BROOKLYN-STYLE CHEESECAKE

Personal note: When I lived in NYC during the 1980s, I can promise you Junior's Cheesecake was the ultimate. This recipe is from King Arthur Flour and was inspired by Juniorr's cheesecake. I do believe that Junior's may have had a little lemon flavor in the crust. Here is what they (KAF) had to say:

"This is the best cheesecake I've ever eaten" was the response of the first three taste-testers who sampled this cake; and it's gone on to garner similar responses everywhere it's served. A towering, rich cheesecake, it's made with a unique vanilla cake crust, the idea for which was pioneered by Junior's Restaurant in Brooklyn, NY, self-proclaimed creator of the "World's Most Fabulous cheesecake" — and they might just be right. Our thanks to Junior's for the cheesecake recipe that inspired this one.

I hope you will enjoy this cheesecake.

crust

• 1/2 cup King Arthur Unbleached Cake Flour Blend*
• 6 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• *If you don't have cake flour, use unbleached all-purpose flour, reducing the amount to 7 tablespoons (1/2 cup less 1 tablespoon).

• filling

• 2 pounds cream cheese (four 8-ounce packages), at room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream or whipping cream
• 1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" round springform pan or deep 9" round removable-bottom pan. This cake is very tall, and requires an extra-deep pan. Measure your pan; if it's not at least 2 3/4" deep, don't attempt this recipe. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with aluminum foil, preferably a single sheet.
  2) To make the crust: Place the flour, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, the baking powder, salt, vegetable oil or butter, and 3 egg yolks into a large mixing bowl. Beat until well combined; the mixture will be stiff and somewhat crumbly.
  3) In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until they're frothy. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of sugar gradually, beating all the while, until the mixture is stiff and glossy.
  4) Working in thirds, mix the beaten egg whites into the batter. Take care to keep the batter light; mix gently, don't beat. You may find at the end there are still some tiny lumps in the batter; that's OK. Stir in the vanilla.
  5) Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cake has risen, is barely beginning to brown, and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
  6) Remove the cake from the oven, and immediately loosen the edges with a table knife or thin spatula. Allow it to cool in the pan while you make the filling. It'll settle and shrink a bit as it cools; that's OK. Leave the oven on.
  7) To make the filling: Place 8 ounces (1 package) of the room-temperature cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch in a mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until smooth.
  8) Add the remaining cream cheese, 8 ounces (1 package) at a time, beating on low speed until smooth.
  9) Slowly beat in the remaining 1 1/3 cups sugar, and the vanilla.
  10) Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  11) Add the cream, beating just until blended.
  12) Spoon the batter over the cake in the pan. The filling will expand and rise, so make sure you don't fill the pan right to the brim.
  13) Place the pan into a larger pan, and fill the larger pan with enough hot water to come 1" up the sides of the springform pan. Place both pans on a lower-middle rack of your oven.
  14) Bake the cheesecake for 75 to 90 minutes, until the cake is just barely beginning to turn golden around the edges, and the top appears set. The center will still look jiggly; that's OK. A thermometer inserted into the center should register about 160°F to 165°F.
  15) Remove the cake from the oven, and gently lift it out of the water bath onto a rack. Allow it to cool at room temperature, undisturbed, for 2 to 3 hours, until it's no longer warm to the touch.
  16) Refrigerate the cake, covered, until you're ready to serve it.
  17) To serve, slice with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry. Repeat this step after every slice. This cake is traditionally served without topping; but feel free to add your own favorite, if desired.
  Yield: 1 large cheesecake, about 16 rich servings.

ELVIS GOOEY BUTTER CAKES Recipe by Paula Deen

In honor of Elvis Presley's 80th birthday I am sharing Paula Deen's Elvis Gooey Butter Cakes recipe. I have the cookbook put out by Elvis' uncle and longtime cook. This recipe is not in that book. Maybe this is Paula's version of a cook he would love, maybe it was one of his favorites. I really don't know its origin but I think his fans will love it (and he probably would have, too)! And anything by Paula Deen is good, in my opinion.

• 1 (18 1/4 oz) package yellow cake mix
• 1 egg
• 2 sticks butter, 1 melted and 1 for filling
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 whole banana
• 1 (16 oz) box powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 °F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and 1 stick melted butter together and mix well. Pat into a lightly greased glass 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Prepare the filling.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla. Add the peanut butter; beat. Add the banana and 1 stick butter and mix well. Add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over the cake mixture. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. You want the center to be a little gooey, so do not over bake. Top each cake slice with a mint leaf and dollop of whipped cream.

PD photo

MANGO-STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE

12 Oreo cookies, finely ground

2 tbsp butter, melted

1 envelope (1/4-oz) unflavored gelatin

2 tbsp water

3 pkgs (8-oz each) cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed (from an 8-oz container)

1 mango, peeled, pitted, sliced

4 strawberries, trimmed and sliced

Coat an 8"x3" springform pan with cooking spray. Combine cookie crumbs and butter; press into bottom of pan. Chill until set, 20 minutes.

In a microwave-safe bowl, stir water into gelatin and let stand until water is absorbed. 

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth; beat in vanilla.  Microwave gelatin in 15-second intervals until melted. Stir in 1 cup cream cheese mixture until smooth; if lumps form, microwave in 15-second intervals until smooth. Stir back into remaining cream cheese mixture. Fold in topping. Spread in pan. Cover and chill 6 hours up to overnight.

Run knife around edge of pan and remove side of pan. Transfer cake to a serving plate. Arrange mango and strawberry slices on cake.

Yield: 16 slices

recipe and photo Woman's World 2026

ELVIS PRESLEY'S FAVORITE WHIPPING CREAM POUND CAKE

This recipe is going around as Elvis Presley's Favorite Whipping Cream Pound Cake. I have no idea if that is true. I have his longtime cook's cookbook and this cake is not in it. Whether it was his favorite or not, it does sound good and all you non-diabetics out there might want to try it.

