Description
The only cheesecake recipe you'll ever need: easy to make, ultra creamy, rich and luscious with a beautifully balanced flavor.
Ingredients
Crust:
- 190g Graham Crackers (12 full graham cracker sheets)*
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar (35g) - see notes if you want to skip the sugar*
- 5 tbsp melted unsalted butter (70g)
Cheesecake:
- 32 oz full-fat cream cheese (4 8oz blocks or 910g), room temperature*
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (325g)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract, but paste is superior)
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup full-fat heavy cream (120g), room temperature
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream (240g), room temperature*
- 2-3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice*
Serving:
- Extra heavy cream or berries for decoration (optional)
Instructions
Prep:
- Bring all ingredients to room temperature
- Preheat oven to 325F (conventional / no fan)
- Prepare a 9" springform pan. Lightly brush softened butter inside the pan and line it with parchment paper (I recommend a parchment circle on the base, and a separate strip of parchment along the sides of the pan). Wrap the pan tightly with 2-3 large sheets of aluminum foil on the outside (you can do this after the crust has baked, too)
Crust:
- Grind the Graham crackers and sugar in a food processor until they form a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined
- Transfer the crust ingredients to the prepared pan. Pack very tightly using the back of a measuring cup. You can push a little up the edges, or leave it all on the bottom for a slightly thicker crust
- Bake the crust in the pre-heated oven for ~7-8 min, then remove from the oven
Cheesecake:
- First, whisk the cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla for ~3-5 min until well combined and creamy. Keep scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl and the paddle / whisk to ensure everything combines evenly. I recommend using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer
- Break the eggs in a separate bowl and whisk lightly. Don’t overbeat because if the eggs get airy they will give a spongy texture to the cheesecake. Add them to the batter slowly and mix at a low speed until JUST combined
- Add the cream, sour cream, and lemon juice and mix at low speed until just combined. Keep scraping the bowl and whisk / paddle
- Pour the batter into the baked crust. Gently tap the cheesecake pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles; this will help prevent cracking
- Place a large tray in the oven and fill it with 1-2 inches of boiling water. Place the cheesecake pan in the water and bake for about ~75-80 min. Don’t open the oven until at least 70 minutes. When done, the cheesecake should be set at the edges but be very jiggly in the middle (like jello!)
- Cool the cheesecake for 2-3 hours at room temp. After this, place it in the fridge and chill overnight, uncovered (12+ hours)
Serving:
- Once the cheesecake has chilled overnight, carefully remove it from the pan and transfer to a serving stand. If there are any imperfections, you can use a hot offset spatula to smooth them out
- Optionally, decorate the cheesecake with plain whipped cream and / or berries
- Serve and enjoy!
Video Tutorial:
Notes
- *Parchment paper: Make sure to put a parchment circle on the bottom of the pan and parchment strips on the sides. The parchment on the sides will help make sure the cheesecake doesn't stick to the edges of the pan. Cheesecake shrinks slightly as it cools after baking, and if it is stuck to the edges of the pan, it can crack. The parchment paper prevents this issue.
- *Graham crackers: You can substitute them with Wheat Digestives in some parts of the world
- *Sugar in crust: You can skip the sugar in the crust if you prefer. If you do that, update the quantities to 225g graham crackers (15 full sheets) and 85g melted butter (6 tbsp).
- *Cream cheese: Make sure to use full-fat cream cheese that comes in blocks, not tubs. Philadelphia is always a safe choice
- *Sour cream: If you can't find sour cream where you live, you can make your own at home with this recipe
- *Lemon juice: Please don't omit this! It adds a beautiful fresh tangy flavor that complements the cream cheese beautifully
- Make ahead: You can bake this cheesecake up to 2 days ahead of time, and keep it refrigerated in the springform pan. After the first night of chilling, cover the cheesecake with cling wrap. Remove from pan and decorate when ready to serve
- Freezing: This cheesecake can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months; just make sure to cover it with cling wrap and place it in an airtight container. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before serving
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 75 min
- Category: Cheesecakes
- Cuisine: American