If you ever wanted to make a cheesecake that feels like it came straight outta a French kitchen, well, let me tell you, you’re in the right place! This French-style cheesecake is light, fluffy, and just a bit tangy, and I’ll walk you through it step by step, so you don’t get lost in all the fancy terms. Now, let’s get that apron on, and let’s get bakin’!
This here French cheesecake is a bit different from the heavy, thick cheesecakes you might be used to. It’s lighter, and instead of using cream cheese like we do in the States, they use a cheese called fromage blanc. Now, I know you might not find that cheese around your local store, but don’t worry, I got a few tricks up my sleeve to help you make it work with what you got. I’ll explain all that soon enough.
Now, first thing’s first. You need to gather up your ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need for this French-style cheesecake:
- 1 1/2 cups of cream cheese
- 1 cup of double cream (or heavy cream if you can’t find double cream)
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of flour
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup of sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the crust: You can use digestive biscuits or graham crackers, and a bit of melted butter.
Now, before you even start, get yourself a 9-inch springform pan, and grease that thing up real good. If you ain’t got one, just use a regular pie dish or whatever pan you got, but make sure you line it with parchment paper. Trust me, you’ll thank me later when you’re tryin’ to get it out without makin’ a mess.
Alright, let’s get bakin’! First, if you’re gonna make that crust (and you should!), crush up them digestive biscuits or graham crackers. Put ‘em in a bag and beat ‘em with a rolling pin if you don’t have a food processor. Mix them crumbs with about 3 tablespoons of melted butter. Press that mixture into the bottom of your pan and bake it in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, just until it starts to turn golden. Then, set it aside to cool while you get the filling ready.
For the filling, first thing you wanna do is take your cream cheese and double cream (or heavy cream) and beat ‘em together until they’re nice and smooth. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer, but you don’t wanna leave lumps in there, so make sure you give it a good beatin’.
Once that’s done, add in the sugar and the flour, and mix it up real good. You want everything to be all combined. After that, it’s time to add the egg yolks, sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Beat it some more until it’s smooth and creamy.
Now, here’s where it gets a bit tricky. You gotta take them egg whites and beat ‘em up until they’re stiff. You want ’em to stand up like little peaks when you lift up the whisk. Then, gently fold those egg whites into the mixture. Don’t stir too hard, or you’ll knock all the air out, and you won’t get that nice fluffy texture we’re after. Just fold it in carefully, nice and slow.
Once that’s all done, pour the mixture into your cooled crust. Smooth it out on top, and then pop it in the oven at 325°F for about 45-50 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the edges are set, but the center still jiggles a little bit. Don’t worry, it’ll firm up as it cools.
Once it’s out of the oven, let it cool down for about 30 minutes at room temperature. Then, put it in the fridge and let it chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight if you’ve got the patience. When you’re ready to serve, you can top it with some fresh berries or a little bit of fruit syrup if you like, but honestly, this cheesecake is so good on its own, you don’t need nothin’ extra.
And there you have it! A French-style cheesecake that’s light, creamy, and just the right amount of tangy. You’ll be feelin’ fancy just bakin’ it, and I promise you, folks will think you spent all day in the kitchen. But we know the secret, don’t we? Simple, easy, and delicious.
Give this a try the next time you wanna impress someone, or just treat yourself to something sweet. And don’t forget, you can swap out the fromage blanc for ricotta cheese if you can’t find it. Either way, you’ll end up with somethin’ mighty tasty.
Tags：[french style cheesecake, cheesecake recipe, easy cheesecake, homemade cheesecake, dessert recipes, french dessert, light cheesecake, cheesecake with sour cream, simple cheesecake recipe]
