Amaretto Cheesecake I

I love Amaretto & wanted to make a nice cheesecake for a catered event. I made a practice cheesecake & was disappointed--the cheesecake was too dense, not enough almond flavor, and the crust was a little skimpy. When I made the 2nd cheesecake, I made a few changes when also enabled me to used a 10" springform pan, instead of a 9" pan: (1)For the crust,I used 18 crushed graham crackers, 1/4 cup sugar, 6 tbsp butter & 1/2 tsp almond extract (I'll use gingersnaps next time); (2) I used 3 8oz pkg of softened cream cheese instead of 2 pkgs;(3)reduced cornstarch to 1.5 tablespoons; (4) added 1/2 tsp almond extract to the cheescake batter; and (5)added 1/3 cup toasted slice almonds as a garnish to the finished cheesecake. Everyone loved the appearance, flavor and texture of the cheesecake. Also, baking the cheesecake in a water bath is must---no cracks!

I've made this cake several times, and have gotten rave reviews from it: even my mother, who usually dislikes cheesecake, loves this one. The ingredients and proportions in this recipe are perfect - don't change a thing! The baking time, however, is a problem: don't bake this only for an hour then take it out of the oven, you'll end up with a half-cooked heavy mess. I bake it for 52 to 55 minutes, *shut off the oven*, then leave the cake in for another hour and five minutes. This will cook the cake completely and prevent it from cracking while it does so. Allow the cake to cool before putting it in the fridge, and *leave it there* for a day - it'll taste divine. This cake is very light and creamy, and tastes wonderful. The recipe is definitely a keeper.

This recipe was very good when I tweaked it a bit based on other reviews. I didn't have all of the ingredients listed, so I made some changes. I used vanilla wafers instead of graham crackers for the crust, and Splenda for baking instead of the sugar in the crust, along with doubling the amounts of the crust ingredients. I also exchanged 8 ounces of sour cream for 8 ounces of plain lowfat yogurt, and used Neufchatel cheese instead of cream cheese. I used 1/2 cup of Splenda for baking along with 3/4 cup of sugar for the batter. I also used 1/3 cup of amaretto instead of the smaller amount in the original recipe. When baking, I used a 10 inch springform pan and baked it in a water bath. No cracking! I added an extra 5 minutes to the baking time because the extra amaretto made the batter a bit thin. After it was cooled, I made a glaze from 2 and 1/2 Tablespoons melted butter, 1 cup confectioner's sugar, 1 Tablespoon amaretto, and 1/4 cup chopped almonds. The cheesecake turned out wonderfully light and delicious! Everyone agreed that this tweaked recipe is a keeper!

Good cheesecake base, but i was expecting more amaretto flavor. I added about a 1/4 of a cup amaretto and baked it for 5 extra minutes. The cake turned out fine, very smooth, but still didn't feel as though it was flavorful. I might suggest topping the cake with an amaretto and sugar "glaze" to really get the flavor.

I made this yesterday and it was very good, but even tho I baked it as long as it said and left it in the oven, it cracked when I took the spring form pan off. No big deal I guess. It was 'fluffier' than I expected it to be. I love the super dense texture of traditional cheesecake. I suppose it was the sour cream instead of a 3rd pkg of cream cheese. The company raved about it anyway.

Delicious cheesecake!!! my first attempt and this was absolutly amazing. I followed the previous tips and it worked out really well

This is my hubby's favourite cake. I make it for him every birthday. I also add a bit more amaretto, I've also added almond extract when I ran out of amaretto, both tasted devine. Trick to stop cheesecake form cracking is bake in water bath I do it every cheesecake recipe and never get cracking I also baked 55 mins and left in oven for hour after turned off.

Very good cheesecake, but not the best Amaretto Cheesecake I've tasted/made. I followed the directions exactly with the exception of adding a bit more liqueur. The flavor of the cheesecake was phenomenal. The texture is quite dense, which I don't mind, but the cheesecake was a tad dry. Next time I will consider either using less sour cream, or adding more cream cheese. I baked for 55min, shut the oven off and left it in there for an hour before taking it out of the oven. I got rave reviews from friends and family though!

The result was very good, but as a lot of people before i made adjustments: i followed especially one previous review and added more crackers (i actually used 1/2 cup more of amaretto cookies), butter and sugar for the base and used a 10"pan. I also used yogurt instead of sour cream (to make /2 little lighter) and only 1 and 1/2 tsp of cornstarch. Definitly a keeper

Finished product was good, but make sure to follow another reviewer's revisions on the following page. Mine would have never turned out otherwise!

