Ingredients
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1/2 cup sifted cake flour
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1 teaspoon baking powder
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1 pinch salt
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3 large eggs, seperated
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1/3 cup sugar
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3 drops lemon extract
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3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
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1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
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4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
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1/4 cup cornstarch
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1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
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2 tablespoons sugar
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1 2/3 cups sugar
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1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Sponge cake: Preheat the oven to 350 F and generously butter a 9-inch springform pan.
- Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together ina medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Beat the egg yolks together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high for 3 minutes.
- Then, with the mixer still running, gradually add the 1/3 cup of sugar and continue beating until thick light-yellow ribbons form in the bowl, about 5 minutes more.
- Beat in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
- Sift the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in by hand until mo more white flecks appear.
- Then blend in the butter.
- In a clean bowl, using clean dry beaters, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on high until frothy.
- Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the whites should stand up in stiff peaks, but not be dry).
- Stir about 1/3 cup of the whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining whites (don't worry if a few white specks remain).
- Gently spoon the batter into the pan.
- Bake the cake just until the center of the cake springs back when lightly touched, only about 10 minutes (watch carefully!) Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack while you continue making the cheesecake filling.
- Do not remove the cake from the pan.
- Cream Cheese Filling---------------.
- Place one 8-ounce package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl.
- Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, then beat in the remaining 3 packages of the cream cheese.
- Increase the mixer speed to high and beat in the remaining 1 1/3 cups of the sugar, then beat in the vanilla.
- Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating the batter well after each one.
- Blend in heavy cream.
- At this point mix the filling only until completely blended (just like they do at Junior's) Be careful not to overmix the batter.
- Gently spoon the cheese filling on top of the baked sponge cake layer.
- Place the springform pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the side of the pan.
- Bake the cheesecake until the center barely jiggles when you shake the pan, about 1 hour.
- Cool the cake on a wire rack for 1 hour.
- Then cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until it's completely cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove the sides of the springform pan.
- Slide the cake off of the bottom of the pan onto a serving plate.
- Or, if you wish, simply leave the cake on the removable bottom of the pan and place it on a serving plate.
- Store any leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator.