Berry Mousse Cheesecake

*I posted this recipe a couple of years ago, but it is so awesome I wanted to post it again. I made this for my birthday last week. Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum.

Yum.
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 3/8/10

Folks, we have a winner!! If you're in the market for some high calorie heaven, you've got to try this. For the first time in (my) cheesecake history, I was able to get really good results. Here's why:

#1 You must let the cream cheese soften completely as to not have lumps. I let it sit on the counter for an hour and that did the trick. You can also try nuking it, but be careful to not overheat it. Microwave in 20 second increments until you reach your desired texture.

#2 I cooked it in a water bath:

Cheesecake is essentially a custard and needs slow, gentle heat. The water bath provides a moist cooking environment and ensures a steady, low temperature. My cheesecakes always turned out either too dry or too runny in the center before, but his time it was silky smooth and even. (By the way, if you normally use a spring form pan for cheesecakes, you'll need to wrap it in foil to keep water from seeping into the batter.)

Berry Mousse Cheesecake
recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

*This recipe makes a huge 13x9 cake, but it can easily be halved and made in a 8 to 9-inch pie pan or baking dish. Leftovers can be frozen. You can use graham cracker or Oreo crumbs for the crust.

Crust:

5-6 Tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

Filling:

4 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese (don't use low-fat or whipped versions)
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup sour cream

Mousse topping:

1 (8 oz.) tub Cool Whip
3/4 cup seedless berry jam of your choice
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk (optional)
fresh berries for garnish

Preheat oven to 325° F. Combine melted butter, sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Press into bottom of 13x9 baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Beat together until light and fluffy. Pour batter on top of cooked crust. Place cake pan inside of a large roasting pan. Place on oven rack. Fill the space between the two pans with hot water about halfway up the cake pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until center is almost set. Check by sticking a toothpick in the center. Look for moist crumbs, not runny batter.

Slide out oven rack with cake still on it. Use turkey baster to remove some of the water surrounding the inner pan before removing it to cool completely.

For the topping: In a medium bowl, fold the berry jam and sweetened condensed milk into the Cool Whip. Spread over top of cooled cheesecake and refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Go and lick the bowl that had the mousse in it. Garnish cheesecake with fresh berries. Serves 15-18.