I am super excited about this week’s Sweet Melissa Sunday recipe because it was selected by yours truly. In retrospect, I probably should not have picked something the required having the oven on for a long period of time in the middle of the summer (sorry SMS bakers). Even though I started the cheese cake at 7am this morning, my apartment felt like an inferno. But there is a method to my madness.
This particular recipe has alluded me for months. If you read my review on Sweet Melissa Patisserie, you know this was the first dessert I tried from this fantastic bakery. However, my first experience making this cheesecake was a complete disaster. It was my first time making cheesecake and two major things went wrong – the top had a massive (and quite ugly) crack and water seeped into the bottom, which completely ruined the crust. So when the Sweet Melissa Sundays baking group came along I knew that when I had my choice I had to make this cheesecake again to redeem myself.
I could not be happier with the way this cake turned out. The key to making sure it didn’t crack was to not over cook it. I made my cheesecake in a smaller pan than the one suggested in the recipe. So I started to check it for doneness after 45 minutes of it being in the oven. I could have waited longer but I was super paranoid because I didn’t want to let the group down. To check for doneness, open the oven and give the cheesecake a little shake. If it sloshes around like it’s liquidy, it needs more time. If it seems a little firm on the outer edges and the center “sloshes”, it still needs more time. Your cheesecake is properly baked when it jiggles as one unit, like jello.
A water bath is important when making a cheesecake to ensure even baking. But it is equally as important to make sure water doesn’t seep into the cake. So make sure your aluminum foil comes up more than half way up the sides of the springform pan. When baking the crust, I also suggest placing the pan on a cookie sheet to make sure the aluminum on the bottom isn’t pierced by the oven rack.
Thanks to all of the SMS bakers that beared the heat and baked along with me. Make sure to check out our blog roll to see how everyone did with this wonderful cheesecake. And if you don’t have a copy of The Sweet Melissa Baking Book yet, go out and get it ASAP.
OH – All this talk an I almost forgot to let you all know how this cheesecake tastes. FANTASTIC!!!!! I know I use exclamation points a lot but this one is worth 5. The lemon flavor is just right and the texture is super moist and creamy. The crust is amazing as well and provides a great contract to the creamy cheesecake. I’m more of a plain Jane when it comes to cheesecake and normally don’t like fruit toppings on it but these blueberries were just perfect.
Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake with Cornmeal Crumble Crust
From: The Sweet Melissa Baking Book
Yield: One 9-inch cheesecake
For The Cornmeal Crust
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
5 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup coarse yellow cornmeal
Pinch of salt
For the Lemon Cheesecake
2 pounds (4 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, softened
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
ass="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight:bold;">2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
For the Blueberry Topping
1 dry pint fresh blueberries, rinsed
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Before You Start
Position the rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Turn a 9-inchspringform pan upside down and cover the bottom and sides with aluminum foil. The foil should come up at least halfway on all sides, so that the water from the water bath will not leak through. Line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment cut to fit exactly. Using nonstick vegetable cooking spray, spray the inside papered bottom and sides of the pan.
To Make The Crust
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Add the flour, cornmeal and salt and mix until combined.
- Press the mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan. (I use a cup with a flat base to help me press the crumbs evenly up the sides.) Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Lower the oven to 325 degrees.
To Make The Cheesecake
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the cream cheese, mascarpone and sugar until smooth. Scrape down the bowl and the paddle. Add the eggs and mix to combine. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice.
- Pour the batter into the prepared crust and spin gently to level the batter.
- Place the springform pan in a roasting pan large enough to hold it. Fill the roasting pan with hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the center is just set. Remove the pan from the water bath and remove the aluminum foil on top. Using a sharp knife, loosen the edges of the cheesecake from the pan. Let cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Remove the bottom foil liner and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours to overnight.
To Make The Blueberry Topping
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine half of the blueberries, the sugar, water and lemon juice and cook until thick, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining blueberries. Let cool to room temperature or refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
To Complete The Cheesecake
- Once the cheesecake is chilled, release the springform ring from around it. To remove the bottom, slide two offset spatulas under the cake and transfer it to a serving plate.
- Spoon the topping over the cheesecake and serve.
The topped cheesecake will keep in a cake saver in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you want to, you can make the cheesecake and the blueberry sauce ahead. Store them tightly wrapped separately for up to 3 days. Top the cheesecake before serving.
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Katrina — July 13, 2009 @ 12:15 am
Looks gorgeous and delicious! Great job. Glad you redeemed yourself from the last time!
karen — July 13, 2009 @ 12:49 am
Yours looks fantastic! Thanks for a great pick. It wasnt too warm in my neck of the woods. I made it in the late evening.
Nina — July 13, 2009 @ 1:09 am
Thank you for choosing these! Yours looks amazing!
Tracey — July 13, 2009 @ 1:10 am
I love your little mini cheesecake slices!! Thanks for such a fun pick this week! Unfortunately, water did seep over the foil and into my cheesecake but it didn't ruin the flavor at all. It was still pretty delicious
Pamela — July 13, 2009 @ 1:18 am
Well, it looks stunning! I'm so sorry I was unable to bake with you this week. Cheesecake is a HUGE temptation for me, and I'm trying to avoid temptation. Congrats and a successful cake!
