Light as Air, Fluffy Cheesecake Recipe
I very fondly remember my Aunt Mary who was my Mother’s youngest sister. She was so loving and caring and a wonderful Mother to her three children. In fact, she was like my second Mother and I spent many a day visiting her and also spent summer vacations with her. She loved to laugh and make others laugh and she was a mentor to me on being a good Mother and wife.
Aunt Mary was also a great cook and I learned many a dish from her.
Everyone loved her cheesecake recipe and she was very proud to let us all know it was very special and when we had children we were to pass on the recipe.
Aunt Mary’s cheesecake recipe is truly unique, but I’ve had a difficult time putting my finger on exactly what it is about it that’s so special. I asked a few others in my family and the consenus is just how light and fluffy Aunt Mary’s cheesecake was. Some even have described its consistency like that of a soufle.
Aunt Mary is no longer with us but she is still in our hearts and thoughts and we all have shared her recipe with our children and their children. I would like to pass this delicious recipe on to all of you out there.
Crust:
¾ c plain bread crumbs
3 Tbsp melted margarine
¼ c sugar
Melt margarine in saucepan and stir in bread crumbs and sugar just to moisten crumbs. Spread crumbs along bottom of an ungreased 9 inch spring form pan.
Filling:
1/4 c milk
½ tsp lemon juice
1 lb. Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese (let soften at room temperature)
1 pint Daisy sour cream
6 eggs, separated
1 ¼ c sugar
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
Blend together in large bowl milk, lemon juice and cream cheese. Add to blended ingredients sour cream, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla. Beat egg whites till stiff and fold into mixture.
Pour over crumbs and bake 300-320 degree oven for one hour or until center comes out clean on a toothpick. Turn off heat and keep in oven one more hour. Remove sides of pan and chill. (May develop cracks on top which can be covered with sifted powdered sugar when serving).
Enjoy! And please be sure stop back and leave a comment about how you liked it. I’d love to hear what you think!
Recommended Appliances and Utensils:
I love my Kitchen Aid mixer and it makes mixing the ingredients for the cheesecake filling a breeze.
You can find similar models to mine on Amazon.com:
And here’s a great spring form pan for making cheesecake:
Filed under: Fluffy Cheesecake
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
Hi Aunt Mary,
This is your favorite nephew, Robert, checkin’ in. I was overjoyed to see the family cheesecake recipe posted on your blog. I can testify that this is the best cheesecake I’ve ever tasted….and believe me I’ve sampled quite a few in my lifetime. There is something divinely sublime about its light airy texture that has left all the others greatly wanting…and the graham cracker crust is to die for. As a child, I had to exert the greatest willpower not to eat the entire cheesecake in one sitting when my mother baked one.
Hi Robert,
So nice to hear from you! Come on by and I’ll bake you a cheesecake and I promise you won’t have to share it with anyone.
Loved the light texture! I used lowfat cream cheese and milk and it still came out great. Now, I can eat a bigger piece!
@Elaine,
I am always searching for lowfat recipes and will definitely try your suggestions for making this cheese cake recipe not only light and fluffy but also lowfat.
Hi there!
Your Aunt Mary’s recipe looks very promising and I’d like to try it. But I’d like to use the store bought graham cracker pie crusts that I have lying around. Do you think it would work okay? Should I cut down the cooking time since the cheesecake pie will be quite a bit shorter than cheesecake made in a springform pan?
Thanks!
Hi Lillian:
Since this cheesecake recipe is lighter and higher than a pie cheesecake, I feel it would not work well in a pie pan. I think it will spill over in your oven while baking. Sorry about that but I do hope you get a chance to try this recipe someday.
Hi Mary,
I believe this recipe may be the one I have been searching for the past few years. There was a bakery in my hometown that made a cheesecake that was high,light and fluffy; totally different than what is passed today as “cheesecake.” The question I have is can I use a traditional graham cracker crust rather than the breadcrumb crust you propose? Would the graham cracker crust spoil the baking process? Thank you.
