Homemade Cheesecake Recipe

Cheesecake is a classic dessert and this is the BEST Homemade Cheesecake Recipe you’ll ever make. This recipe is my favorite because it works every single time. It makes tasty homemade graham cracker crust as the base and perfectly silky and extra tasty cheesecake you will absolutely love.

Most important tips when following this Homemade Cheesecake Recipe.

1. Use room temperature cream cheese. This will give you lump free and smooth texture. It is much more difficult to get a smooth consistency if your cream cheese is cold and hard.
2. Use full fat ingredients. This is not not meant to be a low fat dessert. Make sure the cream cheese and sour cream are full fat. Using lower fat or no fat options will greatly compromised flavor as well as texture of your cheesecake.
3. Don’t over beat eggs. To ensure your eggs are mixed in evenly, slightly mix each one individually in a separated bowl prior to adding it in with the rest of the ingredients. This will ensure that less air gets in your cheesecake.
4. Don’t open the oven while the cheesecake bakes. Drastic temperature changes are not good news for a delicate cake such as a cheesecake. It will deflate the cheesecake and cause cracking.
5. Don’t over-bake the cheesecake. Once the cheesecake is done baking, about 2-inches in the center will still be slightly wobbly. As the cheesecake comes to room temperature, the center of the cheesecake will continue to gradually cook. Once completely cooled, the center will no longer be wobbly. It’s important to remember that if the very center of the cake is wobbly when you turn off the oven, that is a great sign that the cheesecake is not over-baked.

Freeing the crust from the Springform pan.

This is very intimidating for some and I completely understand why. You don’t want the crust to stick to the springform pan and ruin your cheesecake. To prevent a disaster from happening, allow the cheesecake to cool completely before loosening the springform pan.

Once cooled completely, run a knife carefully along the sides of the pan to free the crust. That will ensure that the crust is not stuck to the springform pan. Once you have done that, you can loosen the pan.

Does this Homemade Cheesecake recipe require a water bath?

Yes- it’s SO easy, trust me! For this recipe, it makes a difference using the water bath method to bake because the steam from the water ensures even baking and perfectly smooth and creamy texture. The water bath technique may sound scary but if you read the next 2-step instructions below, you’ll see just how easy it is!

1. Cover the bottom of the springform pan with foil so that water doesn’t seep through.
2. Place the springform pan with the cheesecake in a larger oven safe dish filled with water about 3/4″ deep.
   • That’s all to it, folks!

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Water Bath Alternative. This can be used if you don’t want to risk water seeping through in your spring form pan.

• Boil water and place it in an oven safe dish. Place the dish with boiling water on the bottom rack in the oven and place the cheesecake on the middle rack. Immediately close the oven door to make sure that steam traps inside. Make sure to do this once cheesecake is ready to be baked.

How to prevent cheesecake from cracking.

Cheesecake is kind of like custard so it’s important that it is treated very delicately. There are a few steps to be taken to make sure your cheesecake comes out smooth without any cracks.

1. Use room temperature ingredients– especially cream cheese. You want the cream cheese to be room temperature so that it does not leave any chunks. A smoother custard means less air inside with a lesser chance of cracking.
2. Do not over mix the eggs once they are inside the cream cheese mixture. I recommend adding all ingredients prior to adding in the eggs. Save the eggs for last. A great tip is to mix each egg slightly in a separate bowl one at a time before adding it in the cream cheese mixture. This will ensure your egg is mixed without over-mixing it with the rest of the ingredients. Over mixing the eggs will also cause extra air bubbles that may result in cracking.
3. Don’t overtake the cheesecake. When the cheesecake is done baking, the center will still be wobbly. This is a great sign that you did not overtake the cheesecake. The center will not be wobbly once the cheesecake has cooled completely.
4. Don’t open oven door while cheesecake bakes! This may be one of the most important thing you do to ensure best baking practices.
5. Avoid drastic temperature changes. This is a delicate cake and it needs to be treated as such in order to reach best results. Once your cheesecake is done baking, turn off the oven and crack the over door open. Leave the cheesecake in the oven as it cools, that way, the cheesecake also comes to a lower temperature gradually.