Find out how to make cheesecake with a sweet and crisp graham cracker crust and an incredibly silky, creamy, and rich cream cheese filling! Read below for tips on how to get a perfect, crack free cheesecake top that looks and tastes amazing.
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I have never been one to turn down some good ole' cheesecake - especially not when it's homemade! I find that the idea of making cheesecake at home is a little daunting and intimidating for a lot of home bakers, but it's really quite easy to make and it's such a stunning dessert!
Plus, this recipe seriously rivals cheesecake factory cheesecake if I do say so myself! (sorry cheesecake factory ily)
It's VERY hard to go wrong when it comes to the taste of cheesecake. The only tricky part is getting a smooth, crack free top (which I have plenty of tips on below!) But at the end of the day, as long as it's delicious, we can ignore any surface imperfections. Eat the evidence if need be.
BUT first, let's go over the main ingredients you'll need to make the best cheesecake EVER!
cheesecake ingredients
• graham cracker crumbs: You can buy pre-ground crumbs or grind your own in a food processor. If you can't get your hands on graham cracker crumbs, finely ground digestive biscuits or Biscoff cookies make a good substitute
• sugar: you'll need a touch to sweeten up the crust and for the filling. This recipe uses a bit less sugar than any other cheesecake recipe I've seen and that just makes it slightly more mild and allows the cream cheese flavor to truly shine! Don't worry though, it's still perfectly sweet - just not sickeningly sweet
• butter: this helps hold the crust together
• cream cheese: was there any doubt about this one? Make sure you're using the cream cheese blocks and NOT the spread (more on that below)
• sour cream or yogurt: sour cream adds more flavor, but plain or Greek yogurt does the same trick! If using yogurt, I like to mix in a teaspoon of vinegar to increase the acidity - it basically helps make it taste and act more like sour cream (kind of like why we add acid to milk to make buttermilk). But the vinegar is optional - feel free to leave it out if you prefer
• flour: helps add a bit of structure and body to the cake. We only add a touch so that it doesn't end up too heavy or bready but just enough to help the filling set up into a perfectly fudgy texture
• vanilla extract: for flavor. You can also use an equal amount of vanilla bean paste or the seeds from half a fresh vanilla bean pod if you want the little speckles of seeds!
• salt: to balance the sweetness
• eggs: for structure and to help the cheesecake filling set
cream cheese block vs spread
The recipe below calls for FOUR cream cheese blocks. The reason we use blocks instead of spread is because the blocks are firmer and are better designed for baking.
Cream cheese spread is a bit too soft for cheesecake - because it's main purpose is to ... well, spread!
what causes cracks in cheesecake & how to avoid them
If you've read the post for these cheesecake bars, you'll know my main tips! But I'm going to run through them again for sake of convenience!
But I'm a firm believer in taste > appearance. So if you do get cracks, it'll still taste amazing (and you can always cover it up with some blueberry sauce, caramel, fresh fruits, melted chocolate or anything similar!) And/or you can eat the evidence and try again.
So don't stress!
But here's a look at my top tips for ensuring you get a perfect cheesecake top!
1. Use room temperature ingredients. 99.9% of cheesecake cracks are caused by sudden temperature changes. Okay, I made that number up. But it's usually the #1 culprit.
Suddenly shifting from cold to hot or vice versa will cause your cheesecake to contract and ... you guessed it, crack! Room temperature ingredients mean the cheesecake is at a mild temperature when it hits the heat of the oven, so less contracting and less crack-a-lackin'!
2. Don't overmix the cheesecake batter! Air is probably the second biggest cause of cracks on a cheesecake. Cheesecake was born to be dense. So incorporating air into the batter (which happens if it's overmixed) creates bubbles that pop, expand, deflate, and just basically act unpredictably. All of this can and does cause cracks!
So do the bare minimum when it comes to mixing (less work anyways, am I right?!) Be especially careful if you're using an electric mixer because it's easier to accidentally overmix when a machine is doing the mixing!
3. Use a lower temperature oven. Bake cheesecake on a gradual and gentle heat because cheesecake is fussy! The filling is THICK so this ensures it all has a chance to bake through without burning the surface. The sweet zone is between 300°F to 325°F.
325°F bakes up faster and it's never given me problems, so that's what I go with! I've seen other bakers get successfully smooth cheesecake tops at 350°F, but I found it to be unpredictable and less consistent.
4. Bake in a water bath. Now I don't actually do this when making cheesecake bars or mini cheesecakes - just because they have a thinner cheese layer so they're less prone to cracking. On the other hand, this beautifully GIANT cheesecake benefits from the gentle cooking that a water bath provides.
If you don't have a pan big enough to fit your cheesecake (how many of us even do??) you can just fill any high sided pan with about 2 cups of water and place it on the rack below your cheesecake to get the same steam effect. You can see what I mean in the photo below. Another upside to this method is the fact that you don't have to worry about water leaking into your cheesecake!
