Look no further for a creamy and ultra smooth classic cheesecake recipe! Paired with a buttery graham cracker crust, no one can deny its simple decadence. For the best results, bake in a water bath.
Not a Plain Cheesecake Recipe
As much as I love cheesecake, I’ve never published a classic cheesecake recipe. There’s been peanut butter cheesecake, blueberry swirl cheesecake, Snickers cheesecake, pumpkin swirl cheesecake, lemon cheesecake, caramel turtle cheesecake, or Amaretto cheesecake. Plus more cheesecake in my published cookbooks. That’s a lot of cheesecake recipes without a single nod to where it all originates: classic cheesecake.
To me, classic cheesecake is creamy, rich, and smooth. My cheesecake recipe is not as dense as New York cheesecake, but it’s just as special. It’s thick, it’s velvety, and there’s no denying its decadence. When I imagine what Chandler and Rachel’s stolen cheesecake tastes like, it’s this!
While there’s a glaring absence of chunks, swirls, and sprinkles in this ivory crowned jewel, there’s nothing plain about it.
Preparing my cheesecake recipe is rather simple—it’s baking the cheesecake that could result in a flop. Many factors are at play like the springform pan leaking, the surface of the cheesecake cracking, under-baking, over-baking, etc. I have plenty of tricks that will help guarantee classic cheesecake perfection, including determining when the cheesecake is done and everything you need to know about a cheesecake water bath.
How to Make Classic Cheesecake
You only need a few basic staple ingredients for this cheesecake recipe.
- Brick cream cheese: Four 8-ounce bricks of full-fat cream cheese are the base of this cheesecake. That’s 2 pounds. Make sure you’re buying the bricks of cream cheese and not cream cheese spread. There are no diets allowed in cheesecake, so don’t pick up the reduced-fat variety!
- Sugar: 1 cup. Not that much considering how many mouths you can feed with this dessert. Over-sweetened cheesecake is hardly cheesecake anymore. Using only 1 cup of sugar gives this cheesecake the opportunity to balance tangy and sweet, just as classic cheesecake should taste.
- Sour cream: 1 cup. I recently tested a cheesecake recipe with 1 cup of heavy cream instead, but ended up sticking with my original (which can be found here with blueberry swirl cheesecake!). I was curious about the heavy cream addition and figured it would yield a softer cheesecake bite. The cheesecake was soft, but lacked the stability and richness I wanted. It was almost too creamy. Sour cream is most definitely the right choice.
- A little flavor: 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and 2 of lemon juice. The lemon juice brightens up the cheesecake’s overall flavor and vanilla is always a good idea.
- Eggs: 3 eggs are the final ingredient. You’ll beat the eggs in last, one at a time, until they are *just* incorporated. Do not overmix the batter once the eggs are added. This will whip air into the cheesecake batter, resulting in cheesecake cracking and deflating.
And as always, make sure all of the cheesecake batter ingredients are at room temperature so the batter remains smooth, even, and combines quickly. Beating cold ingredients together will result in a chunky over-beaten cheesecake batter, hardly the way we want to start!
How to Make a Graham Cracker Crust
Since classic is the keyword of the day, we’re sticking with cheesecake’s main squeeze: a graham cracker crust. I reduced the butter from my original graham cracker crust recipe by 1 Tablespoon. I find this crust remains a little more crunchy. Make sure you pack the crust in tight and pre-bake it to help prevent any sogginess.
You could use this Oreo cookie crust instead. No big changes necessary to the recipe below, but I do encourage you to lightly grease the bottom of the springform pan because Oreo crusts tend to stick. Or you could use a Biscoff pie crust instead if you’d like.
I like to use the bottom of a small measuring cup to smooth the crust mixture into the springform pan. Speaking of, you’ll need a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan. A springform pan has removable sides so you can safely release the cheesecake without having to flip the pan over or struggle to cut the cheesecake inside the pan. Springform pans can leak if you’re baking the cheesecake in a water bath (more on that below!), but this particular pan is reliable. I haven’t had any leaking issues.
Cheesecake Water Bath
I promise a water bath is nothing complicated. All you’re doing is placing the springform pan in a roasting pan, filling it with hot water, and baking. What’s the point, you ask?
I actually have an entire post and video tutorial for How to Make a Cheesecake Water Bath.