3 cups sugar
1/2 lb butter, softened
7 eggs, room temperature
3 cups cake flour, sifted twice
1 cup whipping cream (heavy cream)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Butter and flour a 10-inch tube or bundt pan.
Thoroughly cream together sugar and butter. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in half the flour, then the whipping cream, then the other half of the flour. Add Vanilla.
Pour into prepared pan. Set in COLD oven and turn heat to 350ºF. Bake 1 hour to 70 minutes, until a sharp knife inserted in cake turns out clean.
Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool thoroughly. Wrapped well, this cake will keep for several days.

ICING
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk- Mix and Drizzle Over Cake.

file photo

 

CHOCOLATY ZUCCHINI LOAF CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE

2 large eggs

1/2 cup canola oil
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups white whole-wheat flour
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp espresso powder
2 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
4-oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
Chocolate Ganache (recipe below)

Place rack in center of oven.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour an 8 x 4 x 2-inch loaf pan; set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together eggs, oil, brown sugar, buttermilk and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and espresso powder.

Add the dry ingredients in the medium bowl to the wet ingredients in the large bowl; stir to combine. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake cake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

Meanwhile, prepare the Chocolate Ganache.

Remove cake from oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on the wire rack.

Spread on the chocolate ganache before slicing to serve.
Top each slice with vanilla-infused whipped cream, if desired.

Chocolate Ganache:
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a small saucepan bring the cream to a simmer; add the chocolate pieces. Remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes without stirring. Stir until smooth. Cool for 1 hour or until spreadable.

Yield: 12 - 1-inch servings
Per serving: 435 calories, 29 g fat, 73 mg cholesterol, 256 mg sodium, 44 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 6 g protein

This is basically a BH&G recipe.

CITRUS CUSTARD

1/4 cups sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch

2 1/2 cups low-fat milk

4 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp orange zest

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup coarsely crushed shortbread cookies

Orange slices and/or citrus peel for garnish twists, optional

In a medium heavy saucepan stir together sugar and cornstarch; stir in milk. Cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into egg yolks and return to the pan. Bring saucepan mixture just to boiling and remove from the heat. Stir in orange zest and vanilla.  Pour into a serving bowl or into 4 individual serving dishes and cover surface with plastic wrap. Cool slightly at least 4 hours before serving. Remove plastic wrap but do not stir.

Top custard with the crushed cookies and the garnishes, is using. OR, if you wish to get fancier like the photo, do the custard and cookies before covering with plastic wrap. Garnish just before serving.

Fresh Food Fast Vol 2

FROSTED BANANA BARS

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (approximately 3 med to large)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour*
1 tsp baking soda
dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, bananas, and vanilla.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture just until blended.

Pour into the prepared baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan on a wire rack.

FROSTING:
1 brick (8-oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese and butter together until fluffy. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla until mixture is smooth. Spread over the cooled bars.

Cut into 36 bars for serving.

From a 1994 TOH magazine.

CHOCO-COCO PECAN CRISPS

This recipe is from a 1993 Tupperware Cookbook. It makes about 6 dozen cookies.

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup flaked coconut

Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until blended. Beat in the egg and vanilla.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and pecans in small bowl until well blended. Add to the creamed mixture, blending until stiff dough is formed.

Sprinkle the coconut on a work surface. Divide dough into 4 parts. Shape each part into a roll, about 1 1/2-inches in diameter; roll in coconut until thickly coated. Wrap tightly; refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 2 weeks. (For longer storage, freeze up to 6 weeks.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or leave ungreased.

Cut rolls into 1/8-inch-thick slices and place 2-inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 13 minutes or until firm but not overly browned.

Remove cookies from cookie sheets and cool completely on wire racks.

the file photo

LEMON-BLUEBERRY BLOMDIE BARS

3/4 cup unsalted butter

2-oz white chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp lemon zest, plus more for garnish

2 tbsp plus 4 tsp fresh lemon juice (1 large lemon)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 cup fresh blueberries

2/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Grease a 9-inch square pan and line with parchment paper, leaving 1-inch of overhang.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Stir in white chocolate until melted and combined. Transfer butter mixture to a large bowl. Whisk in brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in lemon est, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and salt until combined. Whisk in egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Stir in flour. Gently fold in blueberries with a silicone spatula.

Spread the batter in an even layer in the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven to a wire rack and let cool at least 15 minutes.

To serve, lift blondies out of pan using the parchment paper overhang. Transfer to a cutting board.

For glaze, whisk together powdered sugar and remaining 4 teaspoons of lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over blondies and garnish with additional lemon zest.

To serve, cut into 9 squares. May be stored in an airtight container up to 3 days.

recipe and photo allrecipes 2025

PARTY MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE

9 cups milk

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 (3.5-oz each) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tbsp instant espresso powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2/3 cup coffee liqueur, optional
Spray can whipped cream for garnish
Whole Vanilla Bean Pods for stir sticks, optional

In a Dutch oven combine the milk, brown sugar, bittersweet chocolate, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and cinnamon.  Cook over medium heat, do not boil, for about 10 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the chocolate is melted.  Stir often during cooking.

Remove chocolate mixture from the heat and whisk vigorously until you have a frothy hot chocolate.  Pour immediately into mugs and stir in a splash of the coffee liqueur, if using.  Top with whipped cream.  Add a vanilla bean stick to each mug as a stirrer, if desired.  It will release a vanilla taste into the hot chocolate.

For a decorative touch sprinkle some cinnamon or shaved chocolate over the whipped cream, if desired.

file photo