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.
Looks very yum
A truly decadent came with the addition of the ganache. Bravo!
Thank you for running another fabulous giveaway! Fingers crossed!
Amazing!!
Thank you for sharing! You make everything seem possible.
When I was 18, I was lost and unsure what to do with life. After finishing high school, and before entering college, I took on my first full-time job. It was an incredible experience and one I was glad to have had before entering college. That first job was also my gateway into cookbooks and a passion for cooking. Next door to my job was an antique-shop where I stumbled across a 1977 version of Maida’s Book of Great Cookies. Through Maida’s words I fell in love with cookbooks; the places they could take me and the lessons they could teach me about life and world and those inhabiting it.
I have all of her books and would love to add another. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
This looks soooo good! So smooth and simple on the outside but has a surprise on the inside. I want to make this for my family
Would love to make this. Stunning!
I have also enjoyed her books, I love her informal, personal style of writing!
102….wow!
How lovely!
So impressive. Can’t wait to make it. I was also intrigued by a recipe in the book for David’s Cookies. Great giveaway!
I am so happy to recently have found your Instagram anand website. I love all of your creativity and how you pay hommage to your “greats.” Thank you for sharing and doing this giveaway!
Well done, Zoë! Looking forward to Maida’s new book!
This looks delicious! I can’t wait to make it.
Thank you for including the recipes.
This cheesecake looks divine. I love how elegant a simply ganache can create on a dessert.
I’m beginning to dabble in the world of baking and have never heard of Maida Heatter. However that will change soon with a bit or research. Thanks for sharing one of her recipes!
I have love Maida Heatter’s books for nearly fifty years. My copy of her first book was a paperback and ended up falling apart with use. Her recipes always work well. It’s impossible to pick a favorite. I’m delighted that she has a new book.
What a superstar dessert! Can’t wait to try it, because you make it look easy! Would love to win the book.
Wow, how did you get the ganache so smooth? Stunning
The cheesecake and glaze looks so good!! I would love to make one of these for a party!
This looks amazing!
For some reason I really want cheesecake right now!
Looks yummy! I’d like to enter to win a copy of Maida’s new book! It’d be a great addition to my collection! Thanks!
Wow wow wow this looks like one to make again and again!