You see, cheesecake loves a humid environment. The steam from the hot water will lift the cheesecake up slowly and evenly, reducing the risk of cracks on the surface. Additionally, this slow and even baking method helps prevent the cheesecake from sinking back down as it cools. Taking a few extra minutes to prepare a water bath for this cheesecake recipe is well worth it.
Cooling & Chilling Cheesecake
Another way to help prevent cheesecake cracks is to initially cool it inside the oven. You can see me do this in the video below. When the cheesecake is done, turn the oven off, crack open the oven door, and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour. A drastic and sudden change of temperature isn’t ideal for cheesecake—from hot oven to cool counter—so do your best to control the environment by leaving the cheesecake inside. Does this make sense?
After the cheesecake cools in the oven for 1 hour, place it on the counter to cool. After it’s cool, chill it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or even overnight. There’s no greater test to your willpower than those several hours you’re forced to wait as the cheesecake cools down and then chills in the refrigerator. But every minute is completely worth it when you take that first luscious bite.
For a quicker, easier alternative to making a classic cheesecake, try this cheesecake pie or pumpkin cheesecake pie. Or if you want to completely skip the baking and cooling process, try my no-bake cheesecake instead.
4 Success Tips for Perfect Cheesecake
To summarize, here are some tricks I discussed:
- Do not over-mix the cheesecake batter.
- Bake in a water bath.
- Leave cheesecake in the cooling oven for 1 hour.
- Cool completely at room temperature.
Cheesecake Toppings
Enjoy your velvet-rich cheesecake as is or get a little fancy with a selection of toppings. I love cheesecake best with fruit, so I serve it with this simple raspberry sauce. Or you could top with homemade lemon curd, chocolate ganache, salted caramel, strawberry topping, blueberry sauce topping, or homemade whipped cream. Get creative or keep it simple. Either way, it’s going to impress. (And you’d totally eat it off the floor… Chandler and Rachel style.)
If you’re really looking to take your toppings to the next level, check out my pecan pie cheesecake or caramel apple cheesecake pie.
How to Freeze Cheesecake
- Cool the cheesecake on the counter before freezing. No need to chill it in the refrigerator.
- Freeze on springform pan: Remove the outer rim from the springform pan. Wrap the cheesecake with the bottom of the pan with a few layers of plastic wrap, then a final layer of aluminum foil.
- Freeze without springform pan: After the cheesecake has completely cooled, run a sharp knife underneath the crust to release it from the bottom of the pan. Carefully slide it onto a parchment paper lined piece of cardboard or use a plate. Wrap it all in a few layers of plastic wrap, then a final layer of aluminum foil.
- Freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Do not freeze cheesecake with any toppings. Add toppings, like homemade whipped cream or salted caramel, when serving cheesecake.
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PrintBest Classic Cheesecake Recipe
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 7 hours, 45 minutes (includes chilling)
- Yield: serves 12-16
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Look no further for a creamy and ultra smooth classic cheesecake recipe! Paired with a buttery graham cracker crust, no one can deny its simple decadence. For the best results, bake in a water bath.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full sheet graham crackers)
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake
- 32 ounces (904g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (optional, but recommended)
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Make the crust: If you’re starting out with full graham crackers, use a food processor or blender to grind them into fine crumbs. Pour into a medium bowl and stir in sugar until combined, and then stir in the melted butter. Mixture will be sandy. Try to smash/break up any large chunks. Pour into an ungreased 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan. With medium pressure using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom and partly up the sides to make a compact crust. Do not pack down with heavy force because that makes the crust too hard. Simply pat down until the mixture is no longer crumby/crumbly and you can use the flat bottom of a small measuring cup to help smooth it all out if needed. Pre-bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the hot pan on a large piece of aluminum foil. The foil will wrap around the pan for the water bath in step 4. Allow crust to slightly cool as you prepare the filling.
- Make the filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice then beat until fully combined. On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. After the final egg is incorporated into the batter, stop mixing. To help prevent the cheesecake from deflating and cracking as it cools, avoid over-mixing the batter as best you can. You will have close to 6 cups of batter.
- Prepare the simple water bath (see note): If needed for extra visuals, see my How to Make a Cheesecake Water Bath; the visual guide will assist you in this step. Boil a pot of water. You need 1 inch of water in your roasting pan for the water bath, so make sure you boil enough. I use an entire kettle of hot water. As the water is heating up, wrap the aluminum foil around the springform pan. Place the pan inside of a large roasting pan. Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the crust. Use a rubber spatula or spoon to smooth it into an even layer. Carefully pour the hot water inside of the pan and place in the oven. (Or you can place the roasting pan in the oven first, then pour the hot water in. Whichever is easier for you.)
