Aunt Rose's Cheesecake with an Easy Mock Crust

This recipe comes from Rose Cafarella Worth. She grew up in Malden but moved to West Hartford Connecticut to raise her family. Her husband was a history teacher and then the coach of the Hartford Nights of the University of Hartford. We didn’t get to see them very often but when we did Aunt Rose always had great recipes. She was an excellent cook and as the wife of the football coach of a university went to many gatherings bringing her wonderful food. Aunt Rose passed away in an auto accident a number of years back but I still have very fond memories of her. She was the sister of Col. Joe of Malden. Her only daughter Deborah Worth Faller passed away last year of lung cancer so nobody is available to send in any recipes from that part of the family. Therefore, I thought I’d pass this recipe on so a part of her would be included in the family cook book and thoughts of her would remain in the family along with her recipes.


Preheat oven to 75 degrees

This recipe has no crust. The corn starch falls to the bottom of the pan to form a mock type crust. Also, I’d just put everything in a large food processor in stages stopping to scrape down sides of bowl and adding eggs one at a time through hole in top of food processor.

4 8 oz. packages cream cheese (softened)

1 16 oz. package sour cream (room temp)

5 eggs (room temp)

¼ lb. butter (soft or melted and cooled)

1 ¼ c. sugar

1 tsp. lemon juice (I’d put more or add the grated rind also)

1 ½ tsp. vanilla

2 Tbs. corn starch

Let cream cheese, sour cream, eggs and butter stand out at room temperature for 1 hour. Blend softened cream cheese, sour cream and butter together in a bowl and mix with electric mixer till smooth. Add corn starch, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice/grated rind and beat until well blended. Beat in one egg at a time until well blended and very smooth.

Flour and grease spring form pan. Wrap outside of pan with large size heavy duty aluminum foil. Place in large roasting pan. Add batter to pan. Open oven and put pan on middle rack of oven. Gently pour hot water into roasting pan to fill half full but don‘t fill it over the line of the aluminum foil or else the cake will be soggy. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour or until golden brown. Turn off oven. Leave cake in oven with door open for 1 hour. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours. Refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving. Top with desired topping or canned fruit topping.



Thanks to Janice Cafarella Crossen for posting this.