Blueberry Cheesecake

1. Stage

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. 

2. Stage

Make the graham cracker crumbs: Add the graham crackers, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until fine even crumbs form and there are no large pieces of graham crackers visible. Add the butter and process until combined. The crumbs will resemble wet sand and if you pinch some of the mixture, it will stay together. You can make this in a blender.  Alternatively, place the graham crackers, sugar, and salt in a zip-top bag and crush them to smithereens with a meat mallet. Transfer the crumbs into a medium bowl and stir in the melted butter. 

3. Stage

Press the crumbs into springform pan: Transfer the crumbs into an 8 x 3-inch round springform pan. Press them down firmly in an even layer using your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup. The crust should not come up the sides of the pan.

4. Stage

Bake the crust: Bake the crust until lightly golden brown around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Set it on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Leave the oven on to bake the cheesecake. 

5. Stage

Triple wrap the pan: When the springform pan is cool enough to handle, tightly wrap the bottom and sides with 3 pieces of heavy-duty foil cut to about 18 inches long. The cheesecake will bake in a water bath—the foil prevents the water from seeping into the crust and making it soggy. Place the wrapped springform pan in a large roasting pan and set it aside.

6. Stage

Boil water: Fill a kettle or a large pot with water and cover it with a lid. Bring it up to a boil over high heat while you prepare the cheesecake filling. You will use the boiling water to create a hot water bath to bake the cheesecake. 

7. Stage

Make the cheesecake filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Beat on medium speed until very smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl to incorporate any ingredients that may be stuck to the bowl. You can also mix in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer.

8. Stage

Add the heavy cream and eggs: Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the heavy cream until just incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time, until just combined. Do not overmix the filling once the eggs are added. Too much air in the filling will cause the cheesecake to crack as it bakes. Stop mixing it as soon as the eggs are fully incorporated. 

9. Stage

Fold in the blueberries: Detach the bowl from the stand mixer and add 2 cups blueberries. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the blueberries into the filling, being cautious not to crush them.

10. Stage

Pour the filling over the crust: Use the rubber spatula to scrape the filling over the baked crust. Place the roasting pan (with the springform pan set inside) into the oven. 

11. Stage

Create a water bath: Carefully pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan. A kettle is easier to pour than a pot. If pouring boiling water out of a pot directly in the oven is scary, it’s okay to add the water into the roasting pan before you transfer it into the oven. Set the roasting pan right on the stovetop to do this so that it’s a close and easy transfer once filled with boiling water.  

12. Stage

Bake the cheesecake: Bake the cheesecake until slightly puffed up around the edges and 2 to 3 inches in the center is slightly jiggly (resembling Jell-O), about 1 1/2 hours.  Turn the oven off and open the oven door about 1 inch. You can use a wooden spoon to prop the door open. Let the cheesecake finish setting in the oven until there is barely any jiggle left in the center, about 1 hour.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Loosely cover it with a clean kitchen towel and refrigerate it until fully cooled, at least 6 hours. The cheesecake will firm up and no longer jiggle in the center.

13. Stage

Meanwhile, make the blueberry sauce: In a medium saucepan, stir together 1 cup blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Add 1/3 cup water and bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce turns a vibrant purple and thickens to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Some of the blueberries will burst. Transfer the sauce to a medium heatproof container and let it cool a little on the counter for about 30 minutes. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until chilled, about 1 hour. Stir in the remaining 2 cups blueberries. Keep the sauce chilled until ready to serve.

14. Stage

Serve the cheesecake: When ready to serve, run a small knife around the outer edges of the cheesecake to separate it from the springform pan. Unclasp and remove the springform. Carefully remove the cheesecake from the base of the spring form pan using a large, flat, spatula and place onto a serving platter. It’s fine to leave the cheesecake on the base of the pan too!  Spoon the blueberry sauce on top. Slice and serve.  Did you like this recipe? Let us know by leaving a review below!