Creamy Vanilla Cheesecake with Fresh Raspberry Sauce

This is a guest post of sorts.  I am writing the post, but my sister did the baking.  We went to Santa Barbara, CA for my nephew’s high school graduation this last weekend.  Afterwards, there was a party to celebrate this special occasion.  It included a variety of desserts, but one of them especially called my name – homemade cheesecake!  It looked so creamy and had a lovely sour cream layer on top.  I took one bite, and then sighed.  It was heavenly!  I had been looking for a good cheesecake recipe for a long time.  Really, it was one of the best pieces of cheesecake I have ever had.

So I decided it was imperative that I share the recipe with you and record it for me so that I can make it every week – just kidding.  Maybe.  I definitely want to eat it every week.  In fact, as I write, I am going into cheesecake withdrawal.  Because, thankfully, there was cheesecake left over from the party.  And I had to be sure it was really good if I was going to write a post about it.  So I sacrificed my waistline all in the name of good blogging all weekend.  It had nothing to do with the fact that it is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten, and it kept calling me from the refrigerator.  It really was one of the noisiest cheesecakes I’ve ever come across!

I asked my sister if there was anything special we needed to know in order for it to turn out.  She said all she did was follow the directions on the recipe and that it was not that hard.  I have always been a little nervous about making cheesecakes from scratch.  They seem kind of tricky.  But according to her, it isn’t as hard as you would think.  And the results are reminiscent of something from The Cheesecake Factory. With Father’s Day coming up, this would make a perfect dessert for dad.  It will tell your dad just how much you love him.  I told you it was a noisy cheesecake!

Special thanks to my sister, Lori Ridenour, who is an amazing sister and cook, for this delicious cheesecake recipe! It originally came from a cookbook called Steamboat Entertains that she purchased in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.  And congratulations, Bryce!

Creamy Vanilla Cheesecake with Fresh Raspberry Sauce

For the Crust:

• 2 c graham cracker crumbs (she used Honey Grahams)
• 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Blend all crust ingredients.
3. Pat into bottom and up sides of 10 inch springform pan.
4. Bake approximately 6 minutes until firm.

For the Filling:

• 1 1/2 lbs. cream cheese or 3 (8 oz. pkgs.), softened
• 1 c granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 3 eggs

1. With mixer, blend cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix thoroughly after each addition.
3. Pour mixture into pan and bake at 325 degrees approximately 45 minutes or until center is firm.  Turn off oven and open door.  Let cake sit for 15 minutes in oven.  Remove from oven, and turn oven to 375 degrees.

For the Topping:

• 16 oz. sour cream
• 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Mix all topping ingredients and spread evenly on top of filling.
2. Place in oven for 5 to 6 minutes, just until top is set.  Remove from oven and chill thoroughly before removing from pan.
3. If desired, drizzle raspberry sauce over each piece of cheesecake before serving, and top with fresh raspberries.  Refrigerate any leftovers.

For the Sauce:

• 2 bags frozen raspberries
• 1/4 c granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• fresh raspberries for garnish, optional

1. Blend frozen raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a blender until smooth.  Pour over individual slices of cheesecake, and top with fresh raspberries, if desired.  Refrigerate any leftover sauce.