Banana Cream Cheesecake

Recipe View Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Combine vanilla wafer crumbs, ground walnuts, and melted butter in a medium bowl. Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to create the crust. (5 minutes)

Recipe View In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until softened. Gradually add 1 1/8 cups sugar and flour, mixing until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in sour cream, mashed bananas, banana liqueur, and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Pour the cheesecake filling over the crust in the springform pan. Wrap the bottom of the pan tightly with aluminum foil to prevent water from seeping in. Place the springform pan inside a larger roasting pan. Fill the outer pan with hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the springform pan (creating a water bath). (5 minutes)

Recipe View Bake for 45 minutes. Then, turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside with the door closed for 1 hour. After the time is up, remove from water bath. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to prevent cracking. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight. (3 hours and 45 minutes)

Recipe View While the cheesecake is baking, prepare the vanilla cream topping. Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a small bowl and let soften for 5 minutes. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Heat milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until hot but not boiling. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup sugar and egg yolks until pale and frothy. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Slowly whisk about 1/3 of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture to temper it, then pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula (making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan), until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a metal spoon (about 5-7 minutes). (7 minutes)

Recipe View Remove from heat. Stir in the softened gelatin until dissolved, then stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Pour the pastry cream into a bowl, cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate until completely cooled, about 1 hour. (1 hour and 5 minutes)

Recipe View Once the pastry cream is chilled, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently stir the chilled pastry cream to loosen it, then fold in the whipped cream until just combined. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Arrange vanilla wafers on top of the chilled cheesecake. Spread the vanilla cream evenly over the entire top. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. (1 hour and 10 minutes)

Recipe View Before serving, run a wet knife around the edge of the cheesecake to loosen it from the sides of the pan. Carefully remove the sides of the springform pan. Slice and serve. (5 minutes)