Jen @ MyKitchenAddiction.com — July 13, 2009 @ 2:14 am
Beautiful cheesecake… and such beautiful pictures! I think lemon cheesecake must be delicious – have never made it before. I'm sure the fresh, bright taste from the lemons adds a wonderful flavor to the cheesecake.
Hanaâ — July 13, 2009 @ 3:18 am
Your cheesecake looks great. Love the contrast of the blueberry topping. Sorry I couldn't bake with you this week. I had good intentions but you know how that goes. I love anything with lemon so I'll definitely put this recipe on my "rewind" list. Thanks for picking (what looks like) a good recipe!
Cristine — July 13, 2009 @ 4:19 am
Your cheesecake looks perfect and so creamy! Thanks for a great pick.
Liz — July 13, 2009 @ 7:24 am
Hi Eliana! I just found your blog an love your recipes, this cheesecake looks so… yummy! Hope to hear from you, Liz!
Katiecakes — July 13, 2009 @ 9:38 am
wow, your cheesecake looks fantastic! Thank you so much for choosing this amazing recipe!Katie xox
Donna-FFW — July 13, 2009 @ 11:45 am
Looks absolutely beautiful. Admire you for tryng twice. Sounds like it was so worth it. Love the idea of cornmeal crust!
Jamie — July 13, 2009 @ 2:56 pm
This cheesecake seriously makes me drool! So gorgeous! I left an award for you on my blog!
Lauren — July 13, 2009 @ 7:20 pm
thanks for leading us this week… Great choice! Your's looks fantastic!
biz319 — July 13, 2009 @ 7:33 pm
I heart cheesecake! Could you send me a piece?
The Duo Dishes — July 13, 2009 @ 7:35 pm
The crust sounds too good!!! We'll have to try it. Great pics.
The Bahens — July 13, 2009 @ 9:07 pm
Thanks for choosing this recipe! I'm hosting next week, and this was one of the recipes I was considering. It was so delicious!
pinkstripes — July 13, 2009 @ 10:56 pm
This was a great choice!! Awesome. Your cheesecake looks perfect. YUM.
Kaitlin — July 14, 2009 @ 12:58 am
Thank you so much for this choice! I thought this cheesecake was fantastic. I'm glad that it worked for you this time!
Jaime — July 14, 2009 @ 1:15 am
i'm sorry I didn't get to bake along but your little slices look so cute!!!
Rachel — July 14, 2009 @ 3:01 am
Wow your photos are amazing! And the cheesecake looks delish!
The Food Librarian — July 14, 2009 @ 3:22 am
Love the cheesecake…they are too cute! And that crust sounds good.
Ingrid — July 14, 2009 @ 3:42 am
Nice choice! I want a bite. I especially want to try that crust sounds interesting. I like cornmeal.~ingrid
hotovenwarmheart — July 14, 2009 @ 11:07 am
Hi Eliana!It was an absolute pleasure baking with you this week- thanks so much for the fantastic recipe pick. You gave me the push I needed to try baking cheesecake, and I'm happy that I can now say I've made one! And yours looks amazing, by the way!I don't know if I mentioned this to you before, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE the look of your site
The design is just so cheery and charming. I'm new to blogging, but I wish I could spruce up my site a bit to have it better reflect my style. If you could offer me any advice about where to begin, I'd truly appreciate it. If you have a sec and could either comment on my site (http://hotovenwarmheart.wordpress.com) or email me (joy.d.saunders@gmail.com) that would be wonderful. Have a great rest of your week, and I hope to talk to you again after the next SMS recipe postings!-Joy
Teanna — July 14, 2009 @ 2:09 pm
LOOK AT THAT CHEESECAKE! Eliana! Seriously! It is so high and fluffy and light! That is gorgeous! I kid you not when I say I love cheesecake so much and this makes me want to cry!
Glamour Moms — July 14, 2009 @ 2:27 pm
OMG Eliana!! Cheesecake is pretty much my most favorite thing EVER. What are you trying to do to me?? lol Trying not to lick the screen..
Michele — July 14, 2009 @ 2:39 pm
Great recipe choice! Your cheesecake looks lovely!
Barbara — July 14, 2009 @ 4:40 pm
Wow, chica, this is some blog! I don't know which recipe to try first. Blueberry-topped cheesecake with a hint of lemon is one of my favorite desserts, but those Cinnamon Dusted Mini Churros are calling me by name. I know where to come now for dessert.
momgateway — July 14, 2009 @ 11:30 pm
Your blog is so pretty and the food makes me hungry!
Shandy — July 15, 2009 @ 6:13 am
Thank you for such a wonderful baking event selection! Your cheesecake and photos are just beautiful!
steph- whisk/spoon — July 17, 2009 @ 10:10 pm
looks lush and delicious! good for you for giving it another try and mastering the recipe!
margot — July 20, 2009 @ 4:35 am
Your cheesecake looks perfect, I'm glad it was a success the second time around. I am not usually a huge fan of cheesecake, but this was a good one and everyone I served it to enjoyed it a lot.
Snooky doodle — July 20, 2009 @ 5:35 am
this looks delicious! Interesting the crust. I d like to try it. Nice blog!
Anonymous — July 26, 2009 @ 10:31 pm
my bday is the 29th and i've been looking for a great cheesecake recipe for my mom. every year she makes me one and this year i wanted something different. your recipe sounds wonderful but we can't seem to find mascarpone cheese in the small town we live in. are there any substitutions??