Apple Crisp Cheesecake

1. 1

   Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature, especially the cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs. This is important to ensure a smooth batter.

Make the graham crust:

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. 2

   In a food processor, pulse graham crackers until you get fine crumbs. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and pulse a few more times. Drizzle in the melted butter and pulse until moist crumbs form. It should feel like wet sand.

3. 3

   Transfer the graham crust mixture onto a 9-inch springform pan (locked). Press it tightly and firmly until you form a compact crust on the bottom and slightly up the sides.

4. 4

   Pre-bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool. Do not turn off the oven.

Make the crisp topping:

1. 1

   In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and oats. Add the butter and work it with your fingers until you get pea-size crumbs. Set aside.

Make the apple topping:

1. 1

   In a bowl, combine the apples with the 2 tablespoons brown sugar and ¾ teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.

Make the cheesecake filling:

1. 1

   Using a handheld electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese with the granulated sugar over medium-high speed until smooth and creamy for 2 minutes. If needed, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Don’t overmix.

2. 2

   Reduce mixer to medium speed. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and mix until just combined.

3. 3

   Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Again, don’t overmix, or the cheesecake will crack or sink in the middle. Give it a final mix with a rubber spatula, scraping the sides of the bowl if needed. Set aside.

Assemble and bake in a water bath:

1. 1

   At this point, boil water, enough to cover about 1 inch of a large roasting pan (for the cheesecake water bath). The roasting pan should be large enough to fit the springform pan.

2. 2

   Tightly wrap the exterior of the prepared 9-inch springform pan (bottom and sides) with 4 layers of aluminum foil to prevent any water leakage from the water bath. Pour the cheesecake batter into the pre-baked crust.

3. 3

   Remove any excess liquid from the prepared apples. Top the cheesecake with the apples and the crisp/crumble topping evenly. Tip: Make sure to remove excess liquid from the apples to prevent a pool of water from forming. I drain the prepared apples through a colander and pat it dry with paper towel.

4. 4

   Transfer the assembled cheesecake to a large roasting pan and place it in the oven. Then, pour the hot boiled water into the roasting pan to cover about ¾ to 1 inch.

5. 5

   Bake for 70-75 minutes at 325 degrees F. Don't open the oven until time's up, otherwise the heat and moisture will escape. The cheesecake is ready when a thermometer inserted in the middle reads 150 degrees F. Note: I usually do the wobble test to check if it’s ready (edges set but wobbly still in the center), but you can’t tell with this one because of the topping. Use a thermometer instead - it will look jiggly in the center and set around the edges.

6. 6

   Turn the oven off and crack open the oven door slightly. Let the cheesecake cool inside the oven for 1 hour. Then, remove it from oven and run a knife around the edges to slightly loosen up the edges. Let it cool completely on the counter. Cover the top with foil and refrigerate overnight or at least 5 hours, don’t remove it from the springform pan yet. Tip: Cooling down the cheesecake inside the oven helps prevent further cracks. Cheesecakes don’t like drastic changes in temperature.

7. 7

   Once it’s fully chilled, run a knife around the edges again. Release the cheesecake from the springform pan. Slice and serve. If desired, drizzle with caramel sauce or serve with whipped cream.