Mixed Berry Cheese Cake
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Recipe type: Dessert
 
This recipe is one of my favorites from my mom. She was a fantastic cook, baker and party host. I grew up with her always giving dinner parties and doing all of the cooking and the baking herself. Later she started her own mustard and specialty foods business and was way ahead of her time. I truly think her recipe is the best cheese cake I have ever tasted. This cake is perfect for any celebration but with its vibrant red, white and blue colors you have to make this for your next July 4th Celebration! Or for my Canadian friends just use strawberries and raspberries and make for Canada Day!
Ingredients
  • grated lemon rind from one lemon
  • 3 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 lbs cream cheese (slightly softened)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 ¾ cup sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • various berries and apple jelly for decorative topping
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. In a food processor with steel blade, blend cream cheese until soft and creamy.
  3. Add sugar gradually and make smooth.
  4. Add eggs, one at a time, blending after each addition. Add vanilla, lemon juice and lemon rind.
  5. Pour into well buttered 8” dia. by 3” high pan with parchment paper on bottom to help prevent
  6. sticking. Do not use a spring form pan.
  7. Place 8” pan in larger pan filled with boiling water to create a water bath.
  8. Place in oven and bake for approx. 1 ½ hours.
  9. Cool cake completely.
  10. Remove and turn upside down onto plate and slide out. I like to place cake on a plate covered in
  11. parchment paper and then cover with plastic wrap and freeze. I love to make things ahead of
  12. time and freeze when possible. This makes things so much easier when entertaining so you are
  13. not making everything day-of. This cake freezes very well.
  14. If cake is frozen, unwrap and place on serving plate before it defrosts. Once cake defrosts it is
  15. impossible to move so I find this a great way to make sure the cake is perfectly centered on your
  16. serving plate.
  17. Remove parchment paper from top of cake and defrost in fridge.
  18. Decorate with various berries and paint with melted apple jelly. Melt the apple jelly by putting
  19. a little bit at a time in the microwave until jelly is liquid. Brush over berries to create shine and
  20. a kind of glue to keep everything together. I call the apple jelly my shellac.
  21. Enjoy celebrating Canada Day, Independence Day and my mom!
Recipe by Plan-it Vicki at https://plan-itvicki.com/mixed-berry-cheese-cake/