Beverly Hills Cheesecake

Total Time: 9 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 9 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 1/2-2 tablespoons butter
• 1 lb cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 finely grated lemon, rind of
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature, slightly beaten
• 2 cups sour cream
• red grapes
• green grape

Recipe

• 1 place oven rack in centre of oven, heat to 350 degrees.
• 2 coat bottom and sides of 9 inch springform pan evenly with butter, reserve.
• 3 cut cream cheese into 1 inch cubes, place in large mixer bowl.
• 4 beat at medium speed, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until completely smooth.
• 5 beat in lemon rind and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla.
• 6 continue beating at medium speed while very slowly adding 1/2 cup of the sugar to cheese mixture and scraping down sides of bowl as needed, beat until sugar is absorbed.
• 7 add eggs, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating well and scraping down sides of bowl after each addition.
• 8 pour batter into reserved pan, spread top smooth.
• 9 gently rotate pan several quarter turns to settle batter.
• 10 bake until centre is just set, about 25 minutes.
• 11 transfer pan to wire rack away from drafts.
• 12 let cool undisturbed 30 minutes.
• 13 do not turn oven off.
• 14 while cake is cooling, mix sour cream, remaining 1/2 cup sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla in medium bowl until smooth.
• 15 gently spread sour cream mixture evenly over partially baked cake.
• 16 (cake will not fill pan to the top) rotate pan several quarter turns to settle sour cream mixture.
• 17 return pan to oven, bake until sour cream mixture is set, about 10 minutes.
• 18 turn oven off.
• 19 let cake stand in oven with door propped open 8 inches for 30 minutes.
• 20 transfer pan to wire rack away from drafts.
• 21 let cool undisturbed until sides and bottom of pan are completely cooled to room temperature.
• 22 remove sides of pan.
• 23 refrigerate cake uncovered 2 hours.
• 24 cover cake loosely with plastic wrap, refrigerate overnight or at least 6 hours.
• 25 garnish with grapes before serving, if desired.