Awesome! I did add a lot, though. First, I made an almond crust using 9 graham crackers, 1/2 c toasted almonds, 1 1/2 tbsp sugar, and 1/4 c melted butter. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. For the cheesecake, I reduced the cornstarch to 1 1/2 Tbsp and increased the amaretto to 1/3 c. I baked it for an hour in a water bath, then turned the oven off and cracked the door open. I let it sit there for an hour, took it out, and refrigerated it when it had cooled. I had no problem with cracking. I let it sit in the frige for 2 days for the flavor to develop. Then I cut out an 8" circle of wax paper and layed it on the cake. I sprinkled the edges with toasted chopped almonds and removed the wax paper. Last, I piped on a glaze made with 1/4 c powdered sugar, 2 tsp milk, 1/2 tsp corn syrup and 1/4 tsp almond extract. It tasted good, but got watery and spread out when I piped it on. The cheesecake was very creamy and the flavor was great.

I couldnt really taste the flavour of the amaretto but the cheesecake itself was amazing. I thought it was just as simple as a cake mix to mix up. Instead of the 9" pan I used a 9" pie pan but found I didnt have enough room so I had to make up another pan to take the remainder of the batter ( this was a much bigger pan ). My boyfriend who isnt much of a cake eater loved this dish - even went back for seconds. Even tho the smaller dish was a mistake I will use it again in the future. The cake was small enough I didnt get any cracking across the top ( the larger pan had a big crack in the top )and my guy preferred the thinner slices. Good recipe ! For anyone wanting more flavour I would just add a little of the amaretto when serving.

I made this cheesecake for my family and it was a big hit. The hint of amaretto is delicious.

My family loved this cheesecake, which I made for Easter dessert. This is only the second cheesecake I have ever made, and the instructions were easy to follow to make a successful dessert. The only adaptations that I will make the next time I make this is to double the crust (and perhaps use less sugar, as it was VERY sweet), and substitute some of the vanilla with almond extract to enhance the flavor of the amaretto. The vanilla flavor almost overpowered the flavor of the amaretto. Definitely a keeper of a recipe, and will be made again in this family! Thanks!

I made this for Thanksgiving and served it to family of Italian restaurant owners. Everyone loved it. The texture is great. The amaretto is barely discernible, however; I think a 1/2 tsp of almond extract might punch it up a bit. Very good nonetheless!

Simple,easy & delicious!I've made this several times & everyone has asked for the recipe. It freezes well also. Thanks.

This was a great cheesecake. Let's just say there was none left. This is also a good basic receipe for a cheesecake if you wanted to make a different cheesecake other them amaretto. Very creamy and not too heavy like most i have made. Will make again and again!

I hated this recipe. I thought the cheesecake was dry and flat and I would never make this again. Sorry!

My oven may need adjusting, but the center was still jiggly after 60 mins. I added another 30-35 and it was perfect. In any case, the flavor of this cheesecake is great. I added one extra tablespoon of amaretto and it was perfect. I made this with low fat cream cheese & low fat sour cream and it was still great.

Objectively, a good cake, but too creamy for my tastes. I prefer a more dense cheesecake. There's way too much sour cream in comparison to the amount of cream cheese. 16oz of each of these two ingredients! That's a 1:1 ratio of cream cheese to sour cream. There should almost always be more cream cheese than sour cream (if sour cream is used at all).

This was a great recipe!! I got a lot of comments for this. The only thing that I added was 2 more tablespoons of Amaretto. I was going to add Almond extract but I didn't. My family says that the Almond extract is not needed. Keep it just the way you have it.

I made this for my husbands birthday (he doesn't like cake) and it was wonderful!! Creamy, smooth texture, and fabulous flavor. I will definatley be making this one again.

This was the first time I've ever made a cheesecake and even though it cracked,everyone loved it and scarfed it down. Next time I'll add a little more amaretto and will also read the cheesecake tips at the end of the directions BEFORE I make the cake instead of after!

This is a GREAT cheesecake! I will definately be making this again.

I made this recipe last night and I thought it was great. I don't know how it turned out to runny for one of the other users. It did not have a strong Amaretto flavor like the others said so I bought a can of cherry pie filling and that was yummy.

The most popular dish at my party, by far! Easy, quick, and makes you look like a cheesecake pro--my kind of recipe. I substituted crushed gingersnaps for the grahm crackers to make the crust--different and fabulous. I need more recipes like this in my repetoire!

I made this cheesecake exactly as posted. Do not get me wrong, it did not taste bad. It was extremely too dense and did not taste like cheesecake or amaretto. I do not even know how to describe the taste. All I can say is I am disappointed. Amaretto cheesecake is my favorite flavor. But I do not recommend this recipe. I will not even attempt it again. I tried to give it away and no one even wanted it.

The flavor was great, the texture was a bit off - it was dense but watery, strange as that sounds. But the family still really liked it. Following reviewers advice, I cut the cornstarch to 1.5 T., upped the liqueur to 1/3 c. and added 1 tsp. of almond extract. Definitely needs that if you want the flavor to be strong enough.

