cheesecake to rise. Then, the bubbles will burst (because a cheesecake has very little in terms of structural support - no flour) and the cake will fall. The solution? Use low speeds on your mixer and help the air bubbles rise by lightly dropping the cake before baking. A popular "trick" is to run a knife in a multiple 'S' pattern through the batter after it's been poured to help release air bubbles.
Cracking occurs for a variety of reasons. The three most likely reasons on a cake this size is rapid cooling and under or overcooking of the filling. A cracked cheesecake does not affect taste, but it might be an indicator of texture. The cheesecake shrinks a little when cooled. When cooled rapidly, the cake may not change shape uniformly resulting in a fissure forming through the middle of the top of the cake. It's best to cool it slowly in a warm, moist place. Some recipes suggest cooling in the oven (after it's been turned off), but this takes a really long time and may not be perfectly safe since the cake is kept in the bacterial danger zone for many hours.
If the middle of the cake is not fully cooked, then it might also crack during cooling. Using an instant read thermometer ensures the center of the cake will cook enough to coagulate the eggs while not overcooking. In addition, adding 3 Tbs. all-purpose flour to the recipe (mix in with the sugar) will help bind the cake without a noticable change in texture or flavor. In fact, now that I'm thinking about it, we should include this 3 Tbs. flour whenever we can. I'll add it to the recipe.
The last way I'd expect cracks to form is in the oven. If the center of the cake completely solidifies, the surface will start to crack as more and more liquid evaporates. This used to be a sign that the cheesecake was done, but in fact the interior is a bit overdone. Also, you'll have an unsightly top to your cheesecake. Many of these cracking issues can be avoided by baking in a water bath, but then it wouldn't be New York style anymore.
The table is correct. Please bake the cheesecake at 200°F for 1 hour and 40 minutes.
There's no such thing outside the US, at least not where I live. From the image I'd say they look more like biscuits than regular crackers (as in cheese & crackers). What would you advise as a substitute?
If graham crackers are unavailable, you can try:
vanilla or chocolate wafers
amaretti biscuits
ginger snaps
zwieback
Don't forgot to make crumbs out of these cookies and crackers... Have fun.
In my experience, cracking occurs when the cake spends too much time baking at too high a temperature, but that doesn't necessarily mean the interior is overdone. I've done tests keeping the oven at an even 300-350 for the whole baking time, and the cakes cracked like the devil even though the final color and texture were good. The problem lies in the fact that the filling doesn't cook uniformly.
Solidity starts at the outer surfaces, then works its way in. Cracks occur when the solid layer at the top is about 1cm thick and the filling has puffed enough that the surface is fully domed. Basically, the custard can't stretch enough to take the stress (custards are notorious for low tensile strength), so it breaks and you get a panful of tasty fault lines.
Puffing does *not* occcur uniformly, though. It starts as a ring around the edge of the pan and then moves in to the center. The trick to getting a good, light cheesecake is to have the puffing stop just as it reaches the center, then maintain that level of puff while the rest of the filling solidifies. Give the cake too much heat, and it will crack. Give it too little, and it will collapse.. you'll end up with a bowl-shaped, crumpled top.
The key to controlling puff is knowing when to switch the oven from 500 down to 200. You don't want to wait until the top is fully domed, because the filling will continue to puff while the oven temperature falls, and you'll get cracks. Nor do you want to drop the temperature too early, because the center won't puff and you'll end up with a bowl. 10 minutes is a decent rule of thumb, but really, you have to watch the cake.
I personally drop to to 200 when the un-puffed zone at the center is about 4-5cm in diameter. That happens to be the sweet spot for the cakes I usually make. Your mileage will vary based on the diameter of your pan, the depth of the filling, the amount of air you've whipped into the filling, humidity, your oven, the phase of the moon, and who knows what else. Just assume that your first two or three cakes will be ranging shots, and figure out what works best for you.
That bit of timing is the 'secret' of cheesecake, though.
mike stone
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This recipe sounded so good, I made it yesterday. We had a small slice with breakfast this morning and my wife declared it the "best cheesecake ever!" It was delicious. Light and fluffy inside and a little denser on the edges.
