Zebra-Stripe Cheesecake
The stripe design can be achieved simply–just layer dark–and light-colored batters. There’s no swirling involved.
Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 8 cookie sheets)
- 2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, melted
- Cooking spray
Filling:
- 3 (8-ounce) blocks fat-free cream cheese, softened
- 1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg whites
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 325°.
- To prepare crust, combine cracker crumbs and butter in a bowl; toss with a fork until moist. Press into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray.
- To prepare the filling, beat cheeses at high speed of a mixer until smooth. Add sugar, milk, and vanilla, beating well. Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour half of the cheese mixture into another bowl. Add chocolate to remaining batter. Pour one-third of white batter into prepared pan. Pour one-half of chocolate batter in center of white batter in pan; spread to within 1 inch of edge of white batter. Pour one-third of white batter in center of chocolate batter; spread to within 1 inch of edge of chocolate batter. Pour remaining chocolate batter in center of white batter; spread to within 1 inch of edge of white batter. Pour remaining white batter in center of chocolate batter; spread to within 1 inch of chocolate batter. (Design on top should look like a target.)
- Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until almost set.
Using a Water Bath (Instructions on how to use a water bath at the end of a recipe)
Cheesecake is done when center barely moves when pan is touched. Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife around outside edge. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.
How to Bake Using a Water Bath
A water bath adds moisture to the oven and this is important for baking foods like cheesecakes, which tend to crack from the heat of the oven, or custards which can become rubbery without moist heat.
To bake using a water bath, you will need a baking pan that is large enough to hold a springform pan (or other baking dish), and is also large enough to allow for water to surround the springform pan.
Next, cut a large single sheet of aluminum foil, making sure that it is wide enough to surround all sides of your springform pan. (We recommend using extra wide aluminum foil if it is available rather than two narrower pieces of foil to avoid any chance of leaking.)
Wrap the pan, making sure that the sides of the pan are fully covered by the foil. Also make sure that you don’t tear the foil as you wrap it.
Per your recipe instructions, prepare your cheesecake and place the springform pan into the baking pan. Then, add about an inch of very hot water to the baking pan so it surrounds the pan. You want to add enough water to the pan to ensure that the water does not fully evaporate during the baking process.
Bake according to your recipe instructions. And…you should come out with a perfectly baked cheesecake with no crack
Recipe credit: myrecipes.com
