THREE CITIES OF SPAIN CHEESECAKE
Cheesecake lovers, unite! July 30 is our day to indulge in our favorite creamy confection with National Cheesecake Day.
I’ve shared a variety of cheesecake recipes throughout the years, from cheesecake bars and dips to cheesecake made in a slow cooker – and even tossed in a salad.
But this recipe takes the cheesecake, for sure. And with a name like Three Cities of Spain cheesecake, you know it’s got to be something special and have an interesting backstory. The recipe hails from a coffeehouse of the same name in Sante Fe, New Mexico.
Three Cities of Spain was a popular artsy hangout in the 1960s hosting a diverse mix of poets, musicians and foreign films. After closing in the mid-1970s, one of the cheesecake-loving patrons tracked down the coveted recipe and refused to share it with anyone.
This led her to selfishly hide it – and apparently too well, as she herself could not remember where. Twenty-something odd years later, she stumbled across the hidden treasure of a recipe while cleaning, immediately making it to see if it was as good as she remembered.
Surpassing her recollections, she then shared the rediscovered prized recipe on the internet so that others could enjoy it and it wouldn’t be lost again.
This story, with a version told in Gourmet Magazine, had me intrigued to try it. Light, creamy and downright decadent, I totally understand why she wanted it for herself. The silky, luscious filling is sandwiched between a crisp, buttery graham cracker crust and glossy sour cream glaze.
Be sure your filling ingredients (cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla) are room temperature and that you don’t over beat the batter. This yields a smoother cheesecake that won’t be overly airy, which can cause cracks as it settles.
However, cracks are a thing of the past with this cheesecake as the accompanying sour cream layer not only balances the flavor of the cake, it also hides any imperfection, ensuring a flawless presentation every time.
It serves beautifully as is, or it can be dressed up with fresh berries, fruit compote, a drizzle of caramel or chocolate sauce or a dusting of powdered sugar. Fun fact: The three cities for which this dessert is reportedly named are Barcelona, Madrid and Seville. Salud!
THREE CITIES OF SPAIN CHEESECAKE
INGREDIENTS:
For the crust:
1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Pinch of salt
For the filling:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
For the topping:
16 ounces sour cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
DIRECTIONS:
To make the crust, mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter, and salt until combined. Press mixture evenly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of an 8- or 9-inch springform pan; set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
For the filling, beat the cream cheese and sugar together in a stand mixer, (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer), until smooth. Scrape down the sides of bowl. Turn mixer to low and add eggs, one at time, until fully incorporated (scraping down bowl as needed), and then add the vanilla extract.
Pour filling onto crust in prepared springform pan and place pan on a baking sheet (this makes it easier to transfer in and out of the oven).
Place in middle of oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until cake is set 3 inches from edge but center is still slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken. Remove cake from oven but do not turn off oven.
To make the topping, whisk together sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Spoon mixture onto the cheesecake and spread evenly with an offset spatula or knife. Return the cake to the oven and bake for 10 additional minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and let cool to room temperature. Transfer cake to refrigerator to chill, loosely covered, for at least 6 hours or overnight. Run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen before removing from springform pan. Serve with fresh berries, fruit compote, and/or a dusting of powdered sugar.
Adapted from goodfoodstl.com
