Nana's Crumb Cheesecake Recipe

Traditionally, Shavuot is a feast that is associated with tasty dairy dishes, from amazing pasta and quiche to savory soups with cream. In our congregation, we serve trays of crackers and a variety of special cheeses from a goat farm in the lovely North of Israel, along with local fruits and cut up veggies.

Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah, and the Torah is likened to nourishing milk. In addition, the Hebrew word for milk is ‘chalav,’ and when the numerical values of each of the letters in the word ‘chalav’ are added together (8 + 30 + 2), the total is forty. Forty is the number of days Moses spent on Mount Sinai when receiving the Torah.

Our local congregation also has a fun tradition to host a cheesecake competition, where we taste a little piece of each cheesecake and vote. Needless to say, we have found a lot of fun ways to celebrate the giving of the Torah and of the Holy Spirit as a community.

We hope you’ll enjoy this recipe just as much as we do, with its delicate balance of vanilla and sour cream. May your Shavuot be sweet and joyful!

Level of difficulty: medium
Yields: one 9-inch round cheesecake (24 cm)
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 5.5 hours (incl. refrigeration)

Supplies for Cooking

9 inch round cake pan (24 cm)
Butter to grease

Ingredients

Cheesecake Crust and Crumbs

2 cups all-purpose flour (280 grams)
2 tsp baking powder
⅓ cup white sugar (70 grams)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
⅞ cup of butter (200 grams)
4 egg yolks

Cheesecake Filling

2 ¼ cups heavy cream 38% (500 ml)
1 cup white sugar (200 grams)
1 package instant vanilla flavored pudding (80 grams)
1 cup sour cream 15% (200 ml)
2 ¼ cups cream cheese (500 grams)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C). Lightly grease the cake pan. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Cut the butter into cubes.

3. Prepare the dough: in the electric mixer bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, and butter into a crumbly mixture. Add the egg yolks and process in short pulses just until you get a crumbly dough. Then, add the vanilla extract.

4. Press 1/2 of the dough with your hands in an even layer to the bottom of the pan. Flatten the remaining 1/2 of the dough in a separate baking sheet, lined with parchment paper.

5. Place both pans in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely.

6. Prepare the filling: in the bowl of an electric mixer with a balloon wire whisk, beat the heavy cream, sugar, instant pudding and sour cream until the cream becomes firm. Reduce the speed of the mixer, add the cream cheese and beat for a few more seconds to combine.

7. Spread the filling in the cake pan, over the baked crumb bottom.

8. Crumble the rest of the baked dough with your hands. Gently sprinkle the crumbs over the cheese filling. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, to set.

9. Slice with a knife dipped in boiling water and serve. Enjoy!