A few comments/questions:
1. The post says to cook the crust at 350, but the listing at the bottom says 325.
2. I didn't fully understand the part about the tablespoon of melted butter on the bottom of the pan. Are you saying to use 1/2 tablespoon of melted butter? It was confusing because you never mention what to do with the other half.
3. My cake developed a large crack around the other edge after only 20 min. I thought most cheesecakes cracked during the cooling, not the coking. I will mention that mine didn't turn brown after the 10 min at 500. so I gave it another 2 min. Maybe that had something to do with it.
Nonetheless, it was a delicious cake. Thanks for the great recipe and site.
Peter
Whoops. I made a mistake. The crust should be baked at 325°F for about 12 min. I don't think baking at 350&176;F would hurt anything.
re: 1/2 tablespoon butter
Ah, yes. I left out the all important line: "When the crust has cooled, use the remaining half tablespoon of butter to butter the sides." So, yes, use half a tablespoon for the bottom and half for the sides. Sorry.
re: browning and cracking
Although, many consider a "perfect" cheesecake to be a uniformly colored one without blemish, I think the most important aspect is probably taste. You can always top a cracked cheesecake or hide it with clever cutting. In this case, I'm not sure why the cheesecake cracked (often it's hard to tell). There are a few things you might want to try - although, you may be eaten many cheesecakes through this experimental process. (1) Use a water bath to introduce more moisture in the oven. I use a gas oven, sot here is some inherent moisture. An electric may be too dry for a cheesecake (pure conjecture on my part). Try placing a large pan of hot water in the oven on a rack positioned below the cheesecake. (2) If, you kept the door closed the entire time of the bake, then maybe try reducing the temperature a bit faster by cracking the oven door during the transition between 500°F and 200#176;F. Or, perhaps your oven's 200°F isn't 200°F (often the case). (3) If you opened the oven door while baking to peek, try not doing that. :)
Cheesecakes are finicky things and require a bunch of patience to get "perfect". (As you can see with the cheesecake I baked as an example, it did not come out perfectly because I was in a bit of a rush. This just goes to show that perhaps cheesecakes shouldn't be baked on weekday evenings after a long days work and when you have an early morning meeting so you need to get to bed and the cake is still cooling at 1:00 am.)
Good luck!
You really had your work cut out with the responses from this recipe!
One comment - the term 'graham crackers' is confusing. Are they like ritz or jatz (i.e. flaky) or are they like biscuits (i.e. crumbly)?
To overcome the language barrier, perhaps you could describe what they are made of in order for us to work out what they are. I think they are actually available here (in Australia) under a different generic name.
Nabisco is the maker. Here is manufacture's website. http://www.nabiscoworld.com/honeymaid/
BTW, you've probably heard it a hundred times before, but I think your cooking instruction graphs are excellent and a very good idea.
I've had terrible cracks from time to time--mostly they occur because I forget to run a knife around the edge immedimately after taking it out of the oven, and then again before tossing it into the fridge.
When I remove it from the oven, I cover it with loosely with a paper towel and then again with plastic wrap--the paper towel becomes very moist and droops onto the cheesecake, but comes off easily. I'm not sure if it helps keep the moisture in while letting the heat out, but I haven't had a crack when doing this as well as remembering to run a knife around the edges.
For cutting, I've been told the best way to cut it is to take dental floss and press it through the cheesecake, and then pull it out.
I'll definitely have to put this one on the todo queue though =)
-Jefferson
a teaspoon of ground ginger in the crumb base is not a bad addition to the recipe, it a adds a certain something.
I hope this response isn't too late (it probably is), but you can try freezing the cheesecake. In general, fully cooked cheese cakes freeze really well. To thaw, just place them in the refrigerator over night and they should be ready to eat the next day. This freezing, may help to set the center of your cheesecake a bit more.
That helps with the what to do, but why did it happen? I'm not sure. It could be that your instant read thermometer needs recalibrating or the combination of humidity, atmospheric conditions, cooling properties of your pan and environment, who knows causes the cake not to properly set. I would suggest to bake the next cheesecake a little bit longer or try leaving it in the oven with the door cracked open for ten to twenty minutes after you've reached 150°F. Ideally, we want the temperature over 150° but as close to 160°F as possible - but going over 160°F almost always results in cracking.
One of the difficulties of cheesecakes is that you need to make them a few times to get the recipe just right for your ingredients, oven, and location. After investing the time and money, you've got a dessert that everyone will be fighting to get their hands on.