- Bake cheesecake for 55–70 minutes or until the center is almost set. If you notice the cheesecake browning too quickly on top, tent it with aluminum foil halfway through baking. When it’s done, the center of the cheesecake will slightly wobble if you gently shake the pan. Turn the oven off and open the oven door slightly. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven in the water bath as it cools down for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and water bath, then cool cheesecake completely uncovered at room temperature. Then cover and refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan, then remove the rim. Using a clean sharp knife, cut into slices for serving. For neat slices, wipe the knife clean and dip into warm water between each slice.
- Serve cheesecake with desired toppings (see Note). Cover and store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: This cheesecake can be made the day before. It has to chill for quite some time before serving. See step 5. Another way to make this cheesecake ahead of time is to freeze it. Cheesecake can be frozen up to 3 months. See instructions in blog post above.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor | Glass Mixing Bowl | 9-inch Springform Pan or 10-inch Springform Pan | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Roasting Pan | Rubber Spatula
- Oreo Cookie Crust: Feel free to replace the graham cracker crust with this Oreo cookie crust. Spray bottom of springform pan with nonstick spray, as Oreo cookie crusts tend to stick. Pre-bake the crust, just as you do with the graham cracker crust in step 2 above.
- Toppings: One of my favorite toppings for this cheesecake is raspberry sauce. Or you could top the baked and cooled cheesecake with salted caramel, lemon curd, strawberry topping, chocolate ganache, red wine chocolate ganache, fresh fruit, or whipped cream. The topping from my pecan pie cheesecake is also an option!
- Alternate Water Bath Method: This method works as well, and you don’t have to bake the cheesecake IN water. Boil a kettle or pot of water. You need 1 inch of hot water in your roasting pan for the water bath, so make sure you boil enough. Place the cheesecake on the center oven rack of the preheated oven. Place a large metal baking or roasting pan (do not use glass—I usually use a 9×13-inch baking pan or an extra-large cast iron skillet) on the bottom rack. Pour boiling water into the empty pan, about 1 inch deep. Immediately close oven to trap the steam inside. This unique water bath adds steam to the oven without having the cheesecake sit inside the water itself. No need to wrap the springform pan in foil. See How to Make a Cheesecake Water Bath for more information.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Bring all cold ingredients to room temperature before beginning. Room temperature ingredients combine quickly and evenly, so you won’t risk over-mixing. Also, beating cold ingredients together will result in a chunky cheesecake batter, hardly the way you want to begin!
- Non-US Readers: Don’t have graham crackers where you live? Use 200g ground digestive biscuit crumbs (about 2 cups; 13–14 biscuits), 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar, and 6 Tablespoons (85g) melted butter. Pre-bake the crust for a bit longer, about 12–14 minutes. And from what I understand, spreadable cream cheese sold in a tub in countries outside of the US is a little different from the spreadable cream cheese in the US. It’s thicker, sturdier, and more solid and should be OK for this recipe. I have no experience with it, but this is what I’ve heard from other non-US readers. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!
Keywords: cheesecake
Hello! Made this delicious cheesecake a few days ago and it was a blast! But I think I made a lot of mix (half of this recipe) for my really small pan. So I decide to use only 375-400 gr of cream cheese. How many eggs do I need to add then? A Hello from Spain!
★★★★★
Hi Lia, You will want to keep the same ratio of ingredients for the best results. For example, if you cut the recipe in half, you will want to use 1.5 eggs (if you ever need to use half of an egg, you can crack it open, beat the yolk and white together with a fork, measure the volume (should be a few Tbsp), then use half).
Thank you very much!
★★★★★
This cheese cake came out perfect. It was heavy/dense just like a New York Cheese cake should be. Light creamy cheese cakes are not what is sold in bakerys on the East Coast so I must say this is a perfect Cheese cake just like Jr.’s in Brooklyn New York except they don’t use a graham cracker crust which I like better. Great recipe.
This website/recipe broke me of my fear of using a water bath when making cheesecakes. For decades (I kid U not!) I suffered cheesecakes with cracked tops, because I was even MORE afraid of the whole water bath exercise — especially having tried it once and not having succeeded in water-proofing my springform pan with foil. Cheesecake soup!
