My signature baked cheesecake is topped with a fresh cherry sauce. It requires no water bath and freezes beautifully, so you can make it ahead. Bake it the traditional way in a round pan or use a rectangular one and make cheesecake squares to serve at family gatherings, cookouts and potlucks.
I top it with my homemade cherry topping when fresh cherries are available, and freeze a few batches to use during the cold months.
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A classic cheesecake
This is one of my best cheesecake recipes, the one I bake most often when cherries (and other berries) are in season. It's up there with my classic recipe for cheesecake, but it is a bit sturdier to carry the fruit sauce on top.
The cheesecake itself is still wonderfully traditional on its own, but greatly enhanced by the graham base and sweet cherry filling (similar to cherry pie filling).
Though nothing is surprising about the ingredients of the different components or the fact that a cherry topping is fabulous on top of the cheesecake, it still bears making and repeating.
Simplicity is all we need sometimes. And a great addition to our cheesecake archive.
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Testing notes
Paula's baking tips that can make a difference.
Ingredients: all filling ingredients must be at room temperature. This ensures they can be well incorporated without overbeating the batter, which is part of achieving a creamy texture and consistency.
Cheesecake batters need to be combined or stirred, not beaten. To achieve a creamy consistency, I recommend combining the ingredients with a whisk (easy if you have room temperature cream cheese and eggs). If I cannot easily mix the batter with a hand whisk, it's because the ingredients have not softened enough. You can use an electric mixer for the first part only, mixing cream cheese and sugar. After that, continue by hand.
Oven temperature: low is better than medium. I have gone back and forth for years, testing this. Even though I might bake it at the standard medium oven temperature for ten minutes initially, the bulk of the baking is done at 300°F (150°C) at most, sometimes less than that. Like baking a flan recipe, where the low temperature ensures that the batter doesn't puff and the filling stays creamy. The cheesecake will rise slightly around the edges, but not much.
Cooling process: this is crucial, and it consists of 3 steps: letting it cool for a while in the oven after it's turned off; letting it completely cool to room temperature on a wire rack; refrigerating it for at least 8 hours (a whole day is better). I have tested this thoroughly, and following all the steps renders the creamiest cheesecake.
Bake ahead: It's recommended that you bake it a few days before eating. That means you can serve a fabulous last-minute cheesecake for dessert with minimal fuss. It lasts 4 to 5 days in the fridge, in the pan it was baked, well covered, without the topping. Freezing: cheesecakes can be frozen and sometimes are creamier and softer after a stay in the freezer. There's probably a chemical explanation.
Topping: can be made ahead and kept refrigerated for a week or frozen for at least a month. A can of cherry pie filling also does the job if homemade is not possible.
Ratio: Keep in mind the ratio of filling and cherry sauce, if baked in a rectangular pan. It will not render a tall cheesecake, so the topping amount might not look as thick, but it'll be fine. Using more of it might not let the filling shine.
Double the recipe: If you're making a large batch, use two individual round cheesecake pans (or regular cake pan with a springform base), or use a large rectangular pan (9x13) to make cheesecake bars. If you want to use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for the filling, do so at low speed just until it's all mixed. Don't overmix it.
Steps to make cherry cheesecake
Graham crust
Graham cracker crumbs with melted butter are a classic for cheesecakes, and pair very well with this one.
For a sweeter crust, add a few tablespoons of brown sugar to the cookie mixture and subtract it from the ground cookie amount.
Chocolate crust alternative: Use a chocolate cookie crust, with plain chocolate wafers or cookies, like the one I use for the baked cheesecake with berry topping.
Creamy filling
It's pretty straightforward and uses simple ingredients.
It doesn't have stabilizers like flour or cornstarch and instead relies on the baking and cooling process to achieve a creamy, perfectly firm and fantastic cheesecake.
Full-fat cream cheese: it's a must for consistency and flavor.
Cherry topping
Making your own homemade cherry pie filling or topping is incredibly easy. I enhance it with lemon juice to get a balanced sweetness. The syrup that forms is good enough to eat with a spoon!
You can adjust the level of sweetness and sourness and adapt the cherry sauce to your palate. You're the one eating it after all.
Dessert for a crowd
Cheesecake is a favorite for most people, so bake this recipe in a rectangular pan (it will not be as tall, similar to this chocolate crust cheesecake). Then, you can cut it into smaller squares and feed many more guests. If you make two cheesecakes, you can serve dessert to 24 people or so, depending on the size of the bars.
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Baked Cherry Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
For the cookie base:
- 2 cups graham crackers crumbs, about 11 whole crackers
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Optional for the crust:
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, reduce the amount from the graham crumbs
For the cream cheese filling:
- 32 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 5 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sour cream, at room temperature
- ¼ cup heavy cream, or heavy whipping cream, at room temperature
For the cherry sauce topping:
- 24 ounces whole cherries, about 3 cups pitted
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
For the graham cracker crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Spray or butter a 9-inch round cake pan with a removable bottom.
- Stir 2 cups graham crackers crumbs with ½ cup unsalted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. If grounding the graham crackers in a food processor, simply add the butter and mix. If using 2 tablespoons brown sugar, add it before the butter and mix with the crumbs.
- Put this mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly onto the bottom.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack while making the filling. Don't turn the oven off.
For the cream cheese filling:
- Mix 32 ounces cream cheese in a large bowl until very smooth. You can use a handheld mixer or wire whisk. If the cheese is at room temperature, mixing it by hand should not be a problem. If using a hand-held electric mixer, use it only for this part and at the lowest temperature. We don't want to incorporate air into the batter.
- Gradually add 1 ¼ cups sugar and beat until sugar is very well incorporated.
- Add 5 eggs, in 2 additions, mixing until incorporated, and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Be patient and don't be tempted to beat much.
- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ cup sour cream and ¼ cup heavy cream, stirring to incorporate.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan of choice, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Bake the cheesecake for 10 minutes at 325°F (165°C), then turn the oven down to 300ºF (150°C) and bake for another 50-55 minutes. At this point, the cheesecake should jiggle quite a lot in the center but not feel wet. This can vary depending on your oven and take longer. It will solidify a lot as it cools.
- Turn the oven off, open the door ajar, and let the cheesecake inside for 1 hour.
- Remove the springform pan from the oven and carefully run a smooth-bladed knife around the sides to loosen any stuck batter. If it's too tender, let it cool longer before doing this. This will help prevent cracks from developing as it cools and shrinks.
- Cool completely to room temperature in the pan on a wire rack, cover in plastic wrap (still in the pan), and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. I find that 1 to 2 days in the fridge before removing it from the pan and eating it, renders the creamiest consistency.
- Top with the cherry topping and serve.
For the cherry topping:
- Wash and pit 24 ounces whole cherries. You'll have about 3 cups of pitted cherries. Leave whole or cut in half. Or half and half.
- Put them in a medium saucepan and add ¼ cup brown sugar and ¼ cup lemon juice. Mix to combine.
- Cook over medium heat until it breaks a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Dissolve 2 teaspoons cornstarch in 4 tablespoons water until no lumps remain, and drizzle over the cherries.
- Stir constantly and cook for 1 more minute.
- Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and let cool down.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to a week in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid or another airtight container.
Mazal Ashkenazi says
Gorgeous!