Well folks, we are in the last days of the insane summer of 2020. While we are all gearing up for what will likely be and even crazier fall, there are still a few trusted old recipes we can turn to for comfort.
Of course, those same recipes have been upgraded with a few twists here and there, to stay in sync with the unexpected punches the last 8 months have held for us.
And this delectable buttery pecan cheesecake is among the best of them!
We know, you’re drooling already (we are too), and so we won’t make you wait to get started.
While this recipe is really actually quite simple, there is one extra-special item you need to make sure you have before you get started.
A 9″ spring-form pan is going to be your best friend in the execution of this viral cheesecake.
Aside from your spring-form friend, here are the ingredients that you’ll need.
For the crust:
- ⅓ cup of white sugar
- ⅓ cup of melted butter
- 1½ cups of crushed graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup of chopped pecans
For the cheesecake:
- ½ cup of white sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 3 packages of cream cheese (for a total of 24 oz.)
- 2 cups of sour cream
- 1 tsp. of vanilla extract (or swap out for butter extract if you really love the buttery flavors)
- 1 cup of chopped pecans
Now, perhaps the most beautiful thing about this recipe, aside from the cake itself, is that once you have everything together, you can create this masterpiece of goodness in just 4 easy steps.
Step 1. – Preheat the oven to 475℉
Step 2. – Make your crust
Not to worry- this is much easier than it sounds. Just throw all 4 ingredients for the crust into your trusty food processor and press the pulse button until everything is thoroughly combined.
Then, just turn it out into your spring-form pan and press it out to evenly cover the entire bottom of the pan and partway up the sides of it.
Step 3. – Cream the cheesecake batter
First, you’ll want to start making the filling for your cheesecake by beating ½ a cup of sugar together with the cream cheese until it’s smooth and silky.
Pro-tip: make sure cream cheese is at room-temp for maximum silkiness.
Then you’ll beat in your eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is thoroughly mixed into the batter before adding the next.
Next, mix in your sour cream and vanilla until they’re thoroughly combined. Gently fold your chopped pecans into the mix.
After you’ve combined all of the ingredients for your cheesecake and it has reached the desired consistency, gently pour your cheesecake batter into the crust- spreading it as evenly and smoothly as possible. We don’t want any cracks in our beautiful cheesecake.
Of course, if you end up with a few you can always disguise it with tasty toppings.
Step 4. – Bake it!
Once you’ve got your batter poured into the crust and leveled out, gently place your cheesecake into the preheated oven and set your timer for 10 minutes. Once the 10 minutes is up, reduce the temperature of your oven to 300℉ and set your trusty little timer for another 50 minutes.
Now, this may just be the toughest part of the whole process – when your timer sounds off, you’ll open your oven door and turn the heat off completely.
Now, you have to let the cheesecake sit in the open oven for another full hour.
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Once you’ve let your cheesecake set, you can safely pull it out of the oven and decorate it in whatever way suits your fancy. Then let it chill for several more hours in the fridge.
Cover it in caramel or butterscotch sauce? Absolutely! Maybe sprinkle a few more chopped nuts over the surface? Load it up with whipped cream? The options here are truly endless!
After you’ve decorated your cake, the next “step” in this process is undoubtedly the most important- cut out a slice of cheesecake, dig in, and enjoy!
