Vanilla Cheesecake with Lemon Sour Cream Topping

This is the fastest and easiest cheesecake you will ever make. It has a buttery graham cracker crust, fresh vanilla cream cheese middle and a tart lemon topping.

You will need a mixer and a 9-inch spring form pan, but if you don’t have a spring form pan, make it in a 9 X 13 rectangle. It won’t be as pretty but it will still taste great.

The top of the filling might be cracked when it comes out of the oven. Not to worry, the lemon sour cream topping will disguise all the imperfections and you will end up with a beautiful glossy finished, evenly baked, perfect cheese cake.

VANILLA CHEESECAKE with LEMON SOUR CREAM TOPPING

CRUST:

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

4 Tbsp. sugar

¼ cup melted butter (1/2 stick)

FILLING:

3 8oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

5 eggs

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

TOPPING:

16oz. sour cream

4 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

½ cup fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

CRUST – Stir together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter with a fork. Pour into a 9-inch spring form pan that has been sprayed lightly with pan coating and spread out evenly. With the bottom of a flat bottom glass press the crust firmly to pack it into the pan.

TOPPING – Mix sour cream, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice together until well blended; set aside.

FILLING – Beat the cream cheese and the sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and mix well after each addition. Then add the vanilla and mix to blend.

Pour over the crust and place on a sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes.

Remove the cake from oven and let sit for 3 – 5 minutes to let the top of the cake settle and flatten out.  then pour topping over the hot cheese cake and bake for another 10 – 15 minutes.

Let the cake cool to room temperature in the pan then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

If you have the patience, let the cheese cake chill overnight in the fridge.

TO SERVE – slide a paring knife around the edge of the cake to loosen the cheesecake from the pan. Remove sides and gently with a spatula loosen the bottom and slide it on to a serving platter or leave it on the spring form pan bottom to serve.