Williams-Sonoma Vanilla Cheesecake

I had a couple of questions about the cheesecake I mentioned in my last post, and I would be happy to share the recipe with you!  It's just a plain old cheesecake but the recipe is from Williams-Sonoma.  Isn't it beautiful?  I think it could have used the extra ten minutes.  I've made this several times before and I think I undercooked it just a tad this time, but it still tastes wonderful.  And for Noelle, this one needs no water bath!  I can never seem to get my crust even, no matter what I do.  There's always too much in the corners of the pan, but oh well. Feel free to skim or skip if you aren't interested in making it, but if you ever want a good and easy cheesecake recipe, make sure to come back here and get it!  Believe me, no water bath equals easy.

Vanilla Cheesecake

from The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook and Williams-Sonoma Dessert

CRUST:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing (my springform pan is non-stick, so I didn't grease it and it came out perfect)

FILLING:

4 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, at room temperature

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract (you can also use vanilla paste, which is fantastic)

3 large eggs, at room temperature

To make the crust, preheat the oven to 400.  Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan.  In a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter.  Stir until the mixture is well blended and the crumbs are evenly moist.  Pour into the springform pan and press evenly onto the bottom and about 1 1/2 inches up the sides of the pan.  (They suggest using a flat-bottomed mug to do this.)  Bake until lightly golden and set, about 10 minutes.  Let cool on a rack.  Reduce the oven temperature to 300.

To make the filling, in a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, flour, and salt.  Using a mixer set on medium-high speed, beat until very smooth and fluffy, stopping and scraping down the sides frequently.  Add the sugar, sour cream, and vanilla.  Beat until well blended, again scraping down the sides frequently.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Pour into the crust.

Bake the cheesecake until the filling is set but the center still jiggles slightly when the pan is gently shaken and the edges are slightly puffed, 60-70 minutes.  The filling will firm as it cools.  Let cool on a rack to room temperature.  Cover and refrigerate until well chilled (overnight is best).  Enjoy!