Perfect Cheese Cake

Preparation time: 40 min. Chilling time: 1 hr. Baking time: 1 hr. 22 min.
Pastry
1 c. sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. butter or margarine
1 egg yolk

Cheese Filling
5 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese (2 1/2 lbs.)
1 3/4 c. sifted granulated sugar
3 tbs. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. grated orange rind
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/4 tsp. vanilla
5 whole eggs, unbeaten
2 egg yolks
1/4 c. heavy cream
Pastry: Mix flour, sugar, lemon rind, and vanilla with pastry cutter in medium-sized bowl; cut in butter or margarine; stir in egg yolk. Shape into mound; wrap in wax paper. Chill at least 1 hour. Heat oven to hot (400 F.). Remove side from 9-inch spring-form pan. Place 1/3 dough on ungreased bottom of pan; cover with floured wax paper. Roll or pat dough to fit pan bottom; remove paper. Bake in hot oven (400 F.) 10 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven; turn oven temperature to extremely hot (500 F.). Cool pastry, leaving it on pan bottom. Grease side of spring-form pan; fit over cooled base. Form remaining dough into thick rectangle; cut in half lengthwise; line side of pan, patting and stretching dough to fit. (Patching won't hurt - but dough must be paper thin and cover side completely.)

Filling:
Soften cream cheese in large bowl; beat until fluffy. Mix sugar, flour, salt, orange and lemon rinds, and vanilla; add very slowly to cheese; beat until smooth. Add eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition; stir in cream. Turn into pastry-lined pan. Bake in extremely hot oven (500 F.) 12 minutes. Do not open oven door; reduce oven temperature to very low (200 F.); bake cake 1 hour longer. Remove from oven; cool on wire rack, away from draft. Cake will shrink slightly as it cools. When cool, loosen cake from pan with spatula; remove side of pan; chill cake.
Makes 16 servings 484 cal. per serving Source of Vitamins A, B
Tested in The American Home Kitchens