I ended up with some gooeyness at the center of the cheesecake as well, but not too much. I actually cut the cooking time a little short, so it didn't surprise me. I didn't remember to look for a thermometer while looking for a new mixer, so it was mostly guesswork.
Thanks for this article, I'm sure I'll end up experimenting more with it in the future.
and easy. My questions is
Can I use other biscuits like digestive biscuit to subsitute with graham crackers and American cream cheese with Philadelphia Cream Cheese since it is hard to get the same ingredients in South East Asia . To bake the crust,
I would like to mix the butter and crackers only without adding the sugar. Any comments ?
Those substitutions will work just fine. It seems that digestive biscuits are the same thing as graham crackers. In the U.S. graham crackers are made sweet, so the addition of the sugar may not be necessary for those who don't like strongly flavored sweets.
Philadelphia cream cheese is a brand of American cream cheese, so that will work well. In fact, Philidelphia cream cheese is the most popular cream cheese in the United States - so no worries there!
Good luck.
I used the flat beater (not whisk) to beat the cream cheese. I started on low and moved up in speed as the cream cheese began to become smooth - then I slowly stepped up to a low-medium speed (about a 4 on my mixer). When adding ingredients, I moved it back down to low to reduce the possibility of splatter.
One thing I dont get--and this is probably from an inexpert understanding of physics--is how if the cheesecakes are in the oven for an hour and forty minutes the center never reaches the same temperature as the oven. Shouldn't they be reading 200 degrees as well? (Well, obviously they don't since there was a 100-degree difference in mine.) Why is it that the heat doesn't permeate that far?
My thermodynamics is a bit rusty, but a few estimates can be made if we make some simple assumptions.
A 10" cheese cake has a volume of approximately 2600 cm^3 (mL). If we approximate that cheesecake has the density of water and the specific heat of water, then it takes about 10.9 kJ to raise its temperature by 1°C (4186 J/kgC° * 2.6 kg). Starting at 20°C and ending up at 100°C, the water needs to gain about 870 kJ of energy.
Using Stefan's Law, we can approximate roughly how fast energy entered the water with an oven set to 200°C (through radiation):
P = (5.67*10^-8 W/m^2*K^4)(surfacearea)(0.95)(T^4-T0^4)
P = 5.67*10^-8 W/m^2*K^4*(0.14m^2)(0.95)(((373 K)^4-(293 K)^4)
Thus P is about 90 W
This means it takes about 9600 seconds or 2 hour 40 minutes for a body of water the size and shape of cheesecake to reach an average temperature of 200°C.
Likewise a calculation based on 90 W entering the water/cheesecake approximation, shows that after 1 hr. 40 min, 540 kJ of energy has been added to the cheesecake shaped water, raising it's temperature by 49.5 C° to a final average temperature of 69.5°C or 157°F.
Of course all of these calculations are real crude especially since a cheesecake is a bit more complicated than a fat cylinder of water, the specific heat and emissivity of water is not constant (varies a little by temperature), and we don't take into account the pan or conductive heat. (I did quickly glance at how much heat would be conducted from the air to the cake, but it looks like it would be less than a watt, so I ignored it.) Otherwise, this is probably a pretty good estimate.
My oven here in UK has GAS MARK 1, 2, 3,4 etc. Therefore i'm not sure which mark should i put in order to bake this cheesecake. I really wanted to try your recipe. Hope u could help me in this matter.
Many thanx..
I think 500°F is around 10 Gas Mark while 200°F is a little lower than 1/4 Gas Mark.
I suggest using an oven thermometer to see what setting on your oven equates to 200°F since you're going to need to set it lower than the lowest marked value (usually 1 Gas Mark - some ovens go down to 1/4 Gas Mark but we need a bit lower).
For the record, I use the following for rough Gas Mark conversion:
1/4 Gas Mark = 225°F
1/2 Gas Mark = 250°F
1 Gas Mark = 275°F
Each additional Gas Mark is another 25F°.
