Holley's Cheesecake

This is the proper celebration cheesecake, the kind you make for birthdays, anniversaries, dinner parties, or when you want to make absolutely sure no one leaves hungry. Three and a half pounds of cream cheese forms a serious base, the kind that bakes up tall and dense with a satin smooth interior.

The two-stage baking technique is what defines this cake. After the main filling bakes for an hour at low heat, a thin layer of sweetened sour cream gets spread on top and the cake goes back in for just five more minutes. This creates the classic Hollywood-style cheesecake with the tangy white sour cream topping that contrasts the rich filling underneath.

The homemade Grand Marnier hot fudge sauce is the showstopper. A short cooked sauce of butter, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa, sugar, evaporated milk, and orange liqueur transforms a good cheesecake into a memorable one. Pour it warm over the cold cake right before serving so the contrast hits both ways.

Let the eggs go in one at a time on low speed. Overbeaten cheesecake batter whips in air that expands during baking and then collapses during cooling, leaving cracks across the top. The slow gentle approach gives you the dense crack-free texture you want.

Pro Tips

• Use full-fat brick cream cheese only, the spreadable tub kind has stabilizers that ruin the texture
• Bring all dairy fully to room temperature before mixing, cold cheese leaves lumps
• Wrap the springform pan exterior tightly in heavy foil to prevent leaks if your pan is not perfectly sealed
• Cool the cake slowly in the turned-off oven with the door cracked for 30 minutes to prevent cracking
• Refrigerate the fudge sauce in a jar for up to a month, warm in microwave or saucepan before serving

Variations

• Swap Grand Marnier for Kahlua, Frangelico, or bourbon for different boozy notes
• Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the fudge sauce for a mocha twist
• Use chocolate cookie crumbs in place of graham crackers for a fully chocolate version
• Top each slice with fresh berries or whipped cream alongside the fudge sauce