Made this for Valentine's Day. Very good and creamier than most cheesecakes. Amaretto adds a very slight almond flavor. Would definitely make again.

Cracks in cheesecakes come from one of two things. 1.)To much air in the batter (your mixing the batter to much or your using the wrong beaters. 2.)Your cake is cooling off to fast. After your cake is done baking leave the cake in the oven, turn off the oven and crack the door of the oven open for an hour.

I took other reviewers' advice and this turned out really good. It wasn't great, but it was really good!

I made this with just a few changes. First I increased the graham cracker crumbs to 1 1/2 cup. Original recipe had the crust a little skimpy. Then I increased the cream cheese to 3 packs, decreased the vanilla extract to 1 teaspoon and added 1 teaspoon of almond extract. And finally I increased the amaretto lipueur to 1/3 cup. If you want to add a nice touch, take 1/4 cup sliced almonds and mix with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Toast for 7-8 minutes in an 350 oven and after cake is baked sprinkle this mix on the top of the cake. I made this yesterday to serve today and let me tell you everyone "inhaled" this cake. There is nothing left!!! They loved it!!

This cheesecake was SUPER. I was surprisd at how eay it waas to make. It is, indeed, a"keeper"

I've become known as the cheesecake lady. I use this recipe and i add extra amaretto. i give it as a gift, i make it for holidays, and it perfect everytime. however i cant seem to keep it from cracking so i usually top it with cherry pie filly, and everyone loves it.

Made this a few times. Very good. Worth the effort. Last time, i swirled in strawberry ice cream topping before putting in oven. Also, once, topped with caramel! VERY GOOD!

Have made this cheesecake multiple times without any changes to the recipe. Flavorful and balanced. The recipes for both the cake and crust have the correct amounts of ingredients to put together a standard cheesecake. Instead of amaretto, you can flavor it any way you want, throw chocoloate chips or chunks in it, whatever. There are whole articles on the net devoted to baking cheesecakes with crack-free tops. I personally don't care whether it cracks or not. For best taste, especially when using the Amaretto liqueur, bake the cake a day or two before to allow the flavor to age.

This was my first attempt at making a cheesecake. It turned out great. I made it for my husband and he loves it. I followed some of the earlier advice and added a little more Amaretto.

Wonderful as is!

Love the creamy texture of this cheesecake. My family loved it. Was concerned about the crack in the top, but read all the reviews and one of the reviews gives hints to help prevent cracks in the cheesecakes.

I made this for booze night for our weekly dinner party and it was a hit! I added just a slight bit more almond extract to give it more full amaretto flavor. Next time I'll add a little more cookie crust, otherwise this is a hit! Great recipe!

This recipe was easy enough, and the flavor was good. However the cheesecake cracked horribly; it looked like a topographic map. I've made many cheesecakes and always use the water bath method, but never had one crack like this one. I don't know what could have gone wrong, but this was the first one I've ever made with fat-free cream cheese. It had cracks long before it was even done baking. I served it with a topping to improve the appearance, but I did like the flavor. I will make it again and see if I get better results next time.

Really good! I used Nilla wafers instead of graham crackers and I doubled the crust. I also added 1t Almond extract and created a glaze from Amaretto, butter and powdered sugar. My husband thought it had too much almond flavor but my son and I loved it. It was especially good with cherry pie filling as a topping. Husband liked it a lot with the cherries.

This recipe was nice to try, although it was too dry for my taste. I doubt I will use it again.

perfect. cake-y and creamy, it's delicious!

I took this cheescake to a dinner invitation and they raved on the almond flavor

First cheesecake i ever made....best cheesescake my wife and i have ever had. This recipe will be staying with me.

This cheesecake has a wonderful texture and flavor. Just be sure to let it chill for at least 24 hours before you eat it. We were anxious to give it a try and had a taste after it chilled for about 3 hours, and the amaretto flavor was rather strong. By the next day, it had "mellowed" and tasted great!

This sloppy mess must have a typo in it. Maybe it should be 5 TEASPOONS instead of 5 tablespoons of amaretto? The batter was too thin, and the cake overrose and then flopped - usually signs of a too thin batter. Flavor was dull and cake looked awful. I'll go back to my tried and true chocolate chip cheesecake in the future.

Very good. Next time I think I will double the crust. It seemed a bit thin. Excellent with strawberries!

I put a topping of fresh strawberries and sliced almonds on top it looked too pretty to eat. I loved the smooth texture of the cake. I did leave the cake in the oven to cool for one hour after turning the oven off. It came out perfect.

This cheesecake was fantastic!!! So easy to make, my company loved it.

