Entertaining

Judy Hesser’s Sour Cream Cheesecake

by:
November  3, 2023
4.7
7 Ratings
Judy Hesser’s Sour Cream Cheesecake
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour
  • Serves 12
Author Notes

My mom, Judy Hesser, has been making this cheesecake for decades. The original recipe was made with gingersnap cookies, but my mother went her own way and used Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers instead. The layers of dark chocolate crust, a sweet cream cheese layer, and tangy sour cream top layer made this a family classic.

When Nabisco discontinued the wafers in early 2023, she needed to find a substitute, so she developed a new chocolate crust recipe using Nilla Wafers, cocoa, and butter. The texture of the crust is a little softer—in a good way—and the flavor is nearly the same as the original. Cheesecake saved!
—Amanda Hesser

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the crust:
  • 40 Nilla Wafers
  • 1/3 cup salted butter
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder (I like Ghirardelli 100% premium)
  • For the filling:
  • 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
  • 2/3, plus 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped, or 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups sour cream, at room temperature
Directions
  1. Make the crust. Put the Nilla Wafers in a 1-gallon, zip-top bag, press out excess air and seal the bag. Using a rolling pin, crush the wafers to a very fine crumb. Make sure no wafer lumps remain or you’ll have a lumpy crust! You can also do this in a food processor if you prefer.
  2. In a small pan set over low heat, melt the butter. This can also be done in a bowl in the microwave. Cool slightly.
  3. Stir the cocoa powder into the melted butter to make a smooth sauce.
  4. Stir 1 1/4 cups of the fine wafer crumbs into the butter/cocoa sauce until all the crumbs are absorbed with the sauce and you have a sandy-textured mixture.
  5. Line the base of a 9” springform pan with parchment, then press the crust onto the bottom of the pan and up the sides about an inch.
  6. Make the filling. Heat the oven to 350°F with a baking sheet on the center rack.
  7. In a mixer fitted with a whisk (or by hand with a bowl and wooden spoon), beat the cream cheese until creamy and fluffy. Add the eggs, ⅔ cup sugar and the seeds from the vanilla bean, and beat until very smooth. Scrape the bowl with a spatula to break up lumps, and mix again as needed. Pour into the crust, and bake on the baking sheet for 25 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile, blend the sour cream with ¼ cup sugar. After 25 minutes, remove the cake from the oven, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Increase the oven heat to 450°F. Gently spoon the sour cream mixture on top, and spread evenly. Return the cake to the oven and bake for 7 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. You can eat the cheesecake once cool, but my mom prefers to chill it overnight so the layers firm up. Your call!
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  • Licia Britt
    Licia Britt
  • cookbookchick
    cookbookchick
  • Amanda Hesser
    Amanda Hesser
  • Twinsy
    Twinsy
Amanda Hesser

Recipe by: Amanda Hesser

Before starting Food52 with Merrill, I was a food writer and editor at the New York Times. I've written several books, including "Cooking for Mr. Latte" and "The Essential New York Times Cookbook." I played myself in "Julie & Julia" -- hope you didn't blink, or you may have missed the scene! I live in Brooklyn with my husband, Tad, and twins, Walker and Addison.

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10 Reviews

Twinsy
Twinsy December 30, 2023
This is so delicious and elegant. I used chocolate teddy grahams for the crust and it turned out so good. They are an excellent sub for the chocolate cookies or vanilla wafers.
 
Tracey T.
Tracey T. November 10, 2023
This is extremely close to my grandmothers recipe! Hers is amazing and I’ve made it at least 40 times
 
cookbookchick
cookbookchick November 10, 2023
Please post your grandmother’s recipe on your Food52 page!
 
Amanda H.
Amanda H. November 11, 2023
My mother's original recipe had a graham cracker crust and she came up with a chocolate crust. What kind of crust did your grandmother's recipe have?
 
Tracey T.
Tracey T. November 11, 2023
She used a graham cracker crust
Also dusted the first layer in cinnamon before baking
I also don’t wait the 5 min to add the top layer
If you plop a spatula full at a time and balance the surface tension while smoothing it across as it heats up it never falls through
Also, ours is in a classic pie pan not a spring form
 
Tracey T.
Tracey T. November 11, 2023
Oh! And ALWAYS make it at least 24 hours ahead
I find that a good day in the fridge really firms it up
Otherwise the bottom layer can splooge out when cut
 
Amanda H.
Amanda H. November 11, 2023
Thank you for sharing all this detail!! Also, my mom texted me today to say the same thing about chilling it overnight, so I'm going to add that to the recipe. :)
 
Beverly S.
Beverly S. November 10, 2023
I think they still make Famous Wafers.
 
Licia B.
Licia B. November 10, 2023
This looks delish! I've subbed Oreo thins for chocolate wafers (filling included) in a pinch (also delish) for a chocolate crust. Thanks, Amanda, for keeping us cooking and delightfully fed.
 
Amanda H.
Amanda H. November 11, 2023
Hope you'll give this a try and let us know what you think!