Crustless Cheesecake -- For the Boy Who Eats in Spirals

Brayden is one hundred and fifty-one weeks old. Eden is nine weeks old. The Stephanie Yates Theo-fourth-birthday-party was Saturday at the Yates house. About twenty-five kids and parents. The crustless cheesecake was the small accommodating-dessert for one of the small guests with a wheat-allergy that the standard graham-cracker-crust cheesecake would not have worked for.

The crustless cheesecake is a small wheat-free dessert — cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, baked in a buttered springform pan (no crust at all), baked at three-twenty-five for fifty-five minutes, then cooled and refrigerated for at least four hours before slicing. The cheesecake is the same density-and-texture as a standard cheesecake but without the small structural-crust.

The technique question on a crustless cheesecake is the springform-pan-greasing. Without the crust, the pan-walls need to be heavily greased so the cheesecake releases cleanly. The fix is buttering the pan thoroughly and dusting it with a small amount of granulated sugar (which substitutes for the small crust-residue).

Saturday morning I made the cheesecake for the party. The small wheat-allergic guest had two slices. The small other-kids had it too.

The Sapulpa-Elementary cooking-class continues. The small Wednesday-afternoon rhythm has settled. The small kids are progressing through the small twelve-week curriculum. Tracy Patton has been the small partnership-and-support presence the program needed.

The Pantry Rules cookbook companion has been selling at its small steady-trickle pace. The catering-cookbook continues at its small steady-pace too. The small online-store revenue is the small additional-revenue-stream the catering business has built.

Crustless Cheesecake

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 55 min | Total Time: 1 hr 10 min (plus chilling) | Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat and prepare. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan thoroughly with butter or non-stick spray and set aside.
2. Beat the cream cheese. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until completely smooth, about 2–3 minutes. Scrape down the sides as needed — no lumps allowed.
3. Add sugar and flour. Add the granulated sugar, flour, and salt to the cream cheese and beat until fully combined and silky smooth.
4. Incorporate eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Do not overmix once the eggs go in, as this can cause cracking.
5. Fold in sour cream and vanilla. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract, stirring gently until just combined and uniform.
6. Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the top. Bake at 325°F for 50–55 minutes, until the edges are set and the center has a slight jiggle when the pan is gently nudged.
7. Cool slowly. Turn off the oven and crack the door open. Let the cheesecake rest in the oven for 1 hour — this gradual cooling helps prevent cracks on the surface.
8. Chill completely. Remove from the oven, run a thin knife around the edge to loosen, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight before slicing and serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 390 | Protein: 7g | Fat: 28g | Carbs: 28g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 290mg