Cooking With Rania: Copycat Banana Cream Cheesecake
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Rania Harris, of Rania's Catering, is continuing her copycat theme with The Cheesecake Factory's Banana Cream Cheesecake!
Banana Cream Cheesecake
Crust:
- 20 vanilla cream filled sandwich cookies
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 ½ pounds cream cheese, softened
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 5 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup mashed very ripe bananas
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For the crust:
Using a food processor fitted with the steel blade, process the cookies until they are finely chopped. Add the melted butter and process until well combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9" springform pan that has been sprayed with a non-stick baking spray. Refrigerate the crust while you make the filling.
For the filling:
In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, 1½ cups sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla and beat until light and creamy. Add the flour, then the eggs and yolks 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the sour cream and the mashed bananas and mix until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Place the pan in a roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with enough hot water to come half way up the sides of the pan. Bake for 1½ hours.
Transfer cake to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Refrigerate cake overnight before serving. Garnish cheesecake with banana slices, if desired. Cut into wedges and pipe serve with whipped cream.
Serves: 10 - 12
