Hollywood Cheesecake

I love this cheesecake recipe.  The hint of lemon makes it taste so fresh and the thin top sour cream layer is so creamy.  I topped mine with whipped cream and drizzled some of the homemade hot fudge I made for a previous recipe and it was amazing.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
3 Tbsp Sugar
3 Tbsp butter (melted)

Cheesecake:
2 8 oz packages Cream Cheese (softened)
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Lemon Peel (grated)
1/2 tsp Vanilla
2 Eggs Separated

Top Layer:
1 Cup Sour Cream
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Almond

Directions:
Crust:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Combine crumbs, sugar and butter.  Press onto the bottom of 9" springform pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven.

Cheesecake:
Combine cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel and vanilla.  Mix at medium speed on electric mixer until well blended.  Add eggs yolks, one at a time mixing well after each addition.  Beat egg whites until stiff and then add to the cream cheese mixture.  Mix well and pour over the crust.  Bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes.

Top Layer:
Combine sour cream, sugar and almond.  Carefully spread over cheesecake.  Continue baking for another 10 minutes.   Let cool for at least 20 minutes and loosen cake from the rim of the pan.  Chill.  Garnish with whipped topping or fruit of choice. 

Combine crust ingredients

Press into the bottom of springform pan

Add cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel and vanilla to blender

Mix together and add egg yolks

Mix one at a time

Add in egg whites

Finish mixing

Remove crust from the oven

Pour cheesecake over the crust

Remove from the oven

Combine top layer ingredients

Mix thoroughly

Gently spread over the cheesecake

Cook 10 minutes and remove from oven

Serve & Enjoy!

In case you are interested in my homemade hot fudge recipe you can find it here:

Mint Fudge Brownie Parfait