Homemade Cheesecake Recipe

Treat yourself to this Homemade Cheesecake Recipe that’s lusciously creamy and rich and complete with a homemade graham cracker crust! Finish your slice off with fresh fruit, chocolate sauce, or cherry pie filling!

 

The Best Cheese Cake Recipe

This Homemade Cheesecake is the best cheesecake you’ll ever have! It’s deliciously dense and satisfyingly creamy; dress it up with fresh fruit or a drizzle of dessert sauce, or simply enjoy it as is!

Indulge yourself as well as friends and family with a thick slice of this homemade cheesecake, whose flavor is perfectly sweet with that classic cream cheese tang. To make it the very best cheesecake, I used high-quality cream cheese, made a homemade graham cracker crust, and then took it over the top with an easy water bath baking technique.

To achieve the creamiest cheesecake with peak taste, this recipe should be made with high-quality, full-fat cream cheese. Full-fat cream cheese gives this dessert the thick, creamy texture we expect in a baked cheesecake!

I prefer using Philadelphia cream cheese, though any full-fat cream cheese will work well in this recipe. If you prefer, it can be made with low-fat cream cheese. However, it just won’t turn out to be as rich and creamy as with full fat.

Once this Homemade Cheesecake is ready, it becomes the perfect blank slate for all of your favorite cheesecake toppings! From fresh fruit to homemade sauces or even canned pie filling, everything tastes good on a slice of this thick, creamy cheesecake!

Simple Cheesecake Recipe Substitutions and Additions

• Unsalted Butter – Unsalted butter can replace salted butter when making the graham cracker crust. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the graham cracker crumb mixture to make this substitution.
• Graham Cracker Crumbs – I prefer using boxed graham cracker crumbs when making the cheesecake crust. However, you can easily make homemade graham cracker crumbs by pulsing crackers in a good processor until fine crumbs form.
• Vanilla Bean Paste – Vanilla extract can be used instead of vanilla bean paste by using 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract in its place. However, the vanilla bean paste does add so much more in terms of flavor, in my opinion.
• Cheesecake Size – This recipe can be made in either a 10-inch springform pan or a 9-inch springform pan. The 10-inch option will deliver a bit thinner cheesecake and will take slightly less time to bake. In comparison, the 9-inch option will provide a thicker slice of cheesecake. I don’t recommend using an 8-inch springform pan as it’s too small for all of the cheesecake batter.

How To Make a Cheesecake

Step 1: Preheat the oven and then wrap a 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil. Set the wrapped pan aside.

Step 2: Mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly to ensure all the crumbs are evenly moistened.

Step 3: Press this crumb mixture into the bottom of the springform pan and partially up the sides. The flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup works great to spread and press the crumbs down evenly.

Step 4: Beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla bean paste into a large bowl or stand mixer that’s fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed until smooth. Stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as you mix to ensure no lumps remain.

Step 5: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition on low speed. Make sure little yellow remains from the previous egg’s yolk before adding the next.

Step 6: While the mixer is on low speed, add in the heavy cream, lemon juice, and salt. Mix until these ingredients have been fully incorporated into the cheesecake batter.

Step 7: Sift the all-purpose flour into the mixing bowl and mix on low speed. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl down to mix in anything stuck to its sides.

Step 8: Transfer the aluminum foil-wrapped springform pan to a larger baking pan. Next, fill the larger pan with water until the water line is about halfway up the sides of the baking pan to create the water bath.

Step 9: Pour all of the homemade cheesecake batter into the graham cracker crust in the springform pan.

Step 10: Bake the cheesecake in the water bath in the preheated oven on the middle oven rack until the center is almost set. Then, turn off the heat in the oven and let the cheesecake sit in the oven as it cools.

Step 11: Remove the cheesecake from the oven and use a paring knife to run around the sides of the pan to loosen the cheesecake. Next, remove the aluminum foil from the pan and transfer the cheesecake to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.

Step 12: Once cooled at room temperature, transfer the cheesecake in the pan to the fridge to chill before slicing and serving!

How To Serve this Simple Cheesecake Recipe

For the best serving, allow this cheesecake to chill in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight. To serve up clean, neat slices, first heat a large chef knife under hot water before cutting the cheesecake into slices.

If necessary, wipe the knife clean between cuts, reheat the knife under hot water, and slice again.

Once the cheesecake has been cut, pick your favorite cheesecake toppings to finish it with! If you’re hosting and serving this dessert, it may be fun to set out a cheesecake toppings bar for friends and family to choose from. Here are some of our favorite cheesecake toppings:

• Fresh Berries – Blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries would all be great served on a slice of this homemade cheesecake!
• Sauces – Drizzle your cheesecake with Chocolate sauce, hot fudge sauce, raspberry sauce, chocolate ganache, or some sweet, sticky caramel sauce!
• Toppings – Canned pie fillings such as cherry pie filling or strawberry filling would make for a great topping choice as well! Try using my homemade lemon curd on this cheesecake for a homemade topping!
• Whipped Cream – Whipped cream served on cheesecake is always a crowd-pleaser! Homemade whipped cream tastes best, but storebought also gets the job done as well!
• Candy – Crush up your favorite candy to sprinkle over the top of your cheesecake! Crushed Twix, chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, as well as crushed Reese’s Pieces would all taste great!

Best Cheesecake FAQS

Let’s Connect!

If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review. I love hearing from you!

Don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there, where you can join our recipe challenges!