After slacking off the last couple of months, there was no way I was going to miss this months’ #baketogether project. Abby posted a simple cheesecake recipe leaving it completely open for us personalize it.
I love cheesecake. Cheesecake could be my Valentine. It is the rare dessert I’m the first one to eat after baking it. The options are endless and it took some time before I decided on a very traditional Cookies and Cream Cheesecake.
Changes in the recipe:
For the base: Instead of making a graham cracker crust, I used Oreo cookies for the base
For the filling: I added 1 cup of roughly chopped Oreos and didn’t use any flour
For the topping: I melted dark chocolate and drizzled it over the cheesecake.
Creamy, rich and soft; a cheesecake with chunks of Oreo in every other bite.
If you missed it, not so long ago I did a step-by-step post (with pictures!) on how to bake a cheesecake to simplify the process for people who’re intimidated by the idea of it. Try it, it’s as easy as apple pie.
- 2 cups (9 ounces) finely crushed oreos
- 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
- 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, at room temperature
- Good pinch of table salt
- 1⅓ cups (9 3/8 ounces) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup sour cream, at room temperature
- Seeds scraped from 3 large vanilla beans or 4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or paste
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup roughly chopped oreos
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Wrap the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a piece of aluminum foil and clasp the outer ring over the foil so the edges hang outside the ring. In a medium bowl, stir together the crushed oreos and melted butter and mix until well blended.
- Dump the crumbs into the springform pan and cover with large piece of plastic wrap. Place your hands on the plastic wrap and press the crumbs about 2½ inches up the sides of the pan.(The plastic wrap will keep the crumbs from sticking to your hands.) With the plastic wrap still in place, redistribute the remaining crumbs evenly over the bottom of the pan and firmly press down to make a compact layer. Bake until the crumbs are fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes and set on a rack to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, salt until very smooth and no lumps remain. It’s very important for the cream cheese to be lump free at this point so stop and scrape the beater and sides of the bowl frequently.
- Add the sugar, sour cream and vanilla seeds or extract and beat until well blended and smooth, stopping to scrape beater and bowl several times. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until just blended, stopping to scrape beater and bowl before each addition. (Don’t over beat the filling once the eggs have been added or the cheesecake will puff too much.)
- Gently fold in the crushed oreos. Tap the bowl several times on the counter to release some of the air bubbles. Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Using the tip of a small knife or a toothpick, pop any air bubbles on the surface.
- Bake at 300°F until the center jiggles like jello when nudged, 63 to 68 minutes. The cake will be slightly puffed around the edges and the center will still look moist. Set on a rack and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 8 hours or overnight or up to 3 days. The cake can also be frozen up to 1 month.
- Have a flat serving plate ready and close by. Unclasp the pan’s ring, remove it, and using the excess foil, gently nudge and lift the cake to be sure it’s released.
- Using the foil, carefully lift the cheesecake and slide it onto the serving plate and center it.. Tear off one side of the foil close to the cheese cake. On the opposite side of the cake, gently pull the remaining foil out from the cheesecake. Run a thin knife under hot water, wipe it dry, and cut the cake into slices, heating and wiping the knife after every slice.
Happy Baking!
This looks ABSOLUTELY amazing!!
Gosh.. I wish I can have a slice of this luscious creamy cake!! It’s seriously inviting!! I am drooling on all your amazing bakes!!! Have a good weekend ahead.. Cheers~
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