Traude's Cheesecake Recipe
My mom had a German friend named Traude. This is her recipe. It is one of the easiest cheesecakes to make. It is light and fluffy not heavy and dense. It doesn't have a crust. The bottom layer is a cream cheese based layer and the second layer is a sour cream based layer. You could put a third layer of fruit and then a fourth layer of a fruit glaze over the fruit if you want to.
First layer:
Mix together in a bowl
one pound of cream cheese (at room temperature)
three eggs (at room temperature)
2/3 cups sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. almond or vanilla extract (optional) You can also use a zest of a lemon if you like.
Beat these ingredients until thick and fluffy. Pour into a buttered 9" inch pie dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes before adding the second layer.
Second layer:
Mix together
1/2 pint sour cream=1/2 pound (I asked: how much is 1/2 pint? There is that easy-to-remember rhyme "A pint is a pound the world around."
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
Spread this mixture onto first layer and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool thoroughly before adding fruit if you want to add fruit.
My mom used to sometimes put canned mandarin oranges, or pineapple and those candied cherries on the cake and not glaze the cake at all and it looked great. She would also sometimes prepare a glaze from packaged powder or you could use this recipe:
glaze for the fruit:
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup fruit juice
Bring these ingredients to boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Pour glaze over the fruit. Cool and then refrigerate cake before serving.
