I have been making this cheesecake for longer than I care to admit because then I would have to own up to just how old I’m getting (my husband once referred to me as middle aged and I’m not sure I’ve forgiven him- I plan to live a lot longer than he is giving me credit for…), but let’s just say it’s been a few years. This is my MOST requested recipe, and I’m finally getting around to sharing it here.
When friends and family try this cheesecake they comment that I make the BEST cheesecake, and people who have claimed that cheesecake really isn’t their thing (yes, it’s hard to believe, but there are those people) have said that they like this particular cheesecake. The beauty of this recipe is in its simplicity. There are very few ingredients, it’s not too sweet, and it is sure to please. This recipe is all about the technique, but we will get to that in the tips.
Do yourself a favor and make this cheesecake for an event or celebration. You are sure to impress your friends and family!
Pro Tips:
I cannot stress how important this is for this particular recipe. I will admit to cutting corners and failing to bring my ingredients fully to room temperature for the occasional cake or tart, but it is essential for this cheesecake. Having the ingredients at room temperature will allow you to avoid lumps and create a cheesecake with a fantastic texture.
It may go without saying, but you want to avoid reduced fat cream cheese, or that spreadable cream cheese you find in a tub. Bricks of regular Philadelphia cream cheese are what you need here.
Spend time blending the cream cheese and sugar until you are sure they are well incorporated and the batter is lump free. Once you add the eggs, however, you want to limit the amount of work that goes into the batter. We want a custard like texture, and over mixing the eggs will hinder that.
This cheesecake is baked in a water bath. Cooking the dessert with more of a “low and slow” method will help you avoid the dreaded crack. Of course, a cracked cheesecake is not the end of the world and will still taste amazing (and isn’t that what a topping is for…), but if you are trying to impress the friends and family I want you set up for success.
One essential element to creating the perfect cheesecake creaminess is to avoid over baking. Bake the cheesecake until set. When the cheesecake is close to done for time, open that oven and give the pan a little shake. You want to see a little jiggle, but not a slosh. The cheesecake is done when it starts to get a few golden spots, doesn’t look wet and sloshy, and starts to just barely pull away from the sides of the pan. Take note of my cheesecake that had just been removed from the oven.
A lot of cheesecakes are baked in springform pans, and that works well for a number of recipes. I often find that baking a cheesecake in a springform inside a water bath can lead to water seeping in and making my cheesecake less than perfect. A standard pan alleviates this problem, but it does come with its own challenges. You will need an 8″ round pan that is 3 inches tall. Make sure you spray the pan generously with cooking spray to ensure it turns out without sticking. Also, allow the cheesecake to cool in the pan for at least 45 minutes before attempting to turn it out of the pan.
Classic Cheesecake
A simple, not too sweet cheesecake with a custard like texture that is sure to impress your friends and family.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 6.5 hours including cooling time
- Category: cheesecake
- Cuisine: dessert
Ingredients
32 ounces full fat cream cheese (4 blocks)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
4 eggs
*crushed cookie crumbs (optional)
*topping of choice (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 and generously spray an 8″ x 3″ round cake pan with cooking spray. Fill a larger pan or oven proof container with water so the water will reach close to half way up the sides when the cheesecake pan is placed inside.
Using room temperature ingredients, with a hand or stand mixer blend the cream cheese and sugar until well incorporated and no lumps remain. Scrape down the sides of the bowl at regular intervals. Mixing should take 3-5 minutes. Add the vanilla and almond extract and mix until combined. Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined after each addition.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place the cake pan inside the water bath. Bake for 55-60 minutes until just set with a hint of jiggle.
Allow the cheesecake to cool in the pan for 45 minutes to 1 hour. I then place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the pan, cover with a plate, and invert the pan to turn the cheesecake out, much as you would turn out a regular cake. The plastic wrap will keep the top of the cheesecake from sticking to the plate, and will become a covering for storing the cheesecake. Place another sheet of plastic wrap over the exposed part of the cheesecake (which will become the bottom) and move the cheesecake to the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours. Before serving, I like to crush or crumble cookies of choice and place them on what will be the bottom of the cheesecake. If you want to keep the cheesecake gluten free, you can skip this, but it does help keep the cheesecake from sticking to the plate. Place a serving plate over the cookie covered bottom of the cheesecake and invert so you can see the lightly golden top of the cheesecake. Top with berries or sauces of your choice.
Notes
This recipe is about simple ingredients and good technique. Don’t rush the steps.
With so few ingredients, make sure they are quality ones. Philadelphia regular cream cheese bricks are what I recommend.
Keywords: cheesecake, cream cheese
The cheesecake texture of my dreams!
This tasted so good that I didn’t even need to add cool-whip
★★★★★