Junior’s Famous No.1 Cheesecake With 5 Variations
Pure Cream Cheesecake – “The Best of the Best”. If you ever find yourself in Brooklyn you might consider stopping by the famed Junior’s restaurant on Flatbush Avenue at the corner of DeKalb. Their cheesecake is as renown as the restaurant itself, sold by mail order and the cable shopping channel QVC it’s become a cheesecake by which all others are judged.
1 recipe Thin Sponge Cake Layer (see below)
For Cream Cheese Filling:
4 (8-ounce) packages regular cream cheese, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 extra-large large eggs
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and generously butter a 9-inch springform pan. Make the batter for the sponge cake as the recipe directs. Evenly spread the batter on the bottom of the pan and bake just until set and golden, about 10 minutes. Place the cake on a wire rack to cool (don’t
remove it from the pan).
While the cake cools, make the cream cheese filling: Place one 8-ounce
package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch in a
large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until creamy, about 3
minutes. Then beat in the remaining 3 packages of cream cheese. Increase
the mixer speed to high and beat in the remaining 1 1/3 cups of the sugar,
then beat in the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating the
batter well after adding each one. Blend in the heavy cream. At this point
mix the filling only until completely blended (just like they do at
Junior’s). Be careful not to over mix the batter.
Gently spoon the cheese filling on top of the baked sponge cake layer. Place
the springform pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes
about 1-inch up the sides of the pan. Bake the cheesecake until the center
barely jiggles when you shake the pan, about 1 hour. Cool the cake on a
wire rack for 1 hour. Then cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate
until it’s completely cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove the sides
of the springform pan. Slide the cake off the bottom of the pan onto a
serving plate. Or if you wish, simply leave the cake on the removable bottom
of the pan and place it on a serving plate. If any cake is left over, cover
it with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
Thin Sponge Cake Layer for Cheesecake
One suggestion: keep an eye on this cake while it bakes. There’s not much
batter, so it needs only about 10 minutes of baking – only enough time for
the cake to turn light golden and set on the top.
1/2 cup cake flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
3 extra-large eggs, separated
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 drops pure lemon extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and generously butter a 9-inch
springform pan. Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt together in a
medium-sized bowl and set aside. -
Beat the egg yolks together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed for 3 minutes. Then, with the mixer still running, gradually add the 1/3 cup of the sugar and continue beating until thick light-yellow ribbons form in the bowl, about 5 minutes more. Beat in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
-
Sift the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in by hand until no more white flecks appear. Then blend in the butter.
-
In a clean bowl, using clean dry beaters, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on high speed until frothy. Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the whites should stand up in stiff peaks but not be dry).
Stir about 1/3 cup of the whites into the batter, then gently fold in the
remaining whites – don’t worry if a few white specks remain. -
Gently spoon the batter into the pan. Bake the cake just until the center of the cake springs back when lightly touched, only about 10 minutes (watch
carefully). Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack while you continue
making the cheesecake filling. Do not remove the cake from the pan.
Serves 12 to 16.
Junior’s Apple Crumb Cheesecake Makes one 10-inch Cheesecake, about 2 1/2 inches high.
1 recipe Thin Sponge cake layer for Cheesecake 1 recipe Junior’s Famous NO.1
Pure Cream Cheesecake
For the Apple Layer:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 pounds tart-sweet apples, such as McIntosh or Rome Beauty
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For the Brown-Sugar Crumb Topping:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1/3 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9-inch springform pan. Make and bake the sponge cake layer. Make the cheesecake batter and refrigerate it while you prepare the apples.
To make apple layer: Toss both of the sugar, the flour, cornstarch, and
cinnamon in a small bowl. Peel, core, and slice the apples 1/4 inch thick
into a large bowl (you will need 4 cups of apples). Drizzle the apples with
the lemon juice and toss them gently with your hands to mix well. Sprinkle
the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the apples and toss again until all of the
apple slices are well coated. Spread about two-thirds of this apple mixture
over the baked sponge cake layer. Set the remaining apples aside.
Gently spread the cheesecake filling over the apples in the pan. Using your
fingers, place one of the remaining spiced apple slices strain down in the
batter about 2 inches from the edge, pushing it down until almost but not
completely covered by the batter. Continue placing about 20 more slices into
the batter in a circular pattern.
Bake the cake in a water bath, as for the regular Junior’s Cheesecake, until
the center barely jiggles when you shake the pan, about 1 1/4 hours. When
the top sets and starts to brown, after about 50 minutes of baking, lay a
piece of foil over the top of the cake for the rest of the baking.
While the cake bakes, make the brown-sugar crumb topping: Mix the flour,
brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Work the butter and
shortening into this flour mixture with your fingers or a pastry blender
until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs about the size of small peas.
Stir in the lemon extract.