Best tip I’ve learned from gleaning various online recipes: use a Reynolds Slow Cooker Liner plastic bag around your springform pan (which I STILL cuccoon in foil, too, just to be safe) before putting it in the water bath. Think of it as a cheesecake condom!
What would be the substitution for sour cream?
Hi Rishika, Full fat plain or Greek yogurt works in the place of sour cream. It may taste a bit heavier, but not much.
How do you fix or can you fix a crust if the water came through the aluminum?
Hi Kourtney, unfortunately there’s not much you can do after the water has come through the aluminum. The crust may be a bit soft, but the cheesecake should still be delicious nonetheless. For next time, you can try a tighter or extra layer of foil, or even the alternate water bath described in the post which eliminates putting the cheesecake directly in water. Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
I wanna have this recipe since my spring form pan is smaller so how long should I bake it for and how long should I cool it in the oven for
Half*(sorry)
Hi Lama, You can cut the recipe in half for a 6 inch pan. We have not tested it this way so we’re unsure of the bake time.
What a wonderful, easy recipe. I didn’t have a springboard pan so I used a pre-made graham cracker crust instead. Everything turned out fantastic for my first cheesecake. Now my husband wants me to make this all the time!
★★★★★
We’re so glad this recipe turned out for you, Barbara!
Can I use a regular pie pan if I don’t have a springform?
★★★★★
A springform pan is definitely ideal for cheesecake, but you can try a pie dish instead – you will have enough filling for 2 since most pie dishes aren’t as deep as springform pans – or cut the filling recipe in half for one. It may be more difficult to remove from a regular pie dish. Or try our small-batch cheesecake that’s made in a loaf pan. Enjoy!
How long would the recipient take to bake in a 9 by 13 pan?
Thanks
Hi Michelle, We haven’t tested this recipe as bars in a 9×13 inch pan but you can use our white chocolate raspberry cheesecake bars as a guide for baking times. See the recipe notes for directions using a 9×13 inch pan size.
I made this for the first time yesterday for my son’s birthday. Everyone raved about how delicious this cheesecake is. My first time baking in a water bath and I was nervous, but followed your instructions and it resulted in perfection!
★★★★★
I messed up and added yogurt. Let’s see what the final outcome is. Can one use yogurt as another option?
Hi Lisa, Full fat plain or Greek yogurt works in the place of sour cream. It may taste a bit heavier, but not much.
Followed the steps exactly and had do many cracks in cheesecake
★
Hello,
I have tried this recipe 2 times now both times halving the recipe. Since there was no indication about baking time, it has been a lot of trial and error, however I think the baking time is the same. My question is, both times, the cheesecake has risen and only then is the center jiggly, I have stopped the oven right after. Is this correct? The first one was delicious but not sure if I am overbaking. Do you have any more tips on how to know when it is ready?
Thank you so much!
Hi Tanya, it sounds like the cheesecakes are ready — when it’s done, the center of the cheesecake will slightly wobble if you gently shake the pan. If the outsides are too browned, you can try a little less time (since the pan is smaller, it likely will take less time to bake through) and / or tent the edges with foil to prevent over baking. Hope this helps!
I’m planning on making this cheesecake on Thursday and serving it on Saturday. Would it be better to refrigerate it for a couple of days, or freeze and then thaw it?
Hi Lily, you can store the cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to five days, so you can certainly do the same here without having to freeze. Hope it’s a hit!
Really yummy and not too sweet! I was skeptical about the amount of cream cheese but it ended up fitting perfectly in my pan.
★★★★★
I made this yesterday. It’s for my colleagues, so I really wanted it to come out nice. I am not a foodie, but I am a fairly competent cook (haha, that may be debatable, as you will see).
I set the ingredients out on the counter to let them warm. To protect it from my 5 cats, I put plastic wrap over the measured sour cream.
Then I made the cheesecake. I obsessed about whether the foil would keep out the water bath, whether it would bake the right amount, whether I could prevent it from cracking, and whether it would come out of the pan nicely. All of those things happened! This morning I carefully cut it, rinsing the knife in warm water to make clean cuts. I started my raspberry sauce.
And then I found the cup of sour cream sitting on the counter. ♀️ I will say that I tasted a little that stuck to the knife, and it was delicious! But…
In retrospect, I was surprised that it got done in 55 minutes.
Anyway, we’ll see how it goes when I serve it.
