This new york cheesecake is smooth, creamy, and bakes with no water bath and no cracks! We found the perfect classic cheesecake recipe that you will keep in your recipe book for life.
This classic cheesecake recipe is freezer-friendly, make-ahead, and turns out perfect every time. Making baked cheesecake can be intimidating at times, this is why we got all the best tips and tricks for the perfect classic cheesecake.
Keep reading for our tips and tricks for how to get a perfect classic cheesecake.
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Why this recipe works
- There is no water bath involved.
- This recipe uses super simple ingredients.
- Turns out perfect every time!
- Bakes at a low-temperature help to ensure that the cheesecake doesn’t crack.
- This recipe is a make-ahead recipe, so it’s perfect to make the day before a gathering.
- Everyone’s favorite dessert. I mean, who doesn’t like cheesecake?
- You can top this cake with any topping that you’d like, this step allows you to make this cheesecake your own!
Ingredients
For the crust:
Graham crackers- you will need about 1 ½ cup of graham crackers. If you don’t have graham crackers, you can use tea biscuits, vanilla wafers, and digestive biscuits.
Granulated sugar- the sugar will add sweetness to the crust.
Melted butter- melt the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds pulses, to make sure that the butter doesn’t boil up and explode in the microwave (been there done that), or melt it on the stovetop.
For the cheesecake filling:
Cream cheese- the most important ingredient in this recipe, is the cream cheese. Make sure that you are using full-fat cream cheese, for a cheesecake with no cracks, it's important that you use full-fat cream cheese and make sure that it’s at room temperature.
Granulated sugar- you will need one cup of granulated sugar for this recipe. The cheesecake will be sweet, but not too sweet. One cup of sugar is the perfect balance of sweetness for this recipe.
Eggs- you will need 4 large eggs for this recipe. To get a perfect classic cheesecake, make sure that the eggs are at room temperature.
Vanilla extract- vanilla extract adds extra flavor.
Lemon zest- the lemon zest adds an aroma and a light flavor to this cake. Don’t worry, this cheesecake will not taste like a lemon cheesecake.
Sour cream- we suggest using full-fat sour cream for this recipe. The sour cream makes the cheesecake batter creamier and lighter.
Flour- you can either use flour or cornstarch. for a gluten-free filling, replace the flour with cornstarch.
A pinch of salt- helps to balance the flavors.
Instructions
Prepare a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, and preheat an oven to 180c (350f).
Make the crust: pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form. If you don’t have a food processor on hand, place the crackers in a Ziplock bag and smash the crackers with a cup until fine crumbs form.
Into a small to medium mixing bowl, add the graham crackers crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Mix with a spoon until the crumbs are coated with butter.
Transfer the crumbs into a prepared 9-inch cake pan, pressing evenly and firmly into the pan.
Bake the crust in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 5-8 minutes. Keep an eye on the crust and make sure it doesn’t burn. Take the crust out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature.
Lower the temperature to 140c (280f). In a big mixing bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese and mix with an electric hand mixer until the cream cheese is creamy.
Add the sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and mix until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
Lower the hand mixer speed to low, and add each egg at a time. This step stops the cheesecake batter from overbeating. Overbeating can cause a weird cheesecake texture and stops the cake from cracking.
Add the flour (we suggest sifting the flour) into the mixture and beat it on medium speed until the mixture is just combined. Make sure you don't overbeat the mixture.
Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust, and release air bubbles by tapping the pan onto a flat surface.
Bake the cheesecake in a 140c (280f) preheated oven for about an hour or until the edges of the cheesecake are set, but the middle is a bit jiggly.
Open the oven door halfway, and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature for 1-2 hours. After the cheesecake is cooled, wrap the cheesecake with a plastic wrap tightly, and place the cheesecake in the fridge to cool completely for at least 5 hours.
Run a thin knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Carefully release the springform, slice, and enjoy!
Expert tips
- Make sure that you are using room-temperature cream cheese in this recipe, this step makes it easier to mix the cream cheese with no unnecessary lumps, we don’t want that.
- Use a springform tin. We use springform tins for all of our cheesecake recipes. This makes sure that your cake will be easy to release from the pan.
- Use high-fat cream cheese or the well-known Philadelphia cream cheese. Using full-fat cream cheese ensures you that your cheesecake will be stable and will not crack.
- Let your cheesecake cool in the fridge for at least 5 hours. We know it’s very hard to resist eating this delicious cheesecake right away, but you have to let the cheesecake cool and set it in the pan. We like to let the cheesecake sit in the fridge overnight.
- For a smooth and creamy cheesecake, make sure that you are using room-temperature ingredients. Before you begin to make this cheesecake, make sure that your cream cheese is completely soft, and that your eggs are at room temperature.
- Don’t overbeat the mixture! It's really easy to overbeat the mixture, and that is one of the most common mistakes. To avoid overbeating your mixture, make sure that you lower the speed of the hand mixer and add each egg at a time.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to ensure that you have a homogeneous mixture that has no cream cheese lumps.
