Baked Cheesecake Recipe
Shortbread crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3-cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest, optional
1/4-teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into 8 pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 egg white, beaten
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan. Whisk the dry ingredients together by hand or in a processor (process about 10 seconds). Mash in butter with fork or process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and mix or process just until the dough forms a ball.
Press about 1/3 of the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan. Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake until crust is lightly golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool completely on rack. Press remaining dough around the sides of the pan, making sure that the dough is attached to the bottom crust. Brush the bottom and sides of the crust with the egg white. Refrigerate the crust until ready to use.
Filling:
2 1/2 pounds cream cheese (5 8-ounce packages)
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, optional
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2-teaspoon vanilla
5 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2-cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Have all ingredients at room temperature.
Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until creamy. Gradually add the sugar and flour; beat until smooth and creamy, scraping the beaters and sides of bowl, about 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the lemon zest and vanilla. Beat in the eggs and yolks one at a time, just until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl and the beaters after each addition. On low speed, beat in the cream.
Scrape the batter into the crust and smooth the top. Bake for 15 minutes at 500 degrees. Reduce the oven temperature to 200 and bake for 1 hour more. Turn the oven off, prop the oven door open. Let the cake cool in oven for 30 minutes. Remove to a rack and let cool completely in the pan before unmolding. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably 24 hours before serving.
Makes about 15 to 20 servings.