This recipe came from a cookbook I bought at Hood River, Oregon. The cookbook contains recipes from hotels and restaurants in the beautiful area around the Hood River Valley and the Columbia Gorge.

I make this cheesecake a lot because I like its smooth custard-like texture. Casey asks for this for his birthday cake. It’s good with any kind of topping, but I especially like to top it with huckleberry jam or fresh raspberries.

Place a Keebler’s graham cracker or shortbread crust in the bottom of a 9 or 10-inch spring form pan. Smooth it out so the bottom of the pan is covered.

Bottom layer:
4 eight-ounce packages cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs
Topping:
2 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
¾ cup sugar
Juice of ½ lemon (I use two tablespoons bottled lemon juice)

Beat together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract until there are no lumps.

Add eggs; beat only until blended. Pour onto crust and bake at 350 on the top shelf of oven for 30 minutes, or until set.
(At our altitude, I bake about 10 minutes longer.)

Take out of the oven and let sit for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine topping ingredients. Pour on top of cheesecake.

Bake again for 10 minutes.
When cool, refrigerate all day or overnight.