Week 38: Snickerdoodle Cheesecake

While at the grocery store yesterday a magazine caught my eye... Better Homes and Gardens' Holiday Baking... 112 Recipes to Bake and Share.  I had not chosen my cake for week 38 so when I turned to the recipe index and counted 24 cake recipes I knew there was a good chance I would find this week's cake.  Out of the 24 cake recipes nine are cheesecakes; five of which you will see here before year's end.
I baked the Snickerdoodle Cheesecake yesterday.  It is not only delicious; it is a beautiful cake with cinnamon sugar sparkling on top!

This cake is a true winner and a wonderful cake to bake to welcome fall!

Snickerdoodle Cheesecake
(Source: Better Homes and Gardens)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Crust:
1  10 ounce package shortbread cookies, finely crushed
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Stir together crushed cookies and 1 tablespoon sugar.  Stir in melted butter until combined.  Press mixture onto the bottom and up the sides a bit of a lightly buttered, 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

Cake Batter:
2  8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
3 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1  8 ounce carton sour cream
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, sour cream, the 1 cup sugar, flour, vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Stir in eggs. Pour batter onto the shortbread crust, spreading evenly. 
Stir together the 1 tablespoon sugar and the 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle over the cake.

Place the pan on a shallow, foil lined baking sheet and bake 40-50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the cake, comes out clean.
Cool completely on a cooling rack and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Enjoy!

To make this cake gluten free use Pam's gluten free shortbread cookies for the crust and Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix for the flour called for in the cake batter.


Happy Baking!
Julie