Vanilla Bean Cheese Cake, Made with Vanilla Bean Paste, Perfect for Father's Day Dinner!

Delightful flecks of vanilla bean seeds adorn both the cheese cake filling and topping.

 I have discovered a new product that I adore,Vanilla Bean Paste.  I ordered it through the King Arthur Flour Company Catalog and consider it a real "find".  No more hunting for a vanilla bean when needed and the flavor is stellar!   You also get the tiny vanilla seeds you would get when scraping a vanilla bean.  A teaspoon of the paste is about equal to a tablespoon of vanilla extract or a whole vanilla bean.

Vanilla Bean Paste.  A FIND!

This voluptuous concoction has been on my mind when thinking of a Father's Day dessert for this Sunday's dinner and using it for a Vanilla Bean Cheese Cake seems perfect to me.  Plus this is a make ahead dish and it is always preferable to refrigerate overnight at least before removing from the 10" spring form pan I make it in.  So this will be perfect wrapped and tucked away in my extra refrigerator until then.


Ingredients for Vanilla Bean Cheese Cake:

CRUST:  1 3/4 C. graham cracker crumbs
                1/3 C. melted butter
                1/4 C. sugar

Blend graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter together and press into a 10" spring form that has been buttered generously.  Set aside.  Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Cheese cake after the first baking.

 FILLING:  3, 8 ounce packages of room temperature cream cheese
                   1 1/2 C. sugar
                   4 eggs
                   2 t. vanilla bean paste (or scrape 1 fresh vanilla bean and add.)

Mix cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer for 5 minutes.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Beat the entire mixture for an additional 30 minutes.  Pour into the graham cracker crust and bake for 60 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cool for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Evenly spread the sour cream topping.

 TOPPING:  1 1/2 C. sour cream
                    1/4 C. sugar
                    1 t. vanilla bean paste

Blend the topping ingredients together until smooth.  Pour on top of the semi cooled cheese cake.  Return to the 300 degree F. oven for 10 more minutes.  Remove from the oven and cool fully at room temperature.  Cover with plastic cling wrap and refrigerate overnight before removing the sides of the spring form pan.

Cool completely, wrap well, and refrigerate overnight before removing from the 10" spring form pan.

Serve as is or with fruit.  Delicious!  Yield 16 servings.  This will stay quite nicely in the refrigerator for a week and can be wrapped well and frozen for later use.