I am sharing with you one of my favorite cheesecake recipes. This Creamy Almond Cheesecake isn’t difficult to make. Follow the instructions and you will be gifted with a velvety, no crack, beauty of a cake. The almond flavor is rich, yet subtle. The graham cracker crust is nutty, sweet, and salty. Serve the cheesecake naked with coffee. Laden it with all manner of fruity toppings, or drape with chocolate sauce, or serve it with Amaretto Caramel Sauce. Yum. It is so good!
Here is the recipe Sally made.
CRUST:
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
4 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Tahitian vanilla
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. To make the graham cracker crust put the graham cracker crumbs and almonds into the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the almonds are broken down and blended with the cracker crumbs. Add the melted butter and sugars. Pulse on/off until crust is blended.
2. Set the buttered spring form pan on a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Wrap the exterior base and sides of the pan with the foil. Empty the crust mixture onto the interior base of the prepared pan. Using the back of a large spoon or the base of a drinking glass, tamp the graham cracker mixture down in an even layer over bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the spring form pan from the oven and set aside to cool.
3.Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Fill a large saucepan with water and bring the water to a simmer.
4. To make the cheesecake batter, put one (8 oz.) package of cream cheese into the work bowl of a stand mixer. Cream the cheese on medium speed. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Cream on medium speed until blended. Add the remaining cream cheese, one (8 oz.) package at a time, beating until the cream cheese is well blended after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extract. Beat on medium speed until blended. Add the sour cream and beat on medium low until blended. Add the eggs and yolk, one at a time, beating on medium low speed. until blended.
7. Serve with Caramel Sauce that has been flavored with 2 to 3 Tablespoons of Amaretto.
Recipe ©Sally James Mathis
Here is more on the picture Taylor took.
The final picture that you see above isn’t a single picture. It is actually a composite of three different pictures. Below are the three images that were used.
I took pieces from these composite layer images and used Photoshop to combine them into the final image that you see at the beginning of the post. Below is a set shot showing the lighting set-up.
If you want to learn more about food photography, check out the downloadable PDF series I have created called photographing FOOD.
Photography ©Taylor Mathis
cheesecake is one of my all time favorites, from WAY back. caramel is a new favorite, for the last decade or so.
this looks amazing, I have a craving!
it looks delicious!
These images are GORGEOUS! The recipe looks incredible – I’ll be making this for Valentines Day! Love the textures you chose for plate and tabletop