Easy homemade cheesecake… need I say more? You put the words “Cheese” and “Cake” together into one, and that pretty much says it all, does it not?

If you’ve been looking for the perfect cheesecake recipe to add to your collection (but like, one that truly gets the award for “the best cheesecake recipe” award), well you have found your one. This classic cheesecake recipe is the perfect backdrop for every topping: it’s creamy, it’s rich, it’s gorgeous, and it’s just… great. Baked on a buttery graham cracker crust, you can’t go wrong with this recipe.

Read on for all of the tips and tricks that give this recipe its best results… and of course, for the recipe itself!

For those who don’t know: what is cheesecake?

Cheesecake can take different forms around the the world, but typically in the U.S. and Canada, they are found as a cake made with a thin crust on the bottom and a thick layer of creamy, vanilla scented, sweetened soft cheese on top. Cheesecakes come in baked and unbaked versions, with the baked versions usually containing eggs and sour cream with a more dense texture, and the unbaked versions being made with whipped cream and typically set with gelatine.  

Different types of cheesecake

There are so many different types of cheesecakes out there, and I’m sure this is not an exhaustive list. Here are the ones I know about, and the comparison to which one I think is most like this recipe.

New York cheesecake 

This is a classic cheesecake famous to New York. It is a rich, dense, baked cheesecake, with a creamy texture and irresistible flavor. NY cheesecake is typically served with a fruity topping like cherry pie filling.

I would say that my recipe’s cheesecake filling is the most similar, of all these types, to a New York cheesecake. 

Other classic cheesecakes 

If there’s another name for them, I don’t know it: but this is a regular cheesecake with a slightly lighter texture than the classic NY cheesecake, sometimes lightened with beaten egg white or whipped cream.

No-bake cheesecake

A no-bake cheesecake recipe is typically very fluffy, free of eggs, lightened with whipped heavy cream and stabilized with gelatine. You will often find these made in a pie plate and served as a chilled cheesecake dessert.

European cheesecake

These are often much less sweet and have more of a cake base than the typical thin, cookie crust found on cheesecakes across North America. There are many different types of cheesecake to be had in Europe, but from my brief time living over there, I experienced several delicious versions, very unlike the cheesecakes I was used to back home.

How to keep your cheesecake from cracking

There are a few different methods out there for creating a crack-free cheesecake, but the ones I employ for making my own cheesecakes is the water bath under the cake while it bakes (the steam helps), and allowing the cake to rest in the oven after it is baked. The drastic temperature change can cause the cake to crack, which is why it’s important to allow the cake to begin cooling slowly.

Other methods include wrapping the pan in tin foil and immersing it in a larger pan (such as a large roasting pan) of water, or, some people will say that keeping the oven door closed for an hour after baking the cake will do the trick; however, while I find that step useful, I don’t find it always sufficient to prevent my cheesecakes from cracking.

The butter in my crust keeps spilling out the bottom; how can I prevent this?

This is a problem I have often encountered, but I’ll just be honest with you here: I have no idea why this happens. If you, dear reader, have the solution: please, enlighten me!

If you’re as lost as I am, however, here’s what I recommend:

1. Place a pan of water below the cheesecake. This will not only help to prevent the cheesecake from cracking, it will also catch melted butter and prevent it from making a burned mess in your oven.
2. Wrap the outside of the pan with foil before you bake the cake.
3. Make sure your springform pan (a cake pan with removable sides) has a good seal (ie, older pans may not seal as well and could be the reason for this problem). 

What makes a cheesecake dense or fluffy?

Baked cheesecakes can be made to have a fluffier texture by the addition of beaten egg whites, folded into the filling after it is smooth. Unbaked cheesecakes are often made soft and light with the addition of real whipped cream. 

While I love cheesecakes in all shapes and sizes, my personal favorite is to make it like this recipe suggests: with a dense, rich, creamy texture. This cake is the perfect base for just about any topping!

Occasions to serve cheesecake

Dessert. Need I say more? Any time you want to serve dessert, in my opinion, is the right occasion and the best way to serve cheesecake! 

Serve this cake for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and all manner of special occasions. Honestly, while I’ve been pregnant, I may or may not have been known to sometimes make myself cheesecake just-because. (Any occasion can be a special occasion if cheesecake is involved.)

The best cheesecake additions

Cheesecake additions are usually found in the form of different toppings, but one of my favourite things to add to the cake itself is some chocolate shavings or chocolate chips. Just stir these into the batter before baking, and there you go!

You can also use a combination of nuts and chocolate in the cake itself or stir some cinnamon or nutmeg into the cheesecake batter before baking as well.

Great cheesecake toppings 

There are so many great things to put on top of your cheesecake. It’s hard to go wrong with just about anything on top of this goodness. Here are a few favorite toppings, however:

• Frozen berries (as picture in this post)
• Fresh berries
• Raspberry sauce
• Strawberry sauce
• Rhubarb sauce
• Apple pie filling
• Blueberry lemon pie filling
• Cherry pie filling
• Lemon curd
• Whipping cream (check out this great recipe for stabilized whipped cream, if you want to make cream decorations that last!)
• Dark chocolate truffles/ganache

Homemade cheesecake crust variations

Crusts for cheesecakes can be easily made from just about any type of cookie dough or crushed cookies with butter. I have had cheesecakes with shortbread crust, chocolate chip cookie crust, brownie crust… You name it. Basically, you just have to make sure the crust is fully baked before you pour the filling on top. Then, follow the recipe instructions, and bake the cake as directed.

Some unique crust ideas:

• Graham cracker crumbs (as in this recipe)
• Oreo cookie crust (made with crushed oreos and butter)
• Crushed digestive biscuits with butter 
• Gingersnap cookie crust (made with crushed gingersnap cookies)
• Mixed nuts and seeds crust (finely chopped, mixed with cinnamon, ground flax, and butter)
• Chocolate chip cookie crust
• Shortbread cookie crust
• Brownie crust

Is cheesecake gluten free?

The filling is gluten free, but the crust is not.  So if you have a gluten free cookie or crust recipe, you can bake it in the base of the pan first. Pour the filling over top of that, and bake as directed in the recipe. 

Alternately, you can make this recipe without graham crackers and go crust-free. Follow the baking directions as directed, and your cheesecake should come out perfectly!

A note about pan sizes

This tutorial was made using an 8″ springform pan, making this cake a little taller for the pictures. You can use a 9″ round pan or an 8″ pan for this same recipe with great results.

Used in this recipe:

• Ingredients (see recipe card)
• Electric hand held mixer
• Mixing bowls
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Glass measuring pitcher
• Spatula
• Spring form pan (8″ as pictured in this recipe)

f you like this recipe, you may also like:

• Cream Cheese Filling
• Mini Cherry Cheesecakes
• Miniature Cheesecake Trifles
• Miniature Cherry Turnovers

As usual, let me know if you make this cake; I’d love to hear your success stories! You can also tag me on Instagram in your beautiful cheesecake pictures @naomicakesofficial. I always love to see when my recipes are being enjoyed!

Back soon,

–Naomi

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