Five short days until the day of love is here. Or in my world…engagement season begins!
Valentine’s Day means chocolate, and chocolate is considered an aphrodisiac, so I have been told. Of course, I can be basic about it with brownies or chocolate cake (which are both scrumptious). I went full on white chocolate cheesecake because it is my husbands favorite.
Little known fact about me: before I created towering wedding cakes laden with handmade sugar flowers, I made desserts for several fine dining restaurants in Savannah’s Historic District. As a stay at home mom of two young children, this was a great way to do an activity I loved, earn some fun money and thus laid the foundation to what would become Custom Cakes, Inc.
The White Chocolate Cheesecake would become my signature cheesecake. Pair it with a raspberry coulis, fresh raspberries, or billows of white chocolate curls. Your Valentine or Galentine will love the indulgence.
Cheesecake Batter
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and position one rack in the middle and another rack in the bottom third of the oven.
- Prepare a 9” springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Trim excess paper leaving about 1” of parchment around the pan and close the pan. Wrap one sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil around the pan. Spray bottom of pan with pan release or grease lightly with butter.
- In a medium sized, microwave safe bowl, place the white chocolate. Coarsley chop the chocolate. Place in microwave and heat at 100% power in 15 second bursts, stirring between each burst. When a few small clumps of unmelted chocolate remain, remove from microwave and stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add room temperature cream cheese. Beat with a paddle attachment, on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add sugar and continue to beat on low. Add salt, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Beat until combined.
- With mixer on low, add room temperature eggs, one at a time until fully combined.
- Next add in the melted white chocolate. The white chocolate should be tepid, not hot or cold. Mix to combine. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula making sure all ingredients are combined.
- Stop mixer and fold in room temperature sour cream using a rubber spatula.
- Pour batter into a prepared springform pan. Tap pan gently on the work surface to deflate any large bubbles. Place pan on the top oven rack.
- Place a baking pan with 4-6 cups of boiling water on the lower oven rack. Water should be about 2” deep.
- Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, lower temperature to 300°F and continue baking for 45-55 minutes. Cheesecake will be set in the center. DO NOT OPEN DOOR THE FIRST 45 minutes of baking.
- Once cheesecake is finished baking, place on cooling rack. Lower oven temperature to 350°F. Allow cheesecake to cool for 10 minutes.
- Prepare sour cream topping while cheesecake cools.
And if you love cheesecake, try my Patron Tequila Margarita Cheesecake Cupcakes here.
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White Chocolate Cheesecake Topping
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Pour topping mixture over cheesecake.
- Spread topping with a bent angle spatula.
- Return to oven and bake 5 minutes.
- Remove from oven and use a thin bladed knife to run between the inside of the pan and the cheesecake. This will help cheesecake from cracking.
- Put the cheesecake on a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature approximately one hour.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap over the cheesecake pan and refrigerate at least 6 hours before eating. Keep refrigerated.
Notes
- Have all ingredients at room temperature before mixing.
- Carefully melt white chocolate. Chocolate burns easily. I’ve found 15 minute spurts at 100% in the microwave, stirring in between spurts, works well. When a few chunks of white chocolate remain, remove from microwave and stir with a spoon or spatula. The heat from the bowl will melt the remaining solid pieces of chocolate.
- When adding the white chocolate to the batter, the temperature of the white chocolate should be tepid, not hot or cold. Adding hot chocolate to the batter will result in the chocolate seizing, or clumping.
- Use a good quality coverture white chocolate instead of coating chocolate. You can find Lindt white chocolate bars in the candy aisle of most groceries.
- Some of the more common reasons cheesecakes crack are due to over mixing the batter. Mix just enough to thoroughly combine on low speed. Another reason is failure to run a knife around the baked cheesecake. Do this as soon as it is removed from the oven.
- Leave cake in springform pan until thoroughly cool.
- To remove, run the knife around the cake, again. Open spring attachment. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the cheesecake. On top of the plastic wrap, place a cardboard round. Flip cake and gently lift the removable bottom. Next remove the parchment paper. Place a cardboard round or a serving plate on the bottom. Flip and remove the cake round.
- This cheesecake does not freeze well. Will keep refrigerated for 5 days
JOIN MINETTE RUSHING & C’MON IN THE KITCHEN
C’mon in the kitchen with Minette Rushing Custom Cakes! For more of my baking secrets and Southern dessert recipes, be sure to follow along on the blog while I share cookies recipes, my best cake recipes and delicious recipes for fillings and how to make frosting recipes and so much more!
You can also shop all of my baking essentials and tools, so you’re fully equipped to join me in the kitchen for all things sweet and Southern. If you’re looking for the recipes that built my business and other business tips, please check out my cake business shop where I’ll show you how to build the cake business of your dreams, just like I did.
C’mon in the kitchen with me! I am waiting on ya’ll.
XOXO
Minette
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