The title of Maida Heatter’s new book sums up why I love my job, Happiness is Baking. When I am sad, I bake! When I am celebrating, I bake! No matter where my mood starts out, I’m always carried to a place of joy as I make my way through a recipe.
Maida Heatter has lead me on so many journeys in the kitchen that they are literally countless. I have nearly all of her books and was so thrilled to find out that at the happy age of 102, she has a new one for all of us bakers to enjoy.
I went to a classic recipe, the Maida Heatter Bull’s Eye Cheesecake, because it is so striking and delicious. I believe she developed this recipe for one of her first books in 1974. The recipe stands alone and needs nothing but a plate and fork, but sometimes I just can’t leave well enough alone and I draped the whole thing in a glossy ganache.
You can watch me make the Maida Heatter Bull’s Eye Cheesecake and pour the ganache over the top for a perfectly smooth finish in my instagram videos. Maida Heatter and her publisher have graciously allowed me to share the recipe, which is below.
You can also find my Show Stopping Cheesecake Class on Craftsy, where I show this technique and all kinds of other simple and fancy cheesecakes. Check out my essential cheesecake making equipment in my Amazon shop.
Thank you to Maida Heatter for graciously sharing her wisdom and this recipe. Thank you to her publisher Little, Brown and Company for sending the book!
Ingredients
Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust (Zoë's Recipe)
- 9 (140g) full sized graham crackers
- 4 tbsp (57g) unsalted butter melted
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- pinch salt
Cheesecake Batter (All Ingredients Should be at Room Temperature)
- 2 lbs (907g) cream cheese*
- 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 large eggs
- 2/3 cup (150g) sugar for the white striped batter
- 2/3 cup (150g) brown sugar for the chocolate striped batter
- 1 tsp instant espresso or coffee powder
- 2 tsp dark cocoa powder I used 1 tablespoon for a more intense color and flavor
Zoë's Ganache (Optional)
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp brewed espresso or 2 tsp espresso powder
- 1 lb (454g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate finely chopped
- ~1/4 cup (57g) solid coconut oil
Instructions
Cheesecake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 x 3-Inch Cake Pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment. (This pan is NOT a springform, which may leak when baking in a water bath. I will show you how to get the cake out of the pan in my instagram video.)
Crust
- In a Food Processor, pulverize the graham crackers until they are powdered. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until the mixture is coated evenly with the butter. Firmly press the crust in the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until it looks dry. Allow to cool as you prepare the batter.
Cheescake Batter
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth with the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, on medium-low speed. Mix in the sour cream, vanilla and almond extracts and salt. Scrape the bowl often and make sure the mixture is smooth before continuing. Add the eggs, one at a time.
- Divide the batter into two bowls. Add the granulated sugar to one bowl, mix well until sugar is dissolved. Add the brown sugar, espresso and cocoa powder to the second bowl and mix well until sugar is dissolved.
Layer the Batters
- Pour 3/4 cup of the cocoa batter onto the center of the cooled crust. Pour 3/4 cup of the white batter into the center of the cocoa batter in the pan. Pour 3/4 of the cocoa batter into the center of the white batter in the pan. Repeat this process until you've used all the batter, going back and forth with the two colors. The batter will spread and some of the stripes will be submerged, but you will end up with a bull's eye pattern on top and striped when it is cut. You can watch me make this in my Craftsy Cheesecake Class.
- Place the cheesecake in a water bath, tent and vent with foil. Bake for about 90 minutes or until the top is set and slightly puffed up. Remove from the oven, run a knife around the cake and allow to cool in the water bath, so it cools slowly. See this process in my Craftsy Cheesecake Class.
- Remove from pan by waving the pan over the open flame or hot coils of your stove, run the knife around the edge again and invert the cake on to a plastic covered flat disk (cardboard round or the false bottom of a tart pan work well). Invert the cake onto an 8-Inch Cardboard Cake Circle that fits the bottom exactly. If you are not covering in ganache, you can invert directly onto the serving plate. Refrigerate until ready to cover in ganache.
Ganache
- Heat the cream and espresso until simmering, turn off heat. Add the chopped chocolate and coconut oil, swirl until the chocolate is submerged in the hot cream, allow to sit for 3 minutes. Gently whisk until smooth. Allow to cool until thick and just about room temperature.
- Place the cheesecake on a cooling rack, over a parchment lined baking sheet and pour the ganache over the cake. See my instagram or Craftsy class for instructions on how to pour it into a perfectly smooth sheet.
- Allow to sit several minutes before moving, then refrigerate the cheesecake still on the rack. Run a knife or spatula under the cake and move to a serving plate. Keep refrigerated until ready to cut and serve.
Love all your desserts. Your way of preparing them seems to be very simple to do!!!
This cheesecake looks like an illusion!
Okay, that confirms it. You are now my go-to-girl for baking recipes. You are inspired and inspiring! Thank you for honoring the craft of baking and elevating it to an art while still making it fun and unintimidating! Let’s make a pact to still be baking when we’re over 100!
My family loves cheesecake! I have read some of Maida Heatter’s recipes. Would love to have one of her books.
Gorgeous! Thank you for sharing Maida’s recipe with us! The cheesecake swirls are mesmerizing.
Maida is my baking guru and has been since I found her baking books many years ago. I grew up with her instructions. I would love a copy of this book. Maida means the world to me
I would love to win a copy! Love this blog too.
This looks absolutely amazing!! I can’t wait to try it! Love watching you bake, u always have great music
This looks amazing! Definitely going to give it a try!
It looks amazing (like everything you make actually ). I love watching your videos as everything seems always so easy.
Lovely! The ganache must be heavenly!
OMG I have to make this. You have certainly gilded the lily. ❤️
Not usually a cheesecake person but I would make this!
Dear Zoe
So wonderful that another Maida Heatter book is out! And that you have taken her gorgeous cheesecake to another level ! The world is a better and sweeter place with dessert cuisine masters like you and Ms. Heatter bringing us these beautiful creations. Although she has had many honorifics, I happen to like ‘Queen of Cakes’ …. and it works for you too!
This is so tempting!
I love all your cheesecake
Love from malaysia
This cheesecake has a fun surprise when you cut into it.
Your bakes make my mouth water just looking at them! Your son is a lucky one to be able to pop in and grab a bite of something delicious whenever you bake 🙂 thank you for sharing your skills and for always including such lovely photos and videos to follow!
Absolutely love this technique and visual effect to the cheesecake. And the ganache truly makes it elegant!!
Maida Hatter is an icon and pastry arts! I would love to add her book to my collection ..
This is absolutely gorgeous and that ganache looks divine! One of my favorite things about you is how you find a way to take a recipe to the next level. Wow!
Can’t wait to try this!
Looks so delicious!
Beautiful and looks tasty. Loving learning more about where my Grandmother’s recipes came from
This is so beautiful!
What a terrific looking cake! Now to find the perfect reason to make it…
Looks delicious!! I love bull’s eyes treats.