In my research for finding baked treats I can make by hand without using power tools, I decided to make this cream cheese cake by mixing by hand. I used to make it using a hand electric mixer. It is easy to mix by hand and the cake turned out perfect. If my hand mixer stopped working, I wouldn’t buy another one, knowing now that I could make my cream cheese cake without it.

I purchased the cream cheese on sale at $0.99 each and butter at $0.99 /lb. (a box of 4 sticks). The regular price for the same sweet cream salted butter from the same grocery store is over $4/lb. The eggs were about $0.65 a dozen farm raised eggs from a family farm, the crackers cost $0.88/ box, and the sour cream about $1.50/lb. The raspberry were from a family garden. Sugar and milk are staples available in my house. For less than $14 I make this cake my family enjoyed and I got to control the amount of sugar I put in it.

Cream Cheese Cake

8-8oz Cream Cheese at room temperature

3 cups Sugar

2 lbs. Sour Cream

8 Eggs

½ cup Milk

2 boxes Graham Crackers

2 Sticks (1 cup) Butter softened

Bake at 300 degree F for 1 hour.

Raspberry Sauce

1 Quart raspberry

½ cup Sugar

2 Tbsp. flour + ¼ cup of water

Direction:

Leave the cream cheese, butter eggs, sour cream out for about 2 hours before starting to use them.

Crust

Pound the crackers few at a time in a mortar to crumbles. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

Repeat the process until all the crackers are pounded.

Add butter to the crumbles and mix together by hands.

Butter the baking pan and pour the crumbles in it. Spread evenly and press it down to firm it against the dish. Put a side.

Filling:

In a big mixing bowl, add cream cheese and sugar. By hand, mix them all to break the cream cheese. Beat the mixture by hand few times.

Add the eggs and mix in.

Add the sour cream and mix to incorporate. Make a fist with the hand in the batter and beat the mixture against one edge of the bowl few times to incorporate all the ingredients.

Add milk and mix it in.

Pour on the crust.

Bake at 300 degree F for 1 hour.

Leave it  in the oven and turn the oven off after the timer is off. Let it there for about 1hr or 2. Take the cake out and put in the fridge uncovered overnight.

Cover in the morning or after it has completely cooled off to avoid moisture buildup on top.

Sauce:

While the cake is baking,

Mix in a pot, raspberry and sugar. Mix flour with water and add to the fruit. Stir and bring to a boil. Cook for  about 5 min until stick as desired.

Transfer to a bowl. And store in the fridge.

This recipe makes a large cheese cake or many pie size batches.