Sour Cream Cheese Cake

When I announced that I was making a sour cream cheese cake, the Beard was apprehensive.  Concerned, he tells me “I’ll try a bite.”  I, having only tried cottage cheese for the first time less than a week earlier, was less apprehensive, but still preparing for the possibility that this cake was going to end up in the trash immediately after taking pictures of it.  Honestly, the combination of ingredients in the title doesn’t make it seem all that appealing.  But trust me, this cake was absolutely, dare I say shockingly, good.

That’s A Damned Good Cake

Unlike the typical cheesecakes I usually see recipes for, with their bricks of sweet cream cheese and sugar and heavy cream, this is a cheese cake.  In this case, that space between the words is important.  It’s not very sweet, but you can taste the little bit of sugar that it does have.  The combination of the vanilla, cinnamon, and maple of the bottom layer make you forget that this is cottage cheese.  You’re eating a slice of cottage cheese and you’re liking it. There’s a bit of tartness from the sour cream, but those extra spoonfuls of sugar and the mild almond flavor make this seem less like it should be topping a plate of enchiladas and more like something to enjoy with a cup of coffee with brunch or after dinner.

Then, you have the cranberry jam.  Like the cake, it’s just slightly chunky, slightly smooth, slightly sweet.  Topping a slice of this cake, the two are perfectly balanced.  Compared to the cranberry, the cheese cake is much sweeter, but neither ingredient overpowers the other.  The graham cracker crust is buttery and has that hint of sweetness you’d expect from it, but you could amp up the sweetness if you used honey grahams and not change the flavor profile too much.

This is the part where she tries to convince you it’s healthy.

I made things a bit lighter by using light or reduced fat sour cream and cottage cheese, and I was pleasantly surprised that a slice of this cake only checks in at a little under 300 calories, not including the cranberry.  In fact, in terms of the entire cake, the most calorie-laden ingredient was the crust!

Give this one a shot the next time you can’t quite decide what to bring to a dinner party, or a late brunch.  You could probably even get away with having it for breakfast, but since you’re an adult, you can have whatever you want for breakfast anyway.

If you try it, let me know what you think!

5 from 6 votes

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Sour Cream Cheese Cake

A rich, creamy cheese cake without the overwhelming sweetness of your typical cream cheese-based cheesecake, this is another one based off a vintage recipe.  Paired with a cranberry jam, this dessert is a perfect match for an after dinner coffee.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, cheesecake, cottage cheese, sour cream

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 8 slices

Calories 260 kcal

Ingredients

Sour Cream Cheese Cake

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp maple extract
• 1/8 tsp vanilla
• pinch salt
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 12 oz light cottage cheese
• 1 pint light sour cream
• 1/8 tsp almond extract

Cranberry Jam

• 1 1/4 lb cranberries
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Sour Cream Cheese Cake

1. Spray the bottom and sides of a spring form pan with some non-stick cooking spray (this was a 9" pan), and preheat your oven to 350F.

2. In a small bowl, add the melted butter to the graham cracker crumbs and mix well.  Pat the crumb mixture in an even layer on the bottom and up the sides of the spring form pan; you should have enough to cover the bottom of the pan and almost halfway up the sides.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs.  Next, add the sugar, maple extract, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon, continuing to beat the eggs until all ingredients are combined.  Now, add the cream cheese and beat until everything is well blended.  

   Note: the cottage cheese will remain somewhat chunky.  Don't worry about it.

4. Pour the cottage cheese and egg mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the pan from oven and increase the tempurature to 475F.
   

5. In another mixing bowl beat the sour cream, sugar, and almond extract.  Pour the sour cream mixture over the warm cake and return the cake to the hot oven for 5 more minutes.

6. Cool pan on a wire rack, then chill in the refrigerator.  When it's cold and you're ready to serve it, remove the side of the pan and top slices with the cranberry jam.

Cranberry Jam

1. In large saucepan, heat the cranberries, sugar, and vanilla, stirring very frequently.  The berries will burst and the sauce will thicken up a LOT in the pan, and even more after it's been chilled.  For best results, stir it up a bit before topping the cake so you don't end up with a ball of jam.

The Tart

The Tart likes to eat, cook, and bake things.  She eats to work out, and she works out to be able to eat.