I used to eat cheesecake every summer. I’d have it as my birthday cake and then I’d get one more later on in the summer and eat it all week. They are so creamy & decadent. I prefer my cheesecakes to be dense. None of the fluffy b*llsh$t. I also tend to eat them plain or perhaps turtle style once in awhile.

With needing to use up an excess of freshly harvested rhubarb I thought making a cheesecake would be a great way to use it. I debated making the cheesecake plain and the rhubarb sauce on the side but decided to place it inside of the cheesecake which goes against my purist cheesecake values. It also isn’t as dense as I normally prefer. I decided to make it a bit less dense so it would be slightly creamier/softer so that it would mesh better with the rhubarb sauce.

It turned out to be delicious though. I don’t imagine wanting too many fruit cheesecakes in the future but I will definitely make this one again. Also, this recipe does not require a water bath so it’s super easy to make.

Rhubarb Cheesecake

For the crust…

• 1/3 box (1 wrapped package graham crackers) smashed into crumbs (roughly 1.25 cups crumbs)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup sugar

For the rhubarb sauce…

• 4 cups chopped rhubarb
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1.5 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

For the cheesecake…

• 2 blocks cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup cup sour cream ( I’ve made it with both, just depends on what you have in the fridge)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp flour

Heat oven to 325 degree F. Place graham cracker crumbs & sugar in a bowl, mix well. Melt butter and stir into crumbs. Press mixture into bottom of an 10-inch springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, corn starch, rhubarb, and lemon juice. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat. Continue to cook, stirring, an additional 6 to 7 minutes until rhubarb sauce is thickened and all the pieces have disintegrated.

In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese, sour cream,  and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until blended, then beat in flour. Stir in lemon juice.

Place the rhubarb sauce over the crust. Top with the cheesecake filling. Bake for 45 minutes or until lightly golden around edges. Remove to rack to cool slightly. Run a thin knife around edge of cheesecake in pan. Remove pan and place into fridge to chill at least 2 hrs.

Enjoy with your friends or by yourself.