I must say this is one of the best basic cheesecake recipes I've found. I use it quite often by itself, or as a base for flavored cheesecakes. I've had zero problems with the recipe. In terms of the "gooyness" in the middle that some have reported I recommend this. When removing the cake from the oven, after running a paring knife around the edge-cover the cake with a larger pan and let it cool to room temperature. This will take along time but will set the cake nicely with no sudden drop in temperature. I then refrigerate until cold and then freeze. Freezing the cake is the easiest way I've found to get the cake out of my expensive pans. All in all I don't think you can go wrong with this recipe. Thumbs Up to Michael!
I don't have an electric mixer... do I HAVE to use an electric mixer for mixing the cream cheese and stuff? Would it be a nightmare to mix those ingredients just by simple tools such as... spoons?
I don't have an electric mixer... do I HAVE to use an electric mixer for mixing the cream cheese and stuff? Would it be a nightmare to mix those ingredients just by simple tools such as... spoons?
Seems like a legitimate question to me... and yes, I would say it would be a nightmare to muscle through the cream cheese by hand - but it can be done. Let the cream cheese warm up to room temperature before trying to work with it or you might pull a muscle. If you're using spoons make sure it's nice and sturdy. I'd probably recommend a large spatula (like the ones with silicon spoon ends) or a wooden spoon so you can push your way through the cheese effectively.
It's going to be a lot of work and you probably won't end up with the same texture when compared to using a stand mixer, but with a bit of perserverance and some muscle, you should be able to pull it off.
And what ratio of ingredients help make a cheesecake fluffy?
thanks! - Stacey
Digestive biscuits are suggested as a suitable alternative for British cooks trying to follow American recipes, but they are not exactly the same thing.
P = 5.67*10^-8 W/m^2*K^4*(0.14m^2)(0.95)(((373 K)^4-(293 K)^4)
Since the temp of the oven is 200C, shouldn't your first T read 473K instead?
Secondly, the second T term is not a constant of 293K. Wouldn't it be better to integrate the formula with respect to time as T goes from 293K to Tf (final temperature).
Note: You need to express the T in terms of time and combine the equations.
In Australia, you can use Arnotts Milk Arrowroot biscuits (or a generic brand alternative) to achieve the same result.
This has been a fairly standard recipie for biscuit bases in my family for as long as I can remember.
I served the cheesecakes at a party that my fraternity was having and the females said that the cheesecake was "orgasmic." Thanks to you, i got a few numbers that night, lol. I also used the strwaberry topping from the angel food cake recipe and that also turned out lovely.
My one question would be, coul I possibly replace the heavy cream with egg nog for the holiday season? It was something that came to my mind while making the cheesecake.
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Substituing the heavy cream with egg nog is an intriguing idea. My guess is that it will work, but you may need to adjust the baking time a little.
i would love to try your receipe of the New york style cheese cake but i live in france and don't know what would be equivalent to cream cheese ? Would ricotta be ok ? I read a receipe that mentionned neufchatel but find it very surprising...
thank you, el.
I can't wait to try this recipe!
One question though, I have a fan-assisted oven and was was wondering how this will affect the cooking times?
M
A convection oven will decrease the cooking time. How much time does it decrease by? I don't know. Anyone with a convenction oven that can give advice?
I'd usually suggest dropping the temperature a bit, but since we're baking at 200°F for most of this, You'll just have to check for doneness earlier. I'd start at least 30 min. earlier in checking the temperature.
I had one possible problem, though. When I took the cake out of the oven to check its temperature it was slightly over 160°F (about 170-180°F). With having no previous experience with cheesecakes I did not know what to do so I just ignored the high temperature and carried on with the rest of the recipe. I followed your directions exactly, what could I have done wrong and if I were to try again what should I do differently?
Not much else to do except carry on with the recipe. The only danger with a high temperature is cracking. Too low and the cake may not set. Next time, shave off a little time from the recipe and check earlier. Baking times are always approximate due to all the possible variables (actual oven temperature, humidity, altitude/air pressure, cleanliness of oven, heating element cycling algorithm, etc.). Now that we know your cheesecakes bake faster than mine, just cut off fifteen minutes and check. If it's still too hot, then next time cut off some more time.
To remove the entrained air after mixing it, I thumped the (plastic) bowl on the counter a number of times, and let it sit for a while before pouring it into the pan. There were a few small imperfections on the finished cheesecake after baking it, where a few small bubbles rose to the surface and popped. They could have been eliminated by letting it sit for longer. There was no problem with cracking.
