Basic Cheesecake Method & Toppings

Let cream cheese sit out until it's room temperature, nice and soft. Beat the cream cheese and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time (break them into a separate cup - one teensy bit of shell will ruin everything!) and beat just until mixed. Add remaining ingredients and beat just until mixed. Pour into chilled shell and bake at 325 for 50 minutes to an hour.

Jam may be melted and poured evenly over the top of the cooled cake.

Fruits may be arranged on top of a cooled cake, then covered with a melted jam glaze.

4 oz chocolate or white chocolate chips, melted with 2-3 Tbsp butter and maybe 1 -2 Tbsp whipping cream (if desired) can be poured on top of the cooled cake.

For a yogurt or sour cream topping, cook the cake only 50 minutes, cool the cake 15 minutes, mix together 1 cup yogurt or sour cream with ¼ cup sugar (regular is OK since this is so liquid) and 1 Tbsp vanilla or other flavoring (lemon juice, extract, etc.) raise the oven temperature to 475 and bake another 10 minutes.

(see also Basic Cheesecake Filling and Basic Cheesecake Crust)

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