Best 2 Donnas Famous Cheesecake Recipes

Indulge in a delectable journey with Donna's Famous Cheesecake, a culinary masterpiece that has captivated taste buds for generations. This creamy, velvety cheesecake boasts a rich, luscious filling enveloped in a tender graham cracker crust. As you delve into this classic dessert, you'll encounter a symphony of flavors and textures that will leave you craving for more.

With three enticing variations to choose from, Donna's Famous Cheesecake offers a taste sensation for every palate. The Original recipe embodies the timeless essence of this iconic dessert, featuring a smooth, tangy filling and a perfectly balanced graham cracker crust. For those seeking a burst of citrusy delight, the Lemon Cheesecake tantalizes with its zesty lemon filling, while the Chocolate Cheesecake takes decadence to new heights with its rich, velvety chocolate filling.

This article is your ultimate guide to crafting Donna's Famous Cheesecake, providing step-by-step instructions and helpful tips to ensure success in your baking endeavor. Gather your ingredients and embark on a culinary adventure that will leave your loved ones in awe. Prepare to savor every bite of this extraordinary cheesecake, a testament to the enduring power of classic recipes.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

BEST EVER CHEESECAKE-WOMAN'S DAY DESSERT LOVER'S COOKBOOK 1981

Best Ever Cheesecake-Woman's Day Dessert Lover's Cookbook 1981 image

This recipe has been a family favorite since, well, 1981. I have hung on to this Woman's Day magazine since then mainly for easy access to this recipe. It is one of the few recipes for cheesecake with a short crust as opposed to a graham cracker crust. I suppose you could substitute the graham cracker crust if you must, but this is so good you probably won't want to. It makes a large cheesecake, so don't be alarmed by the 40 ounces of cream cheese it needs. It is worth every ounce. I am submitting the recipe as written, but we substitute canned cherry pie filling for the pineapple topping given here. Use your fruit topping of choice, please. Also, some recommend putting a pan of hot water in the bottom rack of the oven during baking to prevent cracks...please do that if you want to. We usually just top the cheesecake cracks with our fruit topping and go for it.

Provided by writelea

Categories Cheesecake

Time 2h15m

Yield 1 9-inch cheesecake, 16 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter or 1/4 cup margarine, softened
5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons lemon zest
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple
5 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
strawberry slices (optional)

Steps:

In bowl combine flour, sugar and lemon zest. Make a well in center; add egg yolk, vanilla and butter. Blend with finger tips or fork until mixture resembles a crumbly rich cookie dough.
Divide dough into 2 parts, one part slightly larger than the other. Grease a 9-inch spring-form pan; remove rim. Shape the smaller part of the dough into a ball; place in the botton of pan, Top with waxed paper; roll to edge, reserving any excess dough. remove paper.
Bake in preheated 400F oven 6-8 minutes; cool.
Divide remaining half of dough into 4 parts; roll each part between 2 pieces of waxed paper into 3x8 inch strips. Reassemble springorm pan. Remove top sheet of waxed paper from each pastry strip. Place one strip of pastry at a time along inside rim of pan, press against rim, remove paper. Repeat with remaining pastry strips, overlapping ends each time and pressing to seal.
Cheesecake Filling:.
In large bowl of mixer beat cream cheese, sugar, flour and lemon zest until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time., until thouroughly combined. Stir in milk and vanilla.
Spoon Cream Cheese Filling into pan. Bake in a preheated 450F oven 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 250F and bake 1 hour and 20 minutes longer.
Cool on wire rack until completely cooled.
Pineapple Topping:.
In small saucepan combine pineappple and cornstarch. Cook and stir until mixture bols and thickens. Stir in vanilla, cool.
Spread Pineapple Topping over cheesecake. Cover lightly and refrigerate until cold. Loosen crust from pan with knife or spatula. Remove rim. Garnish with sliced strawberries, if desired. Makes about 16 servings.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 466.8, Fat 30.1, SaturatedFat 18.2, Cholesterol 177.8, Sodium 261.4, Carbohydrate 41, Fiber 0.6, Sugar 30.6, Protein 9.3

DONNA'S SOUR CREAM CHEESECAKE

Donna's Sour Cream Cheesecake image

This cheesecake recipe is from Donna a very dear old friend of mine who would regularly bring this to our church functions this recipe is probably over 30 years old. The cheesecake has a creamy texture and a great lemon taste. It is easy to make!

Provided by oilpatchjo

Categories Cheesecake

Time 1h50m

Yield 1 cheesecake, 16 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter (soft or substitute margarine also soft)
40 ounces cream cheese
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon lemon peel (grated)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream

Steps:

Crust: In a medium bowl with hands or the back of a spoon mix graham cracker crumbs with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup soft butter until they are well combined. Press mixture on bottom and sides of 9 inch spring form pan building up sides of pan to form a rim all around. Refrigerate until needed. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Filling: In a large bowl of a electric mixer, combine cream cheese, sugar flour, lemon peel and vanilla. Beat on high speed just until blended. Beat in eggs and egg yolks one at a time. Add cream, beating until just blended. Pour into crust lined spring form pan. Bake at 500 degrees for 10 minutes then turn temperature down to 250 degrees and bake for 1 hour. After the cheesecake comes out of the oven spread sour cream on top of cheesecake. Let cool in spring form pan on wire rack until cool to touch then refrigerate overnight for best results. To serve remove loosen crust from sides of pan and remove side of spring form pan and slip a long enough knife underneath the crust of the bottom of cheesecake the bottom should be very hard and the cheesecake will slide very easily to a platter for serving.
Garnish with fruit, whipping cream or many types of toppings!

Nutrition Facts : Calories 513.5, Fat 36.8, SaturatedFat 21.9, Cholesterol 191.2, Sodium 358.1, Carbohydrate 38.8, Fiber 0.5, Sugar 29.4, Protein 9.1

Tips:

Use high-quality ingredients. The quality of your ingredients will have a big impact on the flavor of your cheesecake. Use full-fat cream cheese, real butter, and fresh eggs. You should also use high-quality chocolate and vanilla extract.
Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature before you start baking. This will help it mix smoothly with the other ingredients and prevent lumps.
Don't overbeat the batter. Overbeating the batter can result in a dense, crumbly cheesecake. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
Bake the cheesecake in a water bath. This will help prevent the cheesecake from cracking and will also help it cook evenly.
Let the cheesecake cool completely before serving. This will help it set properly and develop its full flavor.

Conclusion:

Donna's Famous Cheesecake is a delicious and easy-to-make dessert that is perfect for any occasion. With its creamy, rich filling and graham cracker crust, this cheesecake is sure to be a hit with everyone who tries it. Whether you're a beginner baker or a seasoned pro, I encourage you to give this recipe a try. You won't be disappointed!