Cheesecake by Charles

Cakes

A class-act cheesecake recipe from my brother, Charlie Ricker.

Crust:
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 and 1/2 tablespoons butter

1. Grease an 8-in. spring-form cake pan thickly with:   1 and 1/2 tablespoons of  butter.   Turn the form on its side, put in a few graham cracker crumbs and shake to the sides.    Keep turning the form and adding more crumbs as needed. When sides are well-coated, shake a light coating of crumbs onto the bottom (about 1/2 cup crumbs in all).  Put spring form in freezer for 30 minutes, or refri­gerate for 2 hours.

Cake:
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites (reserve)
2 tablespoons flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups scalded half and half cream (heat in saucepan to a simmer - stir constantly and don't let stick or burn)
strawberries or blueberries for topping

1. Preheat oven to 300°
2. Put cream cheese, sugar, egg yolks, flour, vanilla, and salt in a mixing bowl and beat until mixture is smooth.  
3.  Turn speed to lowest and gradually pour in: 2 cups of scalded cream.
4. In a separate bowl, beat: 4 eggs whites until stiff but not dry.   Add to cream cheese mixture and fold in lightly, but thoroughly.  (Don't beat.)
5. Pour mixture into the prepared pan, set pan on a cookie sheet.  Also, put a pan with 1 inch of water on the bottom rack of the stove. 
6. Bake at 300° for 1 and 1/2 hours.  It should still "jiggle" a bit when ready.
7. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving.

Note: You may cover the top of the cake with a layer of fresh strawberries or blueberry jam after it is removed from the spring form.