- Don't open the oven door before the cake is fully baked or about to be baked! Drastic changes in the temperature of the cake while baking can cause the cake to collapse or crack.
Faq's
Cutting cheesecake, the right way is very important. To get even and clean cheesecake slices, make sure that you are using a serrated knife.
Our favorite way to cut cheesecake and cakes is by dipping a long knife into hot water, once the knife warms up, wipe off the excess water, and slice the cake. Dip and wipe the knife between every slice.
Overbaking cheesecake is a common mistake that causes the cheesecake to crack or even burn.
You will know that your cheesecake is done baking when you see that the edges of the cheesecake are set, but the middle is a bit jiggly. The middle of the cake will be set in the cooling process.
Storing
Store this dessert in the fridge (because it contains dairy) covered tightly with plastic wrap for up to 3 days. I like eating this the day after.
Variations
Vanilla Oreos- replace the classic graham crackers with vanilla ones for a vanilla oreo lover!
Substitutions
Gluten-free- This recipe is really easy to turn gluten-free, simply replace the graham crackers with gluten-free graham crackers, or with gluten-free digestive biscuits. Also, replace the flour with cornstarch.
Digestive biscuits- People outside of America usually don’t have graham crackers. Don’t worry! You can use tea biscuits, vanilla wafers, and digestive biscuits.
Freezing
This cheesecake freezes great! to freeze this cheesecake, bake it according to the instructions, then cool it according to the instructions in the fridge.
When the cake is completely cooled, you can freeze the cake covered in a few layers of plastic wrap or foil. This cheesecake will freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the cheesecake in the fridge overnight.
Decorating
We like to decorate the cheesecake with dollops of whipped cream around the edges of the cake. Another way to decorate the cake is to top it with your favorite toppings, like strawberry sauce, chocolate ganache, etc.
Topping ideas
- Strawberry sauce
- Cherry sauce
- Caramel sauce
- Fresh berries
- Whipped cream
- Chocolate ganache
- Chocolate whipped cream
- Blueberry sauce
- Raspberry sauce
More cheesecake recipes to try:
Nutella cheesecake- This no-bake Nutella cheesecake is rich in Nutella flavor, creamy silky smooth with a texture that is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. This no-bake Nutella cheesecake is extremely easy to make and requires simple ingredients.
Mini cheesecake bites- These mini cheesecake bites are made with an oreo crust, creamy and easy cheesecake filling, topped with our homemade salted caramel sauce, and topped with whipped cream.
Oreo cheesecake– This no-bake Oreo cheesecake is made with an Oreo crust, topped with creamy Oreo cheesecake filling, and topped with whipped cream dollops, and more Oreos!
Biscoff cheesecake- This no-bake Biscoff cheesecake is made with biscoff cookie crust, topped with creamy biscoff cheesecake filling, topped with melted biscoff spread, and sprinkled with biscoff cookie crumbs.
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📖 Recipe
Easy New York Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust:
- 150 g Graham crackers or digestive biscuits
- 80 g Butter
- 2 tablespoon Sugar
Cheesecake filling:
- 900 g Cream cheese
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups Sugar
- 4 Eggs
- 4 tablespoon Cornstarch or flour
- 200 g Sour cream
- 1 teaspoon Lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, and preheat an oven to 180c (350f).
Make the crust:
- Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form. If you don’t have a food processor on hand, place the crackers in a Ziplock bag and smash the crackers with a cup until fine crumbs form.
- Into a small to medium mixing bowl, add the graham crackers crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Mix with a spoon until the crumbs are coated with butter.
- Transfer the crumbs into a prepared 9-inch cake pan, pressing evenly and firmly into the pan.
- Bake the crust in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 5-8 minutes. Keep an eye on the crust and make sure it doesn’t burn. Take the crust out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature.
- Lower the temperature to 140c (280f).
Make the filling:
- In a big mixing bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese and mix with an electric hand mixer until the cream cheese is creamy.
- Add the sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and mix until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
- Lower the hand mixer speed to low, and add each egg at a time. This step stops the cheesecake batter from overbeating. Overbeating can cause a weird cheesecake texture and stops the cake from cracking.
- Add the flour (we suggest sifting the flour) into the mixture and beat it on medium speed until the mixture is just combined. Make sure you don’t overbeat the mixture.
- Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust, and release air bubbles by tapping the pan onto a flat surface.
- Bake the cheesecake in a 140c (280f) for about an hour or until the edges of the cheesecake are set, but the middle is a bit jiggly.
- Open the oven door halfway, and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature for 1-2 hours. After the cheesecake is cooled, wrap the cheesecake with a plastic wrap tightly, and place the cheesecake in the fridge to cool completely for at least 5 hours.
- Run a thin knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Carefully release the springform, slice, and enjoy!
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