Fluffy Crustless Cheesecake

This Fluffy Crustless Cheesecake is simply the best, and it happens to be gluten free! One of the most popular recipes on Cooking with Mamma C. Don’t miss the video!

So, I casually mentioned in my last post that homemade chocolate liqueur is perfect to pour over cheesecake. In my head, I was thinking of this fluffy, crustless cheesecake — otherwise known as the best cheesecake I’ve ever tried.

It’s pure decadence!

I’m almost at a loss for words in trying to describe this dessert, which happens to be gluten free. It’s fluffy, airy, luscious and so delicately soft.

Delicious on its own, it’s flavored with vanilla and is just begging to be accented with your favorite topping. I’ve tried it with homemade versions of chocolate liqueur, strawberry liqueur and limoncello.

I know. To die for!

But it’d be excellent with non-alcoholic toppings like caramel sauce, raspberry coulis or strawberry preserves.Like the liqueur, we enjoy this cheesecake on our trips to Connecticut to visit my in-laws for the holidays. A dear family friend makes it, and my mother-in-law stores it in the freezer to thaw when we arrive.

(She knows how much I love this cheesecake. Heck, I think everyone in Connecticut knows how much I love this cheesecake.)I finally got the recipe over the summer, and have been waiting for Christmastime to try it. It’s definitely a special occasion kind of dessert, something to make when it can be shared.

It’s way too dangerous for me to have around just because. I don’t have that kind of self control.

But on Christmas day, I’ll happily indulge in this rich, fluffy crustless cheesecake, topped with our delicious chocolate liqueur. It’s the perfect present, don’t you think?

Here are some tips for this crustless cheesecake:

1. To prevent lumps, let your cream cheese come to room temperature before starting. Beat each block one at a time, until it’s smooth and creamy. Add each ingredient one at a time, beating after each addition, just until combined. Then mix everything for seven minutes on a high speed that won’t splash. Your batter must be smooth before baking.
2. To prevent over browning, move your top oven rack down to the second lowest position and bake your cheesecake there, with nothing above it so there’s room.
3. To prevent cracks, bake your cheesecake in a water bath (bain marie) by filling a roasting pan 1/4 full with hot water and letting your springform pan (affiliate link) with the batter rest in it. When done baking, leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door ajar for one hour.
4. Test to see if your springform pan leaks before filling it by letting it sit in the water bath for 10 minutes. If water seeps into the pan, you can dry it, then place your springform in a pie dish. Then set the pie dish with the springform in the water bath and proceed.

Buon Natale and Happy Hanukkah, my friends! May your days be filled with peace and joy.

P.S. I now have a chocolate version of this gluten-free, crustless cheesecake! You must try this Chocolate Cheesecake!

(Recipe Source: Barely adapted from family friends Lee and Carol, who said it originally came from Williams Sonoma)

Watch the video to see how to make Fluffy Crustless Cheesecake!

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Fluffy Crustless Cheesecake

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 5 mins

Total Time

1 hr 25 mins

 

This gluten-free cheesecake is fluffy, airy & luscious. Try it with your favorite topping! Note that you will need to refrigerate the cheesecake overnight before cutting into it, so plan ahead.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crustless cheesecake, gluten-free cheesecake

Servings: 14

Calories: 452 kcal

Author: Cooking with Mamma C

Ingredients

• 5 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese (at room temperature)
• 6 eggs (large)
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pint sour cream (low-fat is fine)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. An hour ahead of time, unwrap your cream cheese blocks and set them out at room temperature to soften. When the cream cheese is softened, start the recipe.
2. Move the top oven rack down to the second lowest position in your oven, with nothing above it (to prevent over browning the cheesecake). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 10-inch springform pan. (See notes if you have a 9-inch springform.)
3. Fill a roasting pan 1/4 full with hot water. If you have a leak-proof springform, place it in the water bath. If you suspect your springform will leak, (see notes) place it in a pie dish, then place the pie dish with the springform in the water bath.
4. In a large mixing bowl, add one block of cream cheese and beat it until creamy. Continue adding one block of cream cheese at a time and beating well, scraping the bowl as needed. There must not be any lumps in your batter. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition on low. Add the remaining ingredients one at a time, mixing to combine after each addition. When all ingredients have been added, beat on high (or as high as you can without splashing) for seven minutes.

5. Transfer the batter to the springform pan (filling it no more than 3/4 of the way to the top; see notes for what to do with extra batter). Bake the springform in the water bath for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. Then lower the temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for 45-55 minutes. The top should be set, except for a small circle in the middle. Do not insert anything into the cheesecake to test it, or it will crack. Turn off the heat and let the cheesecake stay in the oven with the door ajar for one hour.

6. Leave the cheesecake in the springform pan and let it finish cooling on a wire rack. Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight before cutting into it.
   

7. To slice, remove the outer circle of the pan and dip a knife in warm water to make the cuts. (Keep the bottom of the pan under the cheesecake. You can even place the cheesecake with the bottom portion of the pan on a cake stand.) Store the cheesecake covered in the refrigerator (you can keep it in the springform) for up to three days or freeze it for up to 3 weeks.

Recipe Notes

• To test if your springform leaks, place your springform pan in the water bath and wait 10 minutes to see if any water seeps into your springform. If so, dry it, grease it and place your springform in a pie dish. Then place the pie dish with the springform in the water bath.
• Even if you have a 10-inch springform, just fill it 3/4 full so it doesn't overflow. If you only have a 9-inch springform pan, fill it 3/4 full with the batter. Bake the remaining batter in two ramekins or another suitable baking dish, in a water bath, ideally in a separate oven, so you can pull out them out earlier without affecting the springform cheesecake. I baked my extra batter in a separate oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then 25 minutes at 375 degrees, then left it in the oven with the door ajar for 20 minutes. If you don't have a separate oven, bake the ramekins/baking dish in the same oven with the springform cheesecake for the full amount of time (it's important not to open the oven during baking) and just know that the ramekins/baking dish will come out a bit overcooked, but tasty.
• This cheesecake is barely adapted from a Williams Sonoma recipe.

Nutrition Facts

Fluffy Crustless Cheesecake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 452 Calories from Fat 333

% Daily Value*

Fat 37g57%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 173mg58%

Sodium 95mg4%

Potassium 73mg2%

Carbohydrates 23g8%

Sugar 22g24%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 1170IU23%

Vitamin C 0.3mg0%

Calcium 105mg11%

Iron 0.4mg2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.