Three Cities of Spain Cheesecake

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

• Ready In: 1 hr 25 mins
• Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• CRUMB CRUST

• 1 1⁄2 cups  graham wafer crumbs or 1 1⁄2 cups  vanilla wafers or 1 1⁄2 cups  gingersnaps
• 5  tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1⁄3 cup granulated sugar
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt

• FILLING

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

• TOPPING

• 16  ounces sour cream
• 1  tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Crust.
2. Stir together all ingredients and press into bottom and 1 inch up side of a buttered 24-centimeter springform pan.Fill right away or chill up to 2 hours.
3. Filling.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Topping.
8. 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.
9. Run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen and cool completely in springform
10. 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.