Poppy Seed Layered Cheesecake

Recipe:

Ingredient Notes:

• Cream cheese. Any cream cheese similar to Philadelphia will work, but brick-style (block) cream cheese is best for the right texture. Always check the consistency before making the filling. If your cheese is very soft, you can adjust the balance between the cheese and sour cream to stabilize the filling: use a bit more cheese and slightly less sour cream
• Sour cream. The ideal fat content is 20-30%. If you prefer, you can substitute it with heavy cream (30% fat or higher).
• Eggs. Use Large (US/Canada) or Grade M (EU) eggs. This is approximately 50-55g per egg without the shell.
• Sugar. Fine granulated sugar is best. If the sugar crystals are too large, you can pulse them in a coffee grinder or use powdered sugar instead.
• Cookies. Any simple butter cookies, like Graham crackers or Digestive biscuits, will work perfectly. For a deeper chocolate flavor, feel free to use chocolate cookies for the base.
• Butter. For the cheesecake crust, use high-quality butter with at least 72% fat content.
• Poppy seed layer. Instead of making the filling from scratch as described in the recipe, you can use store-bought canned poppy seed filling. It’s a great time-saver!
• Raisins. Feel free to use any variety you prefer. I used golden raisins, but dark raisins or sultanas work just as well.
• Alcohol. In this recipe, alcohol is used to enhance the aroma and add depth to the flavor. You can substitute brandy with dark or spiced rum. If you prefer to avoid alcohol entirely, simply soak the raisins in orange juice instead.
• Honey. It’s best to use a honey with a mild, delicate flavor for this cheesecake. Linden or acacia honey are perfect choices, as they won’t overpower the other ingredients.

Let’s start cooking!

Pour the brandy over the raisins and set them aside.

Pour boiling water over the poppy seeds and let them sit for 10-15 minutes.

Drain the water. Run the poppy seeds through a meat grinder with a fine plate once, or with a standard plate three times.

Add the honey, egg, raisins, and egg white. Mix well.

Let the mixture sit for a little while longer.

Grind the cookies in a food processor.

Add the melted butter and mix. Transfer the mixture to a springform pan and press it firmly into the bottom, but do not form the sides.

Place the pan in a preheated oven to 160°C (320°F) and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to about 150°C (300°F).

Beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Be careful not to overbeat the mixture — if it becomes full of air bubbles, the cheesecake may puff up and crack while baking.

Spread the poppy seed mixture onto the crust and smooth it out.

Pour the filling over it.

Place the pan in the oven over a pan of boiling water placed on the bottom rack. Bake the cheesecake for about an hour.

It is important not to overbake the cheesecake; otherwise, it may crack as it cools. To tell if the cake is done, tap the side of the pan with a spoon. Only the center (5–6 cm) of a done cheesecake should wobble.

Leave the finished cheesecake in the oven for 40 minutes. Then, remove it and let it cool to room temperature. After that, place it in the refrigerator for 4 hours, or preferably overnight.

Before serving, run a knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cheesecake, remove the rim, and transfer it to a serving plate.

Enjoy!

This Poppy Seed Layered Cheesecake recipe was checked, prepared and approved by Chef Tatyana Nazaruk - author of FlavorIt.com.
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