I couldn’t help myself, Eggnog Cheesecake is an over-the-top dessert that everyone needs to have for the holiday season. It serves a crowd so definitely plan to invite people over to enjoy it with you. I like all kinds of cheesecake, but this one is flavored specifically for the holiday season. You can’t beat it!.
The funny part about cheesecake is that assembling it really isn’t hard. The longer part is baking it and letting it rest in the cooling oven so that it sets just right. I flavor this with a variety of spices and extracts. However, if you want it plan you can omit them all and you’ll have a lovely plain cheesecake to enjoy.
The key to keeping this easy is to make sure the cream cheese is room temperature before you begin. This makes combining it all in the mixer so much easier. I make a graham cracker crust, but you could use gingersnap crumbs for the holidays instead and they’d taste great.
Before serving your cheesecake make sure it is cooled completely. In fact, I usually let it set in the fridge for a few hours because it makes it really easy to slice. Then, I store it covered in the fridge until it is all eaten up. Cheesecake is so rich that you don’t need to serve big slices. It really feeds a crowd and is best served fresh. This is what makes it so great to serve after Christmas dinner.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do, it is one of our family’s favorites. Happy holiday eating!
Eggnog Cheesecake
This is a real showstopper dessert for Christmas. I love to make it when I know I have a lot of people coming over because it serves a crowd so well. The eggnog and nutmeg flavors make it a true holiday treat – everyone loves it!
Makes 1 9-inch cheesecake
Crust
1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
½ stick melted butter
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
Cheesecake
24 oz cream cheese
8 oz mascarpone
1 cup eggnog
1 cup granulated sugar
5 eggs
¾ tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp vanilla
Fresh Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp eggnog
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ cup powered sugar
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Wrap the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil and set aside.
Make the crust by combining the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, nutmeg, sugar, and pinch of salt in a bowl. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan to form a crust. Set aside.
In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone for one minute or so, or until completely smooth, then add the sugar, slowly add eggnog, then add the eggs. Add the nutmeg and vanilla. Continue beating until the mixture is completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
Pour the cream cheese mixture over the prepared crust. Rap the pan a few times gently on the countertop to get any bubbles out of the cheesecake.
Fill a large pan with about 1 ½-inches of water, then add the springform pan to the water bath.
Place it in the oven and bake it for 2 hours. Check the cake at the one-hour mark, if the top is starting to brown too much, place a sheet of aluminum foil on the top and continue baking.
Check to make sure the cheesecake is set in the middle by giving the pan a light jiggle. It should be totally set with no movement in the center.
Then, turn off the oven and let it sit in the oven for 6 hours.
Remove the cooled cheesecake from the oven and remove the springform side.
Make the whipped cream by beating the cream, eggnog, nutmeg, and sugar until light and fluffy. Use a piping bag to decorate the top of the cheesecake, serve in slices.
Nikki Glekas is the owner of Nikki Glekas Events, a full-service catering and events company located in Stamford, CT.. To discuss further please contact team@nikkiglekascollective.com or call 203.658.8659.
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