The key to cooking a great cheesecake is to treat it like a custard and not a cake. Don’t over-beat the mixture at any point, and bake in a low oven. I also add some cornstarch to my cheesecakes for stability.
ingredients
Crust
Filling
Wild Blueberry Sauce
directions
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
Combine graham wafer crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl. Stir well. Trace bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan onto parchment paper. Cut out parchment paper. Butter spring form pan. Fit parchment circle into bottom of pan. Butter the paper. Press the crust evenly into bottom of pan pressing to secure. Chill.
In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar and salt. Beat just until smooth. Do not over beat the mixture – you don’t want to incorporate too much air in the cheesecake – it increases the chances for the cake to crack and fall. Add the egg yolks three at a time beating after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl and add the sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla and zest. Blend until just smooth, careful not to over beat the mixture. Add cornstarch and mix until smooth.
In a clean stainless bowl whip the egg whites until soft peaks hold. Fold egg whites gently but quickly into cheese mixture, making sure no streaks of the egg whites remain. Again do not over beat the mixture.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in middle of oven for 70 minutes or until cake is just firm. Increase oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Cook another 10 minutes until cake is golden. Turn oven off and open oven door. Leave cake in oven for another 20 minutes. Remove and cool completely.
Combine blueberries, sugar, corn starch, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Over low heat, cook mixture, mashing blueberries slightly, until sauce has reduced and slightly thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Serve warm over cooled cake.