This traditional cheesecake with a graham cracker crust is a rich, dense, ultra-creamy, and slightly sweet delight. Make a beautiful cheesecake that won’t sink, crack, burn, or curdle by following this expert technique advice and proven approach. Serve with chocolate ganache, caramel sauce, whipped cream, fresh fruit, or cherry pie filling to add some creativity to the toppings.
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Cook Time: | 1 hr 40 mins |
| Additional Time: | 12 hrs |
| Total Time: | 14 hrs 10 mins |
| Servings: | 12 |
| Yield: | 1 9-inch cheesecake |
Ingredients
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 4 (8 ounce) packages full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling (Optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan.
- Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar for crust in a bowl until mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer to the prepared pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to press crumbs firmly into an even layer.
- Bake crust in the preheated oven until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit on a wire rack until completely cool. Leave the oven on.
- While the crust is cooling, beat cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until smooth.
- Add sugar, sour cream, and vanilla. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and continue to beat until combined.
- Gently whisk one egg with a fork in a small bowl; add to the cream cheese mixture and beat just until combined. Repeat with each remaining egg, whisking and adding just one at a time.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and firmly bang it on the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles.
- Place the springform pan (with the cooled crust) in an oven bag. Fold down the excess and wrap the pan in a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Pour cheesecake mixture into the pan.
- Place the springform pan in a large roasting pan and move it to the lower rack of the oven.
- Pour 2 inches of boiling water into the roasting pan. Bake cheesecake until edges are puffed and surface is firm except for a small spot in the center that will jiggle when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 ½ hours. Tent the cheesecake with a sheet of foil if the top is browning too much during baking.
- Turn off the oven; keep the oven door closed and let the cheesecake cool slowly for 2 hours.
- Remove from the oven. Take the springform pan out of the water bath and set it on a cooling rack; let sit until it comes to room temperature, about 2 more hours. Place in the refrigerator until fully set, 8 hours to overnight.
- Run the tip of a knife around the edges of the pan. Unhinge the lock and remove the pan sides. Use a warm, clean knife to cut every slice. Top slices with cherry pie filling. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator.
- For best results, only use full-fat ingredients at room temperature for this cheesecake.
- Start boiling the water for your water bath when you start mixing the cream cheese. The water bath helps the cheesecake bake slowly and evenly. The oven bag and foil ensure that water won’t seep into the pan.
- Cooling the cake slowly in stages prevents cracking and sinking.
Reviews
I made it per the directions except when I realized I only had half the cream cheese, I halved all the ingredients except for the crust. Cook time was about 45 minutes. I call it my skinny cheese cake. It was delicious.
Amazing recipe. This produces a tall cheesecake. Instead of a water bath, I place a baking dish full of water next to the cheesecake in the oven while it cooks. Comes out perfectly each time with no cracking.
Excellent! Everyone loved it and now they think I am an amazing cook. Thanks Liz.
Made a pumpkin swirl cheesecake but used this method. Came out perfect! No cracks, no guessing. Most beautiful cheesecake I ever made. Will use this method every time now. Thanks Liz!