Cool the cake on a wire rack for 30 minutes and chill until cold, about 4
hours. Top the cake with the crumb mixture and dust it completely with the
confectioners’ sugar. Cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap and store in
the refrigerator.
Junior’s Blueberry Cheesecake
1 recipe Thin Sponge cake layer for Cheesecake 1 recipe Junior’s Famous NO.1 Pure Cream Cheesecake
For the Macaroon Crunchsee note
1/2 cup chopped mixed nuts (almonds, pecans, and/or walnuts)
1/3 cup angel flake coconut
For the Blueberry Topping
2 cups fresh blueberries, picked over for stems and bruises*see note
1 cup blueberry syrup (usually found near the ice cream freezer in the supermarket)
1 cup cold water
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9-inch springform pan. Make and bake the sponge cake layer. Make the cheesecake filling and bake the cake as for Junior’s Famous Cheesecake. Transfer the baked cake to a wire rack to cool, about 1 hour.
While the cake is baking and cooling, make the macaroon crunch. Spread the
nuts and coconut on a baking sheet and toast in a 350°F oven until golden
and crunchy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set the crunch aside to cool.
Now make the blueberry topping: Wash the blueberries, remove any stems, and discard any bruised berries. Pat the berries dry with paper towels. Stir the syrup, water, and cornstarch together in a medium saucepan until cornstarch is thoroughly dissolved. Bring this mixture to a full boil over high heat, stirring constantly, and boil for 2 minutes. Remove the syrup from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, butter and vanilla.Gently fold in the
blueberries. Let the blue berry topping cool for 15 minutes, then mound it
on top of the cooled cake, covering the top of the cake completely.
Sprinkle the macaroon crunch in a 1 1/2-inch board around the edge of the
cheesecake, covering the berries around the outside edge. Loosely cover the
entire cake with plastic wrap, being careful not to let the glaze stick to
the wrap. Refrigerate the cake until it’s completely cold, at least 4 hours
of overnight. Remove the cake from the pan and serve it chilled. Wrap any
leftover cake in plastic warp and store in the refrigerator.
*Look for blueberries that are firm and rip with out soft spots or bruises.
If they are not in season in your market, you may use dry-pack frozen ones.
Better yet, freeze some yourself next summer.
***Junior’s uses Macaroon crumbs around the edge. Since most of us do not
have barrels of macaroon crumbs sitting around as they do at Junior’s, the
master baker’s at Junior’s suggest a mixture of toasted nuts and coconut.
They will work just fine.
Junior’s Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake
Plain cheesecake at Junior’s is a treat. But if you want something even more
special, try this one with chocolate fudge swirled throughout. It resembles
the marble cakes popular during the fifties. Those were made from
butter-cake batter-half vanilla and the other half chocolate. The two
batters were spooned alternately into the cake pans, then swirled together
before baking. when sliced, each piece resembled the swirling design that’s
found in colorful glass marbles that children love to play with.
This chocolate swirl cheesecake is even easier to create than the original
marble cakes. All you need is a recipe of Junior’s Cheesecake plus a jar of
fudge ice cream topping. Simply swirl the fudge into the cake batter before
baking. When sliced and served, each piece is artistically swirled with deep
rich fudge. Very impressive to serve-and a double treat in every bite.
Makes one 9-inch cake.
1 recipe Thin Sponge Cake Layer for Cheese 1 recipe Junior’s Cheesecake 3/4
cup fudge ice cream topping (the thick kind in a jar)…don’t skimp here, go
with the GOOD stuff!
Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9-inch springform pan. Make and bake the sponge cake layer.
Make the cheesecake filling and spread half of the batter on top of the
baked sponge cake pan.
Warm the fudge ice cream topping in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring
constantly. Watch carefully and DO NOT LET IT BOIL!! Drizzle the cheesecake batter in the pan with half of this warm fudge topping.
Carefully spoon the remaining cheesecake filling on top and drizzle with the
remaining fudge topping. Using a table knife, swirl the fudge topping into
the batter, working in a circle and turning the knife constantly as you go.
Swirl just until the fudge is marbled throughout-not enough to blend the
colors.
Bake the cake in a water bath, as for the regular Junior’s Cheesecake
recipe, until the center barely jiggles when you shake the pan, about 1 1/4
hours. After the top of the cake sets and start to brown, usually after
about 45 minutes of baking, lay a piece of foil over the top of the cake for
the remaining baking time. Cool, serve, and store the cake as directed for
regular Junior’s Cheesecake.
Junior’s Pineapple Cheesecake
Makes one 9-inch Cake, about 2 1/2 inches high.
