Creamy Vanilla Cheesecake - by Lisa

So I've now made cheesecake cupcakes and cheesecake bars, but this is the first real and proper cheesecake that I've ever made! :) I also decided that this would make for a fun birthday cake for my sister-in-law Amanda. Happy Birthday Amanda! Since this cake required some time in the fridge, I made it the night before. I also decided to dress it up with the Ginger-Bourbon Peach Sauce. (Doesn't it sound fancy - like something you'd find on a menu? Creamy Vanilla Cheesecake with Ginger-Bourbon Sauce) :)

I confess to being a little nervous about making this dessert. Partly because it was a new recipe that I was preparing for a special occasion and partly because I've heard cheesecakes can be a little persnickety. I really needn't have worried though because this came together really pretty well.

First I made the graham cracker crust, and while it baked, I put together the filling.

I think it covered nearly all the "cream" categories - cream cheese, heavy cream, sour cream. LOL! The recipe also calls for this to be baked in a water bath. Because of my oven set up, I had to made do with using my cast iron skillet for holding my spring-form pan and the water. I think it worked out mostly ok, but all of the water ended up evaporating, so I don't think I used enough. The only other problem I had was not keeping a close enough eye on it. About 5 minutes before the minimum bake time, I checked on it and was dismayed to find the top had turned quite brown. :( I'm not sure if my oven was the problem, if I over baked it, or if the rack should have been lower. Oh well, lesson learned for next time!

While it was baking, Hubby helped me make the sauce. That part was pretty easy. I was worried that the bourbon would be really noticeable, but I couldn't taste it at all! The sauce was awesome! Spicy and sweet all at once. Both sauce and cake were left in the fridge to set up overnight.

 

After dinner, we sang happy birthday and then dug in.

Every last one of us thoroughly enjoyed our slices! (Some more than others perhaps judging by the photo below.)

 I was very happy with how it turned out, and most importantly, the birthday girl found it to be delicious!! I love baking for people, so I am extra happy with how well this dessert turned out!