Junior's Famous Pure Cream Cheesecake

There never will be a better cheesecake than the cheesecake they serve at Junior's on Flatbush Avenue...it's the best cheesecake in New York" wrote Ron Rosenbaum (Village Voice, July 26th 1973). There's nothing better than baking a cheesecake similar to the ones that they make at Junior's in Brooklyn. You'll soon be experiencing the taste of ecstasy.

Courtesy of "Junior's!" by Marvin & Walter Rosen with Beth Allen. William and Morrow Company.

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Dessert

Ingredients

1/2 cup sifted cake flour		3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp baking powder		1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt		4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature (for Cream Cheese Filling)
3 extra-large eggs (3 separated, 2 for Cream Cheese Filling)		1 2/3 cups sugar (for Cream Cheese Filling)
1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar		1/4 cup cornstrach (for Cream Cheese Filling)
1 teaspoon plus 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract		3/4 cup heavy whipping cream (for Cream Cheese Filling)
3 drops pure lemon extract

directions

Total:

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1
For the Thin Sponge Cake Layer: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan (preferably a nonstick one). Wrap the outside with aluminum foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides.
2
In a medium sized bowl bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set Aside.
3
Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high for 3 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add 1/3 cup of sugar and beat until thick light-yellow ribbons form, about 5 minutes more. Beat in the 1 tsp of vanilla extract along with the lemon extract.
4
Sift the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in by hand, just until no more white flecks appear. Now, blend in the melted butter.
5
In a clean bowl, using dry beaters, beat 3 eggwhites and the cream of tartar together on high until frothy. Gradually add 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the whites will stand up and look glossy, not dry). Stir about 1/3 cup of the egg whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining whites. Don't worry if you still see a few white specks, as they'll disappear during baking.
6
Gently spoon the batter into the pan. Bake the cake until just the center of the cake springs back when lightly touched, only about 10 minutes (watch carefully!).Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack while you make the cheesecake filling. Do not remove the cake from the pan and leave the oven on.
7
To make the Cream Cheese Filling: place one 8-ounce package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Beat in the remaining 3 packages of cream cheese.
8
Increase the mixer speed to high and beat in the remaining 1 1/3 cups of the sugar, then beat in 1 tbsp vanilla extract. Blend in 2 eggs, one at a time, beating the batter well after adding each one. Blend in the heavy cream. At this point, mix the filling only unitl completley blended. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
9
Gently spoon the cheese filling on top of the baked sponge cake later. Place the springform pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake the cheesecake at 350 degrees F until the center barely jiggles when you bake the pan, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
10
Cool the cake on a wirerack for 1 hour. Then cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until it's completley cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove the sides of the springform pan. Slide the cake off the bottom of the pan onto a serving plate. Or if you wish, simply leave the cake on the removable bottom of the pan and place it on a serving plate. If any cake is left over, cover it with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

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Junior's Famous Pure Cream Cheesecake

Ingredients

directions