Classic Cheesecake Recipe Sally's Baking Addiction

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C l a s s i c C h e e s e c a ke
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Posted on May 2, 2018 / posted in Cheesecake / 880 comments
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Look no further for a creamy and ultra smooth

classic cheesecake recipe
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 Plain Cheesecake

As much as I love cheesecake, I’ve never
published a classic cheesecake recipe. There’s
always been peanut butter, sprinkles,
blueberry swirls, Snickers cheesecake,
pumpkin, lemon, red velvet, or Nutella. That’s
a lot of cheesecake recipes without a single
nod to where it all originates: classic
cheesecake
cheesecake.
To me, classic cheesecake is creamy, silky,

and smooth. My cheesecake recipe is not
quite as dense as New York cheesecake, but
boasts equal richness and is 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 her.
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.
1. Block cream cheese: Four 8-ounce

blocks of full-fat cream cheese are the base
of this cheesecake. That’s 2 pounds. Make
sure you’re buying the blocks of cream
cheese and not cream cheese spread.
There’s no diets allowed in cheesecake, so
don’t pick up the reduced fat variety!
2. 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.
3. 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 swirls!). I was curious about the
heavy cream addition and figured it would
yield a so!er cheesecake bite. The
cheesecake was so!, but lacked the
stability and richness I wanted. It was
almost too creamy. Sour cream is most
definitely the right choice.
4. 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.
5. 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!
Classic Cheesecake Recipe | S…
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
and granulated sugar from my
original graham cracker crust recipe by 1
Tablespoon each. I find this crust remains a
little more crunchy. Make sure you pack the
crust in very tight and pre-bake it to help
prevent any sogginess.
I like to use the bottom of a small measuring

cup to pack the crust tightly into the
springform pan. Speaking of, you’ll need a 9
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.
How to Make a 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 wrote an entire post about a
cheesecake water bath years ago. I figured it’s
time for an update and a video tutorial, so
here goes nothing!
Cheesecake loves a humid environment. The

steam from the hot water will li! 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. I can’t say enough how
valuable it is!
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 above.
When the cheesecake is done, turn the oven
o", 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?
A!er the cheesecake cools in the oven for 1

hour, place it on the counter to cool. A!er 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.
Want to skip the baking and cooling

process? Try my no-bake cheesecake instead.
4 Tips for Perfect Cheesecake

To summarize, here are some tricks I
discussed:
1. Do not over-mix the cheesecake batter

2. Bake in a water bath
3. Leave cheesecake in the cooling oven for 1
hour
4. 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 made a
simple raspberry sauce. You can also top with
homemade lemon curd, chocolate ganache,
salted caramel, strawberry topping, or
homemade whipped cream. Get creative or
keep it simple. Either way, it’s going to
impress. (And you’d totally eat it o" the
floor… Chandler and Rachel style.)
How to Freeze Cheesecake

1. Cool the cheesecake on the counter
before freezing. No need to chill it in the
refrigerator
2. 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.
3. Freeze without springform pan: A!er
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.
4. Freeze for up to 3 months
months, then thaw
overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
5. Do not freeze cheesecake with any
toppings. Add toppings when serving
cheesecake.
Classic Cheesecake
Recipe
4.9 from 252 reviews
Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 7 hours, 45 minutes
Yield: serves at least 12
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Look no further for a creamy and

ultra smooth classic cheesecake
recipe!
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MENU

Look no further for a creamy and ultra smooth

Not Plain Cheesecake

To me, classic cheesecake is creamy, silky,

While there’s a glaring absence of chunks,

Preparing my cheesecake recipe is rather

How to Make Classic Cheesecake

1. Block cream cheese: Four 8-ounce