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This is the best cheesecake recipe ever! It’s creamy and decadent. It’s rich, smooth, and topped with a classic cherry topping. This is an easy, classy cheesecake that’s sure to have your guests coming back for seconds.
The Best Cheesecake Recipe
Pretty much everybody loves a good cheesecake recipe. They can be dreamy, decadent, and so easy to love. It’s a favorite dessert for many people. This recipe is for a gorgeous New York style cheesecake, which is one of the most popular varieties.
New York Cheesecake vs Regular Cheesecake
As a general rule, New York cheesecake is more dense, rich, and smooth than a regular cheesecake. It’s taller, too. Many people prefer the New York cheesecake for this very reason.
Why You’ll Love This Cheesecake Recipe
- It’s quick and easy. While you can’t eat it straight out of the oven, this recipe is super easy to make and only requires a few major steps. It’ll be ready to go into the oven in just a few minutes.
- This classic recipe is a surefire hit. The cream cheese foundation and graham cracker crust are a great example of the classic cheesecake recipe. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
- This dessert is so versatile. Pretty much everybody loves cheesecake, and it’s perfect for just about any occasion. Bring a cheesecake to dinner parties, potlucks, or as a special treat for a weekend dinner.
Ingredient notes
- Crust: We’ll be using the Graham crackers to make the crust.
- Butter: We use unsalted butter. This helps us to control the level of salt in the cheesecake.
- Cream cheese, of course, is the star ingredient of this recipe. You want your cream cheese to be at room temperature. We usually use Philadelphia cream cheese (even if it’s a New York style, not Philly style, cheesecake) for cheesecake recipes.
- Sugar: We’re using granulated sugar to sweeten the cheesecake, but cane sugar will work just fine, too.
- Vanilla extract for flavoring.
- Sour cream: When using sour cream in a cheesecake recipe, it’s important to use full fat sour cream. It has a far better taste and texture.
- Eggs: Always use large eggs for richness. They also help reinforce the structure of your cheesecake.
- Salt
- Topping: You can use just about any brand of cherry pie filling. Alternatively, you can choose another topping if you prefer.
How To Make Cheesecake
- Make the crust: Stir the crumbs, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Add in the melted butter and stir until moist. Transfer the mixture to a 7-inch springform pan and press firmly into the bottom of the pan. Use a spoon or the bottom of a measuring cup to make this easier for yourself. Then place the pan in the freezer.
- While your crust is in the freezer, you can make your cheesecake filling. In a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium high speed until very smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract and sour cream.
- Pour over the frozen crust, smoothing out to the sides of the pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven until top is light brown and the center jiggles slightly, about 75-85 minutes.
Rest in the Oven
Now that your cheesecake is done baking, it’s time to turn off the oven, leaving the oven door open. You’re going to let your cheesecake cool in the open oven until it reaches room temperature. This is how we stop the cheesecake from developing cracks! As the cake cools, it will shrink a little, but that’s a normal part of the process.
Set the Cheesecake
Once our cheesecake has reached room temperature, you can put it in the fridge. It will set in about four hours, but it’s easiest to just leave it in the fridge overnight.
Cherry Topping for Cheesecake
Once your cheesecake has set, top it with your cherry pie filling. Slice it and serve!
How to Keep Cheesecake From Cracking
- Generously butter your springform pan!
- Avoid overmixing as cracks can form in cheesecake due to air bubbles!
- Don’t open the oven door while your cheesecake is baking!
- Don’t overbake your cheesecake.
- You can use a touch of cornstarch or flour in the batter.
- Don’t cool your cake too quickly. Abrupt changes in temperature cause cracks. Just let the cake cool in an open oven, gently.
- Run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the pan to prevent the cake from sticking to the pan.
Best Cream Cheese to Use
Philadelphia cream cheese is our favorite for this recipe. Any full fat cream cheese will do, however.
Gently shake the pan. If the cheesecake jiggles, it’s not done. If it’s firm, but the middle jiggles a little, this will set as the cake cools.
Recipe Tips
- Always use room temperature ingredients. This creates the best texture.
- Butter your cheesecake springform pan! It prevents the cheesecake from sticking.
- Only add eggs at the end, once your cream cheese is mixed thoroughly and it’s as smooth as possible. Add the eggs one at a time. Avoid overmixing as cracks can form in cheesecake due to air bubbles!
- Keep the oven door closed while the cake is baking.
- Avoid over baking!
- First let your cheesecake reach room temperature in the oven with the door open. Then you can cool your cheesecake in the fridge overnight by first covering it tightly with plastic wrap.
Storage
Wrap well and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or 2 months in the freezer. Thaw the still-wrapped cheesecake overnight in the refrigerator.
Other Cheesecake Recipes to Try!!!
- 15 Easy Cheesecake Toppings
- Pistachio Baklava Cheesecake
- Pistachio Cheesecake
- No Bake Orange Cheesecake
- Date Walnut Cheesecake
- Blueberry Cheesecake Recipe
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Easy Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 1/4 cups graham crackers, finely crushed
- 1/4 cup butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
- 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
Cheesecake Filling
- 24 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup sour cream
Cheesecake Topping
- 1 28-ounce can cherry pie filling
Equipment
Instructions
- Butter a 7-inch springform pan with 3-inch sides and line the bottom of your pan with parchment paper or a double layer of aluminum foil.
- To make the crust: Stir the crumbs, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Add in the melted butter and stir until moist. Transfer the mixture to the springform pan and use a spoon to pat down to get an even layer of crumbs on the bottom and sides. Place the pan in the freezer while you heat the oven and make the filling.
- Preheat your oven to 325F| 160C.
- Cheesecake Filling: In a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium high speed until very smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract and sour cream.
- Pour over frozen crust, smoothing out to sides of the pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven until top is light brown and the center jiggles slightly, about 75-85 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon. After 1 hour, remove from the oven. Allow to cool down to room temperature, then loosely cover and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the pan. Top with cherry pie filling. Slice with a warm knife, wiping it clean between cuts.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Tips
- Always use room temperature ingredients. This creates the best texture.
- Only add eggs at the end, once your cream cheese is mixed thoroughly and it’s as smooth as possible. Add the eggs one at a time. Avoid overmixing as cracks can form in cheesecake due to air bubbles!
- Keep the oven door closed while the cake is baking.
- Avoid over baking!
- First let your cheesecake reach room temperature in the oven with the door open. Then you can cool your cheesecake in the fridge overnight by first covering it tightly with plastic wrap.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This cheesecake was incredible! So creamy and rich, yet easy to make. I topped it with fresh strawberries, and it tasted like something from a bakery. My family loved it!
Thanks, Lisa! Fresh strawberries sound like the perfect touch. I’m glad your family enjoyed it!