I’ll take cheesecake in just about any form… Cheesecake Cookie Bars, Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies, or even Pumpkin Cheesecake made in an Instant Pot. The creamy, smooth filling and graham cracker crust gets me every time! If your love for cheesecake is as big as mine you’re going to reallyyy appreciate this recipe. It’s rich, smooth and creamy, tangy (in the best way) and a luxurious crowd-pleasing dessert. I like to break down this classic cheesecake recipe into 3 layers: Top with your favorite fresh berries and a dollop of whipped cream and dive into pure bliss with this creamy classic.
Ingredient Notes
One of the biggest things to note about the ingredients is they need to be same temperature, room temperature. (About 70-75°F). This is essential for a smooth cheesecake. Cold ingredients or cold cream cheese will create a lumpy batter. We want the ingredients to combine effortlessly so using room temperature is best. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe ingredients & measurements.
Cream cheese: I recommend using a good quality, full-fat cream cheese for best results. You’ll need 4 blocks at room temperature Sugar: superfine granulated sugar or regular granulated sugar works well. Eggs: room temperature. You’ll need 5 eggs for this recipe. The eggs help give cheesecake its rich texture. Sour cream: You guessed it – room temperature! Full fat recommended. I love adding in a bit of sour cream to help with the airy, soft texture. Vanilla: Use a high quality vanilla extract for best results. Lemon Juice: a little fresh lemon juice in cheesecake helps to balance and brighten the flavors. Cornstarch: the cornstarch makes this cheesecake a bit more sturdy and it will set up firm (possibly preventing cracks on top too!). Graham crackers: You’ll need 2 1/2 cups crumbled graham crackers. Don’t skimp on this part! You’ll love the thick , buttery graham cracker base layer. Salt and cinnamon: Added flavors for the crust. Vanilla bean paste: To add those visually appealing specs to the sour cream topping!
Use room temperature (same temperature) ingredients. When I know I am going to make a cheesecake, I usually take the cream cheese, sour cream and eggs all out of the fridge in the morning. Then by the afternoon when I’m ready to bake, all ingredients are room temperature. This is important for creating a smooth, creamy cheesecake filling. Add the eggs in one at a time. You don’t want to over beat the filling and adding in eggs one at a time, just until combined helps. Over beating will lead to cracks. We want to mix the filling enough, but not too much. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl. When baking the filling, occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure the filling gets evenly incorporated, which can help prevent lumps or clumpy batter. Use a springform pan. It’s the easiest pan for removal of the cake since you can gently release the outer ring. Double wrap the springform pan with heavy duty foil. Wrapping aluminum foil around the exterior of the pan helps to prevent water from the water bath to seep in. Press the crust up the sides of the pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or bottom of a flat glass to evenly press the crust on the bottom of the pan and then, press crust up the sides as well. This recipe makes a nice thick crust to there is plenty of crust to push up the sides. Don’t skip pre baking the crust. I always like to pre bake the graham cracker crust for 10 minutes before adding the filling. This helps to ensure it stays a crispy, heavenly crust. You don’t need any pie weights, just pop it in for 10 minutes at 350°F. Strain the cheesecake batter. An optional step to ensure super smooth, silky non-clumpy cheesecake is to run the batter through a fine mesh strainer before pouring on to the crust. Usually, a few tiny clumps of cheesecake are OK and will melt as the cheesecake bakes. It’s the large, huge clumps you want to look out for! Slice with a sharp, warmed knife. Dip a knife in hot water, or run it under hot water. Wipe water off with a towel, slice and then repeat for perfectly clean cut slices. Cleaning the knife in between cuts and using warm water is key.
