Three Cities of Spain Cheesecake

Source: Three Cities of Spain Coffeehouse - Santa Fe, New Mexico (closed in the mid-1970s)

Crumb Crust:
1 1/2 cups (5 ounces) finely ground graham
    crackers or cookies such as chocolate
    or vanilla wafers or gingersnaps
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt

Stir together all ingredients and press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of a buttered 24-centimeter springform pan. Fill right away or chill up to 2 hours.

Filling:
24 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, then add vanilla extract and sugar, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated, scraping down bowl between additions.

Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan. Pour filling into crust and bake in baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until cake is set 3 inches from edge but center is still slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken.

Let stand in baking pan on a rack 5 minutes. Leave oven on.

Topping:
16 ounces sour cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir together sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract. Drop spoonsful of topping around edge of cake and spread gently over center, smoothing evenly. Bake cake with topping 10 minutes.

Run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen and cool completely in springform pan on rack. (Cake will continue to set as it cools.) Chill cake, loosely covered, at least 6 hours.

Remove side from pan and transfer cake to a plate. Bring to room temperature before serving. Cheesecake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.