Lou's Cheesecake - Light and Fluffy Ingredients: 6 eggs- Separated 2 Packs of Philadelphia Cream Cheese ( 16 0zs. ) 1 cup of Vanilla Ice Cream 1 ¼ cups of Sugar 1 stick of Butter = ¼ lb. ( softened ) 1 Tablespoon of Lemon Juice 6 tablespoons of Orange Juice and grate fine, the (rind)skin of 1 orange 1 teaspoon of Vanilla flavor 2 heaping Tablespoons of Flour ¼ cup of Cornstarch Add into a large bowl, 6 egg yolks, cream cheese, ¾ cup of sugar, Vanilla Ice Cream, Lemon Juice, Orange juice, Grated orange skin, Butter, Vanilla and Flour. Beat until creamy smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes, with a hand mixer. In another bowl, beat the egg whites ; with clean beaters, until they hold soft peaks and then add remaining ½ cup of Sugar, one tablespoon at a time, at Medium speed, for 1 minute. Increase the speed for 2 to 3 minutes ,or until whites hold stiff peaks. add this to the cheese Batter 1/3 at a time, folding easily but thoroughly. I oiled a 9 in. x 12 in. SS pan and dusted it with flour, or you can use your favorite pie shell mix, poured the batter into it and leveled it slightly by shaking. I placed this SS pan into a slightly larger pan, filled with water about ¾ inches deep. This was put into the 325 Deg. preheated oven , on the middle shelf and baked about 55 to 60 minutes or until the top is a light Golden light Tan. Turn off the oven but leave the cake in until it cools down a little. It will settle and be slightly recessed upon cooling. When cool, cover the top with plastic wrap and refrigerate, for at least 1 hour. Cover the top with a fruit pie mix or Strawberry or Cherry preserves Cut the large pieces of fruit smaller. Can be refrigerated for at least 3 days.

I don't know what your cheesecake recipe is, but I can make a "small" cheesecake in a regular cake tin. It's not as tall as the 2 1/2 pounds of cream cheese cake I make in a 9 inch pan (I never use the 10 inch pan) but it's a cheese cake and tastes like one. I have a nest of spring form pans...a 10 inch a 9 inch and an 8 inch....mostly I use the 8 inch pan....because it fits nicely on my favorite tall cake server. Also Cheese cake freezes very well....and a couple of slices of cheese cake in the freezer is like money in the bank. Cheese cake in a cake pan....works best on a pan with a removable bottom. Crust...I butter the pan very very well...soft butter spread on thickly. Then I place 1/4 cup of ground nuts...I like almonds or pecans, mixed with 1/4 tsp cinnamon....and sprinkle in the pan, tilting the pan so the nuts stick to the butter. Cake 2 8 oz packages of cream cheese at room temp. 2/3 cup sugar 2 eggs 2 tsps flour 1 tsp vanilla pour the cake into the "crust" and bake at 375 until the center jiggles only very slightly, about 45 to 50 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the door ajar and let it sit for 30 minutes. Cool before chilling.

I've seen it at other people's houses where the cheesecake wasn't wrapped nicely (when I was helping in the kitchen and saw the wrap and thawing process). The middle of the cake doesn't get gummy, I don't think, but the top part did. Nasty. That's when you scrape it off and disguise the top with jam, or something. Smelly happens when it's a single compressor fridge/freezer combo, and the cake isn't wrapped nicely. It can get fridge odors. Damp happens when it's just a loose plastic freezer bag and ice crystals form. Which probably is a sister of gummy. Linda, why would that happen to you? I can't imagine that you don't wrap your cakes properly. I didn't think of saying anything until the second time I read the thread, because it's second nature to me. But then I remembered the if onlys I've seen. I know a lot of people who really don't know their way around the kitchen. The cheesecakes were almost certainly boughten or brought.

Latifolia, I am so sorry to hear about your mom. I am missing you all, already, and wish I could come! Tobey finished his Katy Trail ride - plus spurs - with a total of 370 miles. We got home this afternoon and the RV is unloaded. I am working on sketching some ideas for a king-sized quilt I am going to be making on commission for a friend of my brothers. Could sure sure the moral support of you all! Have a great time. Beverly, I made "crack" but won't have time to mail it so I am going to eat it all .... :) Sue