It was quite brown on the surface when I took it out of the oven, something I wasn't prepared for with your photos. But the texture and flavor were perfect, so I assume that's how it's supposed to be. I expected a more "golden" brown.
Everyone loved the cheesecake who tried it. Next year I'll be making two, so that I can take one to the extended family gathering.
This also minimizes waste. You're going to need that mixing bowl anyway, to add the sugar and butter. This way, there's no wasted bag and no dirtied food processor bowl/blade. And you can reuse the glass when it comes time to press the crumbs into the pan.
Hopefully it's not necessary to say this, but don't put all your weight onto the glass. You're just crushing graham crackers. You don't need too much force, and no one wants to break a glass (possibly casuing injury). You'd have to press pretty hard to break a pint glass that way, but it is possible. So basically, don't be stupid.
i would love to try your receipe of the New york style cheese cake but i live in france and don't know what would be equivalent to cream cheese ? Would ricotta be ok ? I read a receipe that mentionned neufchatel but find it very surprising...
thank you, el.
Can you not get cream cheese in France? In Germany it's available. Italy, too, apparently, though the Italians I knew referred to it by the brand name "Philadelphia" and had no clue what I was talking about when I said "cream cheese". Perhaps it's the same in France? Perhaps you can get "Philadelphia" cheese, but it's just not called cream cheese?
But from what I've read, yes, neufchâtel is an acceptable substitute, but it's less moist and lower-fat. Maybe you might want to add a bit of extra cream (and use a bit less cheese) if you make this substitution. According to this page, cheesecakes made with neufchâtel cook faster and are more prone to cracking, so keep a close eye on it.
I am going to try this recipe to see about the texture especially. I tend to make flavored cheesecakes which are usually quite dense, and use a lower egg/creamcheese ratio.
If your oven is giving you problems, I'd get an oven thermometer to see if the oven is hitting the correct temperature. If your consistently undercooking the food, then the solution is to simply either increase the temperature or cook it longer. If you don't have an oven thermometer, then I would probably suggest simply cooking your food longer instead of trying a higher temperature. Some baked goods don't work out well if you bake at too high a temperature and it's impossible to accurately gauge an oven's temperature without a thermometer.
I baked a 9" and also used the remaining batter on smaller cake pans (perfect for gifts). I did the 500 degrees for 10 minutes and then 200 for 1 hour and 30 mins. When testing the temperature, my thermometer registered 170+!!! I was so worried but the cake looks fine. It appears as it should, but perhaps overbaking it just results in a stiffer cake? Again, I haven't actually tasted the finish product so I can't say for sure how the texture is. I did remove the smaller cake pans much earlier and they are rather good.
I do have a question though. Can the ingredients be combined all at once? rather than doing thirds and halves? What is the purpose of that?
I will attempt your other recipes next. Thank you again.
We add sugar to the cheese in thirds to help ensure an even distribution of sugar throughout the mix without mixing for a long time. Adding all the sugar at once makes it more likely for clumps of sugar to be deposited in the thick cheese.
Let the cream cheese set for several hours until it is soft at room temp. You can even cut it up and throw it in the microwave for a short 10-20 sec.
Then just use a stout whisk and a large bowl. Mixing this will take a little muscle work at first, but by the time you add the eggs and cream the batter will loosen up enough to mix more easily. Don't leave any lumps of cream cheese. You may have to do several bursts of elbow grease to prevent lumps, but if the cheese was soft to start with you'l be OK.
You can also use a big food processor with the chopping blade. Mix in batches if needed, then use a decent whisk and a big bowl to combine batches.
Ours is very dark brown around the edges (but still moist - not burnt) and when I took it out it was registering around 160 F, so I think I may have left it a little long. It cracked somewhere in the last forty minutes of cooking so maybe that's related. Fortunately the crack's pretty much right down the middle!
I also opened the oven door a couple times during the first ten minutes of cooking at 500 F to check on how much of the cake was rising (a previous poster suggested waiting until the diameter of the un-risen section was 4-5 cm), but almost none of mine noticeably rose more than the rest so after thirteen or fourteen minutes I decided just to bring it down--perhaps that had something to do with it too.
Thanks for this amazing recipe! And thanks for making all the recipes so readable. I never "get" the cooking websites, but this site actually makes cooking enjoyable because I know what I'm doing and why.