Mascarpone Cheesecake

Total Time: 12 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 12 hrs

Ingredients

• 70 vanilla wafers, finely ground in a food processor (8 1/2 oz)
• 5/8 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 20 ounces cream cheese, softened (2 1/2 eight-ounce packages)
• 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature (about 1 cup)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Recipe

• 1 make crust:
• 2 put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°f butter bottom and side of a 9-inch springform pan.
• 3 stir together cookie crumbs and butter in a bowl. reserve 1/4 cup crumb mixture for sprinkling over cheesecake, then pat remainder onto bottom and 1 1/2 inches up side of springform pan.
• 4 put pan in a shallow baking pan and bake until golden, about 10 minutes.
• 5 cool completely on a rack, about 25 minutes. leave oven on.
• 6 make filling while crust bakes:
• 7 beat cream cheese, mascarpone, and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
• 8 add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• 9 add vanilla, lemon juice, and salt and mix at low speed until combined.
• 10 pour into cooled crust and bake until cake is set and puffed around edge but still trembles slightly when pan is shaken gently, 25 to 30 minutes.
• 11 cool slightly in springform pan on rack, about 20 minutes.
• 12 (cheesecake will continue to set as it cools.) leave oven on.
• 13 make topping:
• 14 stir together sour cream, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl and spoon over cheesecake, spreading gently and evenly, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edge.
• 15 bake cheesecake until topping is set, about 10 minutes.
• 16 run a thin knife around edge to help prevent cracking.
• 17 sprinkle top with reserved crumbs and cool completely in pan on rack, then chill, loosely covered, at least 8 hours.
• 18 notes:.
• 19 • cheesecake can be chilled, loosely covered, up to 3 days.
• 20 • cut cake with a long, thin sharp knife dipped in a tall glass of hot water.