This recipe, named after the restaurant at Rockefeller Plaza, was printed in the NY Times in 1970. I entered this cake in the NYU Cheesecake contest (a “double blind” contest) and took first place. It was fitting that my prize was a NY Times cookbook by Craig Clairborne who wrote the article of the recipe I used.
Promenade Cheesecake
Servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
- butter
- 2 pound cream cheese at room temperature
- 4 eggs
- 1 3/4 cup sugar
- juice of one lemon
- grated rind of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees
- Butter the inside of a metal cake pan or souffle dish 8 inches wide and 3 inches deep. DO NOT USE A SPRING FORM PAN. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs and shake the crumbs around the bottom and sides until coated. Shake out the excess crumbs. Set aside.
- Place the cream cheese, eggs, sugar, lemon juice, lemon rind and vanilla into the bowl of an electric beater. Start beating at slow speed and as the ingredients blend increase the speed to high. Continue beating until thoroughly blended and smooth.
- Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan and shake gently to level the mixture.
- Set the pan inside a slightly wider pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan to a depth of about half an inch. Do not let the edge of the cheesecake pan touch the rim of the other larger pan. Set this inside the oven and bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Turn the heat off and let the pan sit another 20 mins.
- Lift the pan out of the water and place it on a rack to cool to room temperature.
- Invert a plate over the cake and carefully turn both upside down to unmold the cake. Invert a plate over the bottom of the cake and carefully turn this upside down so that the cake comes out right side up.
- The cake can be garnished with fruit if your wish. I’ve always served it as is.
My mother passed down this recipe to her girls and i never knew where it originated from. She loved it and made it for us frequently. I finally made it and it truly is wonderful!
simple and scrumptious