1 recipe Thin Sponge cake layer for Cheesecake 1 recipe Junior’s Famous NO.1 Pure Cream Cheesecake
For the Macaroon Crunchsee note
1/2 cup chopped mixed nuts (almonds, pecans, and/or walnuts)
1/3 cup angel flake coconut
For the Pineapple Topping
1 1-pound cans crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup small fresh pineapple chunks (optional) *see note
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9-inch springform pan. Make and bake the sponge cake layer. Make the cheesecake filling and bake the cake as for Junior’s Famous Cheesecake. Transfer the baked cake to a wire rack to cool, about 1 hour.
While the cake is baking and cooling, make the macaroon crunch. Spread the
nuts and coconut on a baking sheet and toast in a 350 F oven until golden
and crunchy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set the crunch aside to cool.
White the cake is cooling, make the pineapple filling: Drain the syrup from
both cans of pineapple into a measuring cup. Pour 1 cup of the syrup into a
small saucepan and whisk in the cornstarch and lemon juice. Bring this
mixture to a rolling boil over high heat and boil until thickened, about 2
minutes. fold in the canned pineapple, pulse the fresh pineapple, if you
wish, and cook 1 minute more. Remove the topping from the heat and stir in
the butter until melted. Pour the topping into a heatproof bowl and
refrigerate until it’s cold, about 30 minutes.
Mound the pineapple topping on top of the cooled caked, cover the top of the cake completely. Sprinkle the macaroon crunch in a 1 1/2 inch boarder around the edge of the cheesecake., covering the fruit around the outside edge.
Loosely cover the entire cake with plastic wrap, being careful not to let
the glaze stick to the wrap. Refrigerate the cake until it’s completely
cold, at least 4 hours of overnight. Remove the cake from the pan and serve
it chilled. Wrap any leftover cake in plastic warp and store in the
refrigerator.
*Caution: Do not use more fresh pineapple than the recipe calls for, as this
can make the topping lose its stiffness.
***Junior’s uses Macaroon crumbs around the edge. Since most of us do not
have barrels of macaroon crumbs sitting around as they do at Junior’s, the
master baker’s at Junior’s suggest a mixture of toasted nuts and coconut.
They will work just fine.
Junior’s Pumpkin Cheesecake Makes one 9-inch cake
1 recipe Thin Sponge Cake Layer for Cheesecake
1 (1 1/2 pound) pie pumpkin (such as sugar baby) or 1 cup canned solid pack pumpkin
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 recipe Junior’s Cheesecake
Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9-inch springform pan. Make and bake the sponge cake layer.
If you’re using the fresh pumpkin: Cut the pumpkin into quarters, discarding
the stem, seeds, and pith. Cook the pumpkin in boiling water until tender
and transfer it with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and cool. Now
scrape the pulp into a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until
smooth (you need 1 cup of pumpkin puree). Beat in cinnamon until blended. If
you’re using canned pumpkin; blend it with the cinnamon.
Make the cheesecake filling. Add the spiced pumpkin after blending in the
eggs in step 3 of the Junior’s cheesecake recipe.
Bake the cake, remove it from the pan, then cool, serve, and store it as
directed for Junior’s Cheesecake.
Junior’s Fresh Strawberry Cheesecake
1 recipe Thin Sponge cake layer for Cheesecake
1 recipe Junior’s Famous NO.1 Pure Cream Cheesecake
For the Macaroon Crunchsee note
1/2 cup chopped mixed nuts (almonds, pecans, and/or walnuts)
1/3 cup angel flake coconut
For The Strawberry Topping
1 quart large ripe strawberries
1 cup strawberry
1/3 cup apricot preserves
Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9-inch springform pan. Make and bake the sponge cake layer. Make the cheesecake filling and bake the cake as for Junior’s Famous Cheesecake. Transfer the baked cake to a wire rack to cool, about 1 hour.
While the cake is baking and cooling, make the macaroon crunch. Spread the
nuts and coconut on a baking sheet and toast in a 350 F oven until golden
and crunchy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set the crunch aside to cool.
To prepare the strawberries: Wash, hull, and sort through the strawberries,
then pat them dry with paper towels. Starting at the outside edge of the
cheesecake, arrange the berries on their sides, in rows, with ends pointing
toward the edge of the cake. Continue until the top of the cake is completely covered by strawberries.
Now make the strawberry topping: Melt the strawberry jelly and apricot
preserves together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Strain and
drizzle the warm jelly over the berries.
Sprinkle the macaroon crunch in a 1 1/2-inch border around the edge of the
cheesecake, covering the berries around the outside edge. Loosely cover the
entire cake with plastic wrap, being careful not to let the glaze stick to
the wrap. Refrigerate the cake until it’s completely cold, at least 4 hours
or overnight. Remove the cake from the pan and serve it chilled. Wrap any
leftover cake in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
***Junior’s uses Macaroon crumbs around the edge. Since most of us do not
have barrels of macaroon crumbs sitting around as they do at Junior’s, the
master baker’s at Junior’s suggest a mixture of toasted nuts and coconut.
They will work just fine.
