This very Best Cheesecake Recipe features a creamy fluffy vanilla filling baked in a classic buttery graham cracker crust. It can be topped with fresh macerated berries such as blueberries or strawberries as well as your favorite flavor of pie filling. You might also choose to drizzle it simply with fudge sauce, pecan praline sauce or salted caramel. You can also serve it just as it is, for a decadent bakery-style dessert treat.

Easy Cheesecake Recipe

This classic vanilla cheesecake recipe features a creamy fluffy New York-style cheesecake filling. It includes sour cream in the filling which gives it a creamy texture and a tartness to balance the sweet. Making cheesecakes from scratch requires several steps, so start one or two days in advance and break up the process allowing ample time for the cheesecake to chill. This makes it a perfect addition to your desserts for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, July 4th or anytime make ahead desserts are on the menu. How to make Best Cheesecake Recipe: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)

Prepare Bain Marie – Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place an 8×8-inch pan on the bottom rack of the oven and fill halfway with boiling water.
Prepare Pan – Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap the outside of the bottom of the pan with heavy duty aluminum foil.
Make Graham Cracker Crust – Stir together graham crumbs with granulated sugar and melted butter. Press crumb mixture evenly onto the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan. Place the pan into the freezer while you make the filling.
Make Filling – Whip together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract on medium speed until completely smooth. Add cornstarch, mix well.
Eggs- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Mix in sour cream by hand.
Assemble – Pour the cheesecake filling evenly into the crust.
Oven – Bake on the middle rack of the oven per the recipe until the center is still slightly loose when gently shaken.
Cool in Oven – Turn off the oven, leave the door slightly ajar, and leave cheesecake in the oven for one hour longer to finish baking.
Cool – Remove to a cooling rack, and allow to cool for 30 minutes then run a knife gently around the top edge. Cool completely to room temperature. Leave the ring in place, wrap and chill for 8 hours preferably 24 hours.
Slice and serve with cherry pie filling, praline sauce, blueberries, lemon curd, blackberries or any of your favorite toppings.

How to Make the Best Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Southern Cheesecake from scratch: Graham cracker crumbs, butter and granulated sugar for the crust. For the filling you’ll need two pounds plain cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar, large eggs, vanilla extract, cornstarch and fresh berries and whipped cream for serving.
Kitchen gadgets you’ll need: A stand mixer or a hand mixer, mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, a 9-inch springform pan, food processor, a rubber spatula for scraping the bowl, an 8×8-inch pan filled with boiling water and a cooling rack. It’s also helpful to have an offset icing spatula or knife to run around the edge to loosen from the pan.
Do I have to bake cheesecake in a bain-marie? Cheesecakes love a moist cooking environment to keep the filling creamy and delicate and prevent cracks on top. A classic bain-marie technique is to bake the cheesecake directly in a water bath inside of a large roasting pan. The technique I use in this recipe, is achieved by placing a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack of the oven, instead.
If you prefer, you can bake the cheesecake in a bain-marie, simply choose a deep pan that’s big enough for the cheesecake pan to fit easily inside. Fill it with boiling water about 1-inch up the side of the springform pan and make sure the foil is water tight to prevent leaking.
This cheesecake uses four 8 ounce blocks of plain cream cheese. That’s 2 pounds. There’s really no substitute this is one time that you need to go for the gold.
It’s important that the cheesecake has ample time to chill before cutting. That makes it ideal for make ahead preparation.
Cheesecake Variations: You can use Nilla wafer crumbs, cookie crumbs or gingersnap crumbs for the crust in this cheesecake. You can also experiment with different flavorings and extracts. If you plan to top it with strawberries, add strawberry extract to the cheesecake filling. You could add lemon extract and top it with lemon curd or blueberry pie filling. The sky’s the limit with this vanilla cheesecake recipe.
Serving Suggestions: You can top this classic cheesecake recipe anyway you like. Top it with cherry pie filling, praline sauce, peaches, apple pie filling, macerated strawberries or blueberry pie filling. You can use any macerated berries, raspberries or blackberries or a combination of mixed berries and whipped cream. You may also opt to drizzle it with warm hot fudge sauce or salted caramel sauce.
Storage and Leftovers: Store this easy Cheesecake in an airtight container chilled in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Freezer: Prior to freezing, cut the cheesecake into desired size pieces and place a small rectangular piece of wax paper between the slices prior to wrapping. This will allow you to remove only what you need when you want a piece for dessert. You can store it frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen cheesecake in the refrigerator.

More Cheesecake Recipes to Make

Cheesecake may seem intimidating to some cook’s but it doesn’t have to be. More cheesecake recipes you may also like to try:

Double Chocolate Cheesecake is the perfect way to say, “I love you.”
My island inspired Key Lime Cheesecake features a no bake filling.
The topping on my recipe for Pecan Pie Cheesecake is to die for!
Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake is filled with those chopped Reese’s cups that we all love.
No Bake Lemon Bliss Cheesecake requires no cooking at all.
No Bake Fluffy Cherry Cheesecake is another quick and easy cheesecake to make.
Strawberry Cheesecake Bites from Spaceships and Laser Beams.

When to Serve Cheesecake

There’s no wrong time of day or occasion to enjoy cheesecake. Serve it for morning tea time or a holiday brunch. You can serve it for picnics as well as more formal occasions, the holidays and when entertaining friends. Life is short, eat dessert first.

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