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    Home » All Recipes » Desserts » Cheesecakes

    Creamy Vanilla Cheesecake

    Published: Nov 20, 2022 · Modified: Jan 8, 2023 by RichandDelish · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This vanilla cheesecake is a creamy and easy cheesecake that is made without a water bath and can be topped with fresh berries, caramel sauce, or chocolate ganache.

    Vanilla cheesecake on a cake platter.

    This is the ultimate easy and classic cheesecake that you need in your recipe book for life! It is baked at a low temperature which means that you don't need a water bath to bake it in! It does not crack and looks and tastes perfect!

    Jump to:
    • Why this recipe works
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Expert Tips
    • Faq's
    • Storing
    • Freezing
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why this recipe works

    • The texture of this cheesecake is creamy, dense, and rich, like the perfect cheesecake!
    • It is made without a water bath and has no cracks!
    • This cheesecake is made with an easy and simple graham cracker crust.
    • It's extra creamy and melt in your mouth delicious!
    • This cheesecake is made with super simple ingredients.
    Slice of cheesecake pulled away from it.

    Ingredients

    Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and efficiently.

    Full measurements are in the recipe card below.

    For the crust

    Graham crackers- you will need about 1 ½ cups 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 filling

    Cream cheese- the most important ingredient in this recipe, is 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 3 large eggs for this recipe. To get a perfect classic cheesecake, make sure that the eggs are at room temperature.

    Heavy cream- use full-fat heavy cream for this recipe. Make sure that it's at room temperature.

    Cornstarch- we used cornstarch, you can use flour instead.

    Vanilla extract- vanilla extract adds extra flavor.

    Sour cream- we suggest using full-fat sour cream for this recipe. The sour cream makes the cheesecake batter creamier and lighter.

    Instructions

    Prepare a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, and preheat an oven to 180c (350f).

    Start by making 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, granulated sugar, and melted butter. Mix with a spoon until the crumbs are coated with butter.

    Cheesecake process shots.

    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.

    Cheesecake process shots.

    Lower the temperature to 140c (280f). In a big mixing bowl, add the room-temperature cream cheese, granulated sugar, sour cream, heavy cream, kosher salt, vanilla extract, and mix with an electric hand mixer until the cream cheese is creamy.

    Cheesecake process shots.

    Whisk the eggs with a fork, add them to the cream cheese batter, and mix until the mixture is creamy and smooth.

    Cheesecake process shots.

    Sift the cornstarch into the mixture and mix until combined and there are no lumps of cornstarch showing.

    Cheesecake process shots.

    Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust, and release air bubbles by gently 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 plastic wrap tightly, and place the cheesecake in the fridge to cool completely for at least 5 hours.

    Cheesecake process shots.

    Run a thin knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Carefully release the springform.

    Cheesecake process shots.

    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 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.
    Caramel drizzled over a slice of cheesecake.

    Faq's

    How to release the cheesecake from the pan?

    To prevent the cheesecake from cracking, it is important to release it carefully from the pan. Use a butter knife or a thin knife and run it around the edges of the cake to release it from the pan.

    Then release the spring from the edges.

    Why did my cheesecake crack?

    Overbaked, overmixed, or stuck to the sides of the pan, there are a lot of reasons for the cheesecake to crack. To prevent the cheesecake from cracking, follow out tips written in the notes.

    Can I use another pan?

    Yes. We used an 8-inch springform pan for this, but you can use a 9-inch pan as well.

    How to tell if my cheesecake is done baking?

    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.

    Bite missing from a slice of cheesecake.

    Storing

    Store this cheesecake in the fridge (because it contains dairy) covered tightly with plastic wrap for up to 5 days.

    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.

    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.

    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.

    Overhead shot of a sliced cheesecake.

    Variations

    Vanilla bean- add the inside of the vanilla bean and add it to the cheesecake mixture instead of the vanilla extract. Or use a vanilla bean extract.

    Crust- feel free to use your favorite flavored biscuits like biscoff biscuits, chocolate biscuits, Oreos, etc.

    More cheesecake recipes

    Triple chocolate cheesecake- This triple chocolate cheesecake is made with an oreo crust, baked with a delicious and creamy chocolate cheesecake filling, and topped with chocolate ganache.

    No bake mini cheesecakes- These no-bake mini cheesecakes are creamy, easy to make, and perfect with berries on top. These are made with simple ingredients and take minutes to prep!

    Oreo cheesecake- This oreo cheesecake is made without a water bath, made with a creamy oreo filling, and oreo crust, and topped with oreo whipped cream!

    If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to leave a rating and a comment below. We love hearing from you.

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    📖 Recipe

    Vanilla cheesecake on a cake platter.

    Creamy Vanilla Cheesecake

    Rich and delish
    This vanilla cheesecake is a creamy and easy cheesecake that is made without a water bath and can be topped with fresh berries, caramel sauce, or chocolate ganache.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr
    chill time 5 hrs 50 mins
    Total Time 7 hrs 10 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 10 slices
    Calories 432 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    Crust

    • 2 cups Graham crackers or digestive biscuits, crumbs
    • 1 tablespoon Granulated sugar
    • 90 g Butter melted

    Filling

    • 480 g Cream cheese softened
    • ¾ cup Granulated sugar
    • 100 g Sour cream
    • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
    • 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract or vanilla bean extract
    • ¼ cup Heavy cream
    • 2 Eggs
    • 2 tablespoon Cornstarch

    Instructions
     

    • Prepare a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, and preheat an oven to 180c (350f).
    • Start by making 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, granulated 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, granulated sugar, sour cream, heavy cream, kosher salt, vanilla extract, and mix with an electric hand mixer until the cream cheese is creamy.
    • Whisk the eggs with a fork, add them to the cream cheese batter, and mix until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
    • Sift the cornstarch into the mixture and mix until combined and there are no lumps of cornstarch showing.
    • Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust, and release air bubbles by gently 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 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.

    Notes

    • 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 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.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 432kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 6gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 113mgSodium: 461mgPotassium: 129mgFiber: 1gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 1067IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 82mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword vanilla cheesecake
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