I tried making this recently and ran into some difficulties. I used a 9-inch springform, but the batter rose well above the top of the pan. The to...

...p also began to brown, and I took it out of the oven while it was still a bit too jiggly, then added the sour cream topping and baked it a while longer. The final result was cosmetically challenged and a bit too soft, but my friends raved about the taste. I would like to tackle it again and am wondering what went wrong. I have two theories: I was using farmers market Meyer lemons, and although I chose two of the smaller ones, they are pretty large and juicy. (I measured later when I was juicing some and found that I get around 2 ounces of juice from each lemon.) The other possibility is that I mixed the batter too thoroughly and incorporated too much air. We are huge fans of Boulangere's cappuccino cheesecake and have taken to heart her directive that one is making an emulsion and should mix thoroughly. (In my case, using a KitchenAid professional stand mixer for an extra couple of minutes.) I am considering using a 10-inch springform instead next time and would love any advice. Thanks

Kaja1105
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7 Comments

boulangere March 13, 2013
Yikes, CIV. Yes, cheesecakes should always be baked at least (AT LEAST!) 24 hours before you want to serve them. I take serious issue with recipes that want to imply that they are a same-day-serve recipe. They just are not. You're a darling, and I thank you for your kind thoughts!
 
cookinginvictoria March 14, 2013
Yes, I have learned my lesson -- never again will I try to unmold a cheesecake before it's properly set! The twenty four hour rule is a good one.
 
cookinginvictoria March 13, 2013
I've also made this delicious cheesecake. I mixed mine in my Kitchen Aid stand mixer and it also rose quite high (to the top of my 9 inch springform pan) while it was baking. However, my pan has high sides and the cheesecake didn't overflow, so it wasn't really an issue. My biggest challenge with making this cheesecake was unmolding it without having the cheesecake stick to parts of the pan. I suspect that my fairly old springform pan does not have a very good nonstick surface, so I would butter or oil the pan well next time. Also, I think that I probably tried to unmold it too quickly -- I had impatient diners ready for dessert! Next time I make this or any other cheesecake, I will make sure to follow boulangere's helpful directions for how to unmold a cheesecake, which are included in her wonderful Cappucino Cheesecake recipe, namely to let the cheesecake cool overnight and then to put the pan briefly in a sinkful of warm water before unmolding it. http://food52.com/recipes/11254-cappuccino-cheesecake
 
Diana B. March 13, 2013
I'm so glad I'm not the only person to come to grief with this recipe, although in my case, it wasn't reading the directions properly. I put the sour cream layer on just after I'd poured the lemon batter into the pan, instead of baking the cheesecake and then putting the sour cream layer on. Like Kaja's tasters, people were kind about the taste, but basically the pointed tip of each slice was pretty much pure sour cream, while the cheesecake part was at the outer edge...
 
boulangere March 13, 2013
I suspect your suspicions are correct: that you overmixed a bit and incorporated enough air to cause it to rise excessively, and that you need a larger pan. And I'd also suggest baking at 325 degrees, though be aware that it may take longer to get done. I'm so glad you like the cappuccino cheesecake; you're very kind to mention it.
 
Kaja1105 March 14, 2013
Thanks, Boulangere, and everyone else for your answers. I'm going to try again and make the cake in a larger pan, use a couple of tbsp. of lemon juice, and bake it at 325. I do have a thermometer in my oven, and I think the browning happened in part because the cake rose so much. I'll report back when I do. Boulangere, I need to leave a comment under your recipe, but my college-age son loves the cappuccino cheesecake so much that he learned to make it himself and has been serving it to his friends at school. (It seems that some of them had not eaten cheesecake before but are now fans.)
 
Monita March 13, 2013
I've never made this cake but have made many cheesecakes. The amount of lemon juice could very well be a variable. Everyone's lemons yields slightly different amounts of juice so next time you could use 1 oz of juice. The browning may have occurred because your oven was hotter than the 350 you had it set out. Did you check the temp with an oven thermometer. It can't hurt to try to make it in a larger pan.
 
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