Almond Cheesecake

Preheat Oven & Prep Pan - Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease and line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan.
Make Crust - In a medium bowl, mix together vanilla wafer crumbs, ground almonds, brown sugar and melted butter until combined. Firmly press the crust into the bottom and up the sides your prepared pan. Bake for 8 minutes, then place in the freezer to cool down.
1 ½ Cups (150g) Vanilla Wafer Crumbs
⅓ Cup (36g) Roasted Almonds
¼ Cup (50g) Light Brown Sugar
6 Tablespoons (85g) Unsalted Butter
Lower Oven Temp - Lower the oven temp to 325ºF. Boil water in a kettle. Then grab a large roasting pan and have it nearby.
Make Filling - In a large bowl, and using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, whisk together softened cream cheese and sugar until very smooth. Then on low, mix in the sour cream, almond extract and vanilla extract until combined. Again on low, mix in the eggs, one at a time until combined. Scrape down the bowl after each addition. Do not overmix.
24 Ounces (681g | 3 Blocks) Full-Fat Cream Cheese
¾ Cup (150g) White Sugar
¾ Cup (170g) Full-Fat Sour Cream
1 Tablespoon Almond Extract
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 Large Eggs
Wrap Pan - Remove the crust from the freezer and wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with 3 to 4 pieces of heavy duty foil. If you do not have any foil, you can place the whole springform pan in a larger cake pan.
Fill Pan - Pour cheesecake filling into the crust, smoothing the top with a spatula. Lift the pan a few inches off the counter and drop it a few times to knock out any air bubbles. Place the cheesecake into the roasting pan and transfer the whole pan into your oven. Fill the roasting pan with 1 inch of very hot water.
Bake - Quickly close the oven door and bake for 55 minutes. The cheesecake is ready when the edges are slightly puffed and set, and the center jiggles similar to jello.
Cool in Oven - Turn the oven off and crack the oven door with a wooden spoon. Leave the cheesecake to cool inside the oven for 1 hour.
Chill in Fridge - Remove the cheesecake from the oven and water bath and transfer to a wire rack to cool at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. Cover and refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Make Almond Cream - When you are ready to serve, make almond whipped cream. Add cold heavy cream, powdered sugar and almond extract in a large bowl, and with a hand mixer, whisk until firm peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag or you can spoon on top of the cheesecake.
1 Cup (227g) Heavy Cream
2 to 3 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
1 Teaspoon Almond Extract
Serve - Remove cheesecake by running a paring knife or thin metal spatula around the sides of the pan and remove the outer ring. Transfer the cheesecake onto a serving plate. Decorate with whipped cream and fresh blackberries if desired. Serve and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

Crust

Cheesecake Filling

Almond Whipped Cream

Instructions

Notes