I tried yours and it was good but too many ingredients. Here is a simpler version. 8" springform pan(mandatory). preheat oven to 350. butter sides and bottom of springform pan, coat with graham cracker crumbs (yes no crust). (All ingredients need to be rm. temp) Beat together 2 8oz pkg cream cheese, 1pt. sour cream and 1c sugar..do not over beat... beat in 1 egg at a time and with the 3rd egg add 3Tablespoons of amarettto. Pour slowly into pan.. Lightly dust top with cracker crumbs... Bake at 350 degrees for 35min..turn oven off and let sit inside for 35min. refrigerate at least 4 hrs.

It has a very good flavor but I like a creamier cheesecake which would mean less cornstarch. I would make it again, I had no leftovers at a party I served it at.

This recipe created a very creamy cheesecake that I made for Valentines Day. The wife loved it and so did I. I substituted chocolate crumbs (Oreo) for the graham cracker crumbs. I also whipped cream, chocolate syrup and amaretto to create a topping for the dessert.

Delicious! I baked it in a water bath, baked as directed, turned off the oven and then left it in for an hour. The texture was perfect and I had no cracks. The only thing I added to the recipe was a little bit - maybe 1/4 teaspoon - of almond extract. I garnished it with toasted/sugared sliced almonds.

Added some Rum...made for good flavor on top of the Amaretto. My fiance gave it two thumbs up!!!!

This cheesecake was great but it could have used a little more flavor. I think a little extra amaretto liquor might have done the trick.

This was a huge hit at a going-away party for a co-worker. It's also extremely easy to alter to taste. For example, substitute Kahlua or Irish Cream for the Amaretto and you have a totally different, yet still easy cheesecake!

This was a hit at the office potluck!

Loved the flavor of this cheesecake, but I also had cracking. Making another one today using the tip of baking it in water bath. Great recipe!

Followed recipe exactly including the bit about leaving in the oven for an hour after it was baked. Disaster is all I can say. It completely sunk and cracked open in the pan. My family made fun of it and me. Stupid thing to do for Easter. The only good thing I can say about this is the flavor was good. There must be a better way to bake this, or some secret to the baking part that I just don't know.

Really nice. I was concerned from the reviews that it was going to be too dense. But, that was not a problem at all. Mine was very light and airy. Based on the other reviews, I did double the amaretto and I'm glad I did. I'm not sure I would have tasted the amaretto otherwise; it wasn't even very strong doubled.

This was amazing - creamy and delicious. I would recommend it even if you are not a huge fan of amaretto!

I used an Oreo cookie crust and Amaretto with Almond extract versus vanilla. Great idea. Thanks to the baker that put the idea in her remarks. I recommend making the day before as after this has sat in the refrigerator over night in becomes less eggy tasting and more creamy. The flavors blend well over night. This one is quite elegant tasting. A keeper. Thanks for sharing!!!! I also baked in water bath for time suggested in recipe. No cracks

I made this cheesecake but added vanilla and amaretto. Added toasted pecans with amaretto on top... loved it.

I made this cheesecake, and added the almonds and white icing drizzle as shown in one of the pictures. It's fantastic and several people told me it was the best cheesecake they ever tasted. First I made it for a bridal shower. The bride then asked me to make it for the wedding held at a restaurant. Get this- the chef asked who made it, found out and came to me and asked me for the recipe "because it is the type of recipe that would make a chef famous". I was so flattered! Followed the recipe exactly. Tried the crust first with boxed graham cracker crumbs, it made the crust too sandy/grainy. The second time I made it I ground graham crackers myself and the texture was much better and tastier. LOVE IT!

Easy to make cheesecake with a delightful flavor and texture. Only problem was that the cheesecake cracked on the top as it cooled.

Nice base, but like other reviews needed tweaking. I used almond biscotti as my crust. More cream cheese. Using pure almond extract with the vanilla helps with the flavor too. Thanks! ;)

DELICIOUS AND EASY !!!

Had to make longer, it was ok

Very creamy and easy to make

Wonderful as is!

I loved it!! Anything with Almond in it is great. The amaretto gives it such a rich flavor.

I used almond flour instead of corn starch to thicken it and greek yogart instead of sour cream. It turned out delicious.

good but not the melted taste in mouth i'm looking for

Really good. Yes, it needs more Amaretto (a third of a cup) and I used 1 tsp of vanilla and half a tsp of almond extract. I don't have a pan big enough for a water bath, so there was a crack; that's what glazes are for. Two tablespoons of butter, a cup of powdered sugar, half a teaspoon of almond extract (I was out of Amaretto, cuz I drank it), and a little cream did the trick. The texture, timing, and amount of crust were perfect. Now my go-to cheesecake recipe, can be adapted for other flavors.

Perfectly flavored with the hint of Amaretto!