Hi Tony:
No problem using the graham cracker crust but still mix with the melted butter. It will work just as well. I hope this recipe is the one you have been searching for. It is truly light, fluffy, and delicious.Please let me know how it comes out. Happy New Year.
I had a question about the graham cracker crust? If the crust is store bought, what use is the butter? Where would the butter go? Sorry, I’m just a little confused. Mary, were you referring to graham cracker crumbs or the store bought graham cracker crust??
-Thanks! I love your recipes!!
Hi Ash:
Sorry for the mix up about the crust. I was referring to graham cracker crumbs..but you are correct about the difference using store bought prepared crust. Just be careful when transferring the prepared crust from the original pie pan to the base of the Springform pan. You do need to use a spring form pan for fluffy cheesecake.
Hello Mary, Do you recomment a nonstick springform pan or a regular aluminum (i.e. non-teflon) one, like the one in your video? Also, how wide is the springform pan you used? Best,
Riccardo
Sorry, I now see it was a 9″ springform
Hi Riccardo:
I recommend the non-stick springform pan. I didn’t have to grease or spray the pan before adding the crumb crust and removal of the cake was so easy.Just go around the cake with a spatula before removing the springform ring.
Well, I hate to be a party pooper but I was looking for a light, fluffy cheesecake recipe and I made this one a week ago. Neither my husband nor I liked the texture of the cake. I would not make this again. Sorry!
Hi Kathy,
Sorry the texture of the cheesecake was not what you were looking for. It is not the typical dense texture cheesecake but more like a souffle.Carefully folding the stiffly beaten egg whites into the batter is the secret to the lightness of this cake.
Well, it was very, very light (I folded in the egg whites very carefully) but I guess we just didn’t like the custard-like consistency. Also, I followed the directions exactly on oven temperature and timing – leaving it in the oven for another hour after it was turned off – and it was still not fully done in the middle so I had to bake it a little longer.
I’m looking for something between a too-dry cheesecake and this one. I’m still searching. Thanks for the reply.
Kathy
Hi Kathy:
I would like to solve the problem for you since the custard-like consistency isn’t the true texture of this cake. Could the brand of ingredients you used be the problem? I use only Kraft’s Philadelphia Cream cheese and Breakstone or Daisy sourcream. Sometimes different brands can make a difference. Also check if the cake is cooked in the middle before turning off the oven.Not all ovens are the same. Hope you will try it again. Good luck.
I’m working on a recipe of my own and one of the problems I run across is the texture. I’m trying to make my cheesecake bit more fluffy, which is how I stumbled upon your blog. I’ve been checking on many websites and some have different ideas. I’m going to try the egg white thing and see what I come up with. Another problem I have is the cheesecake raising out of the springform pan. My recipe has 2 tbls of all purpose flour. I’m thinking that could be contributing to the 1 to 2 inch raise during baking. My next attempt will be taking out the flour and folding in the stiff egg whites. Do you have any advise for keeping the cheesecake from raising over the pan? Do you feel the pan to the very top or leave 1/2 inch free board?
Hi Chris:
My springform pan is 2 3/4 inch deep and 9 1/2 diameter. I never had a problem with it spilling over. I agree, take out the flour and fold in the egg whites. I fill the pan fairly close to the top and it doesn’t raise while baking. Don’t cook it too fast or at too high a temp. Hope this helps. Please let me know how it turns out. Remember to let it sit in the oven an hour or more after cooking.
The light n’ fluffy cheesecake recipe is absolutely delicious AND so easy to make. Just one suggestion to all others who want to try this recipe, DON’T SKIMP on the quality of the ingredients.
This is definitely a keeper. I’m looking forward to preparing other recipes you have to share.
Everyone needs an “Aunt Mary”.
/terry
Thank you for your lovely comment and compliment.