This cheesecake recipe has always intimated me even though it’s listed as “foolproof”. But my mom loves cheesecake so it seemed like a good one to make for her birthday cake.

This bake taught me a lot… But mainly that this is NOT a cake to make on a weeknight after work.

The cake baked for nearly 4.5 hours in total. That doesn’t include the time the crust par-baked. Or the time mixing all the filling ingredients together and straining it and letting it sit so the bubbles would rise and pop. I started this cake at 4pm and didn’t have it out of the oven and cooling until 11pm. I had to set an alarm for 2:45am so I could wrap the cake and get it in the refrigerator. Worth it? Definitely. But now I know for the future that this is a cake to start early on a weekend.

Overall, the recipe is straightforward and not that challenging. My patience and effort were rewarded for a smooth and delightfully tangy cheesecake.

Happy Birthday Mom!