5. Cool your cheesecake in the oven. This again has to do with gradual temperature changes. So we cool the cheesecake in the oven for a bit, then on the counter, then in the fridge. This slowly but surely brings the temperature down without shocking the cheesecake.
6. Loosen the edges of the cheesecake while warm. Run a pairing knife or offset spatula around the edges of your cheesecake after about 30 minutes of cooling in the oven. As your cheesecake cools, it shrinks slightly. If the sides are stuck to the pan, and it cools and shrinks, it'll cause cracks. So running a knife around the edges helps release any stuck on cheesecake.
You can see in the photo below just how much the edges of the cheesecake pulled away from the pan once it was fully cooled! My springform pan is really good in terms of not sticking, but I still do this step to be on the safe side.
cheesecake storage
For the best texture, keep cheesecake stored in the fridge until ready to serve. Cheesecake is best served cold! Cover with plastic wrap and cheesecake will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Check out these other cheesecake recipes!
• Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Oreo Cheesecake
• Cheesecake Bars
• No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
• No Bake Biscoff Cheesecake
• Mini No Bake Cinnamon Roll Cheesecakes
Lastly, if you made this or any of my recipes, be sure to leave a comment and review below! I love hearing your thoughts! Also tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see what you're making.
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Classic Cheesecake
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes + 6 hours cooling
- Yield: 8 VERY generous slices
Description
Find out how to make cheesecake with a sweet and crisp graham cracker crust and an incredibly silky, creamy, and rich cream cheese filling! Read the post for tips on how to get a perfect, crack free cheesecake top that looks and tastes amazing.
Ingredients
For the cheesecake crust:
- 2 cups (240g) graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
For the cheesecake filling:
- 4 (8 oz) full fat blocks cream cheese (32 oz / 900g total), at room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (120g) plain yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature * see notes
- ¼ cup (32g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
Instructions
- Position an oven rack on the bottom position of your oven and another rack in the center. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of a 9" springform pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Make the graham cracker crust: In a medium bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter until moistened.
- 2 cups (240g) graham cracker crumbs, ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar, ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter
- Drop the crust mixture into your 9 inch springform pan. Using the bottom of a cup, or any flat surface, firmly pack the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about ½ way up the sides.
- Transfer the crust to the center of your preheated 325°F oven and bake for 8 minutes. The crust won't look significantly different, just slightly browned along the edges. Take the pan out of the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
- Keep the oven set to 325F. Place a large baking pan on the bottom rack of your oven (this will be filled with water in a later step to create a water bath). Fill a pot with about 5 cups of water and bring it up to a boil while you prep the cheesecake filling.
- Make the cheesecake filling: In a large bowl, combine your blocks of cream cheese and sugar. Using an electric mixer fitted with the beater attachment, beat together the cheese and sugar on LOW speed until smooth. You can do this by hand as well with a wooden spoon, but it'll take some elbow grease.
- 4 (8 oz) blocks full fat cream cheese, 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- Add the yogurt/sour cream, flour, salt, and vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture. Mix together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix or it can cause cracks in the cheesecake.
- ½ cup (120g) plain yogurt or sour cream, ¼ cup (32g) all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Add the eggs in one at a time, mixing after each addition to incorporate the egg into the batter before adding the next egg. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl after half the eggs are added in to ensure it's all combining properly. Again, be careful not to overmix! Just mix until the egg barely disappears into the batter.
- 4 large eggs
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and the sides of the bowl again to make sure everything is well combined. Pour your cheesecake filling over the slightly cooled crust and spread into an even layer. It's OK if the crust is still warm.
- Take the pot of boiling water and carefully pour it into the large baking pan in the bottom rack of your oven to fill it about ½ way full. Place the cheesecake on the center rack of your oven directly above the water filled pan then quickly shut the door. (See above post for visual)
- Bake the cheesecake in the center of your preheated 325°F oven for 60 to 70 minutes or until the surface is slightly puffed up and lost its shine and the edges are very lightly browned. If you gently shake the pan, the center of the cheesecake should still jiggle but the edges should be stiff.
- Turn the oven off and crack open the door. Leave the cheesecake in the oven to cool for 1 hour with the door slightly ajar. Halfway through (after about 30 minutes), carefully run a knife along the edges of the cheesecake to loosen it from the pan (to prevent sticking and cracking).
- After the hour, take the cheesecake out of the oven and cool completely to room temperature. Finally, cover the cheesecake and chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours or until fully cooled and set before slicing and serving!
Notes
* I've tested this recipe with both sour cream and yogurt and I didn't notice any significant differences in taste or texture. Sour cream is slightly tangier, but you can compensate for that by adding a teaspoon of vinegar to the yogurt if using. But the difference really isn't noticeable - sour cream is just traditionally used.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Bake Time: 1 hour
- Category: Cheesecakes
Enjoy!
Barb says
This is The BEST cheesecake Ihave ever made....love the densness ..
however I would like it to be more crumbly dryer cheesecake along
with being dense...how can I achieve this..
Ann says
Love this recipe my two boys also loves it thanks for sharing