Easy Baked Cheesecake Recipe (with video!)

The easiest, creamiest and best baked Cheesecake I ever tried! And I have tried many. With a chocolate crust and berry topping, it is everybody's favorite. It freezes beautifully and can be made ahead. 

This is my favorite cheesecake recipe, the one I always go to. The one that has people asking for the recipe all the time. Or rather asking me to make it for them, since,  you know, you are 'the baker' in the family.

Most of my other cheesecake recipes in this blog are based on this one, like the very popular Oreo Cheesecake.

The filling is wonderfully traditional, but I used a chocolate cookie base and a mixed berry topping.

 Chocolate, cheesecake, and berries together is a fantastic idea. It always will be. And this cheesecake is creamy, cheesy, not too sweet, and enough to feed a small crowd.

If you want the best and easiest baked cheesecake, I'm partial to this recipe, haha. For no-bake cheesecakes check out my complete guide; it's awesome.

About this recipe

• Bake ahead: as with most cheesecake recipes, it is recommended that it’s baked a few days before eating. That means that you can serve a last-minute fabulous cheesecake for dessert with minimal fuss. It lasts for 4-5 days in the fridge, well covered, without the topping.
• Topping: can be made ahead and kept refrigerated for a week or frozen for a month or more.
• Freezing: it can be frozen for up to a month. Wrap it well in plastic and then in aluminum foil and you have cheesecake any time you want. Defrost it at room t°, unwrapped.
• Dessert for a crowd: cheesecake is such a favorite for most people, so bake this recipe in a rectangular pan (the cake will not be as tall), and then you can cut it in smaller squares and feed many more guests. If you do two cheesecakes you can serve dessert to 24 persons or something. It depends on the size of the servings.

Ingredients

I am very particular about not adding starches (flour, cornstarch, etc) to my cheesecake fillings. I know that the oven and refrigerator will accomplish what I want: the creamiest cheesecake that cuts perfectly.

So the ingredients are few and mostly kitchen staples:

• Cream cheese: full fat is always the best because it adds creaminess. I use the regular supermarket variety, not the whipped or anything like that.
• Sour cream: it adds a needed tanginess to balance the richness of the cream cheese.
• Eggs: regular or large will work. I have made this cheesecake a million times and the egg size was never an issue as long as they are not very small or very large.
• Sugar: white sugar works best, but you can use brown, fine muscovado or coconut sugar. Beware that the last two don't sweeten as much as regular sugar does.
• Vanilla: I use vanilla paste whenever I can. It is stronger in my opinion than liquid vanilla and has those tiny specks from the seeds. I find the flavor is deeper. As this is a traditional cheesecake filling I don't use any other flavorings.

Berry topping

Ah, the popular berry topping for cheesecake.

I love raspberry as much as the next person. But a mixed berry topping is at the top of my list (images above). It's incredibly easy to make and I enhance it with lemon juice and some premium raspberry or blackberry jam to give it more structure.

My top tips

• Cookies: use regular wafers, plain chocolate cookies. Or alternatively, use a graham cracker crust. The cheesecake will be amazing too.
• Ingredients: all filling ingredients must be at room t°. It’s the way you ensure they all mix well without overbeating the batter. This is so important and part of how you achieve a creamy consistency.
• Creaminess: besides the ingredients, make sure you bake it in a medium/low oven, turn it off while the cheesecake still jiggles a lot, and leave it at least 24 hours in the fridge. I suggest refrigerating it for 2 days. I find the texture is superior.
• Freezing: cheesecakes can be frozen and, in my opinion, many times they are creamier and softer after a stay in the freezer. There’s probably a chemical explanation.
• Topping: Keep in mind the ratio of filling and berry sauce. This is not a very tall cake as it's baked in a rectangular pan, so too much topping will not let the filling shine.

Other recipes you might like:

Let me know in the comments below if you make this recipe! I’d love to hear what you think about it. Thank you for being here, I appreciate it! Let’s connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
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