★★★★★
Hi
Is it necessary to add some corn flour? If I put the baking tin right at the bottom of the oven rack to prevent it from cracking, do I need to extend the baking time?
Look forward to receiving a reply. Thank you
Hi Freda, corn flour is not necessary for this recipe. Every oven is a bit different, so you may need to extend the baking time a bit to compensate for it being further from the heating element. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but use an oven light to keep a close eye on the cheesecake. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Hello! If I am using the water bath alternative where it is on a lower oven rack, do I still need to cover the bottom of my cheesecake pan with foil? Thank you!
★★★★★
Hi there. I just tried the pan method. Just took it out of the oven. Lifted it out of the foil and there was a bit of water under it. I’d that just condensation? I am nervous. I double foiled it in ultra heavy duty foil and it is a double wide foil as well. Do no openings anywhere. What do you think? Thanks.
It could just be condensation. Let the cheesecake cool, then chill as instructed. With all of that foil and hoping that the springform pan is leakproof, I think it should be just fine.
So delicious! But mine went really brown despite putting baking paper over the top halfway though baking. Would foil help this? I put the water bath below the cheesecake (instead of the cheesecake in it) and baked for 65 minutes.
★★★★
Hi Hana, absolutely, you can tent the cheesecake with foil partway through baking to help prevent excess browning. You could also try moving it away from the heating element, down a level in your oven. So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
This is absolutely the best cheesecake recipe I have ever baked. I used Peppridge Farm Bordou cookies as an alternate which is really tastey sometimes too. Thank you for the thorough explanation and the wonderful recipe. Follow the explanation and your cheesecake will be a smash wherever you serve it. Thank you so much.
★★★★★
This was an amazing recipe, it came out great and was a huge hit!
★★★★★
After trying out this recipe, I find the cream cheese ratio too high, as the cheesecake is quite heavy. Would it be that there are not enough eggs?
★★★
Could I try to make this with your hazelnut crust I see in other recipes? Not sure if the baking time would work or not …
Hi Raemie! We haven’t tested that crust with this cheesecake but please let us know if you do!
Could I do this without the crust??
Hi Jessica, We’ve never used this recipe for a crustless cheesecake but you can certainly try it. Obviously the pre-bake is not necessary. The total cheesecake bake time should be the same though. Keep the cooling and chilling process the same as well.
Is flour good to add in cheesecake if you are looking for a light and fluffy cheesecake and not the dense new your cheesecake? I saw some recipes call for it. Does it have any drastic change on the texture ?
Hi Chelsea, there are various theories about flour adding density and stability to cheesecakes. We haven’t tried adding it to our recipe, so we can’t speak to the outcome. If you’re looking for a lighter cheesecake, you might enjoy our no-bake cheesecake instead!
This might be the only recipe I ever use again. I have made it several times and it is always amazing. I have tried many other recipes, I highly recommend this one. People beg me to bring it to parties. I usually make it with a homemade salted caramel. Thank you for posting this recipe!
We’re thrilled that you love this cheesecake recipe, Alana!
Hi. how long would I bake the cheeesecakes in a 6 inch pan?
Hi Lyza, We haven’t tested a 6 inch cheesecake, but you can try cutting this recipe in half and make it in a 6 inch pan (we’re unsure of the exact bake time needed). Or try this small batch cheesecake that uses a loaf pan.
I halfed the recipe, and used a 7″ sf pan.
Was super creamy
X
Made it this past weekend and it was excellent! Thank you
★★★★★
My wife thought this was the best cheesecake ever despite that I, the lowly husband, made it.
★★★★★
Honestly, this was fantastic! I’ve never made a cheesecake before and was NERVOUS. But it turned out great and the instructions were very easy to follow. It rose, smooth surface and had a creamy and lightly texture. Yay!
★★★★★
Why did this make so much for me? I was able to make 2 full cheesecakes and 24 mini cupcakes with this recipe for one???
★★★★
What size spring form pan did you use? You want to fill it up because it won’t rise
I tried baking a cheesecake (my first) using your recipe (I didn’t trust any other) and I’m so happy that it came out exactly the way I imagined! I was agonizing the whole time it was in the oven , so sure i’d messed something up but turns out I’d done everything right in the end 🙂 thanks to reading your recipe everyday for almost 2 weeks, getting up the nerve to do it.
I just wanted to say thank you so very much for your explanation and helpful hints which were more important than the recipe itself. you’re my official go-to person for all things baked henceforth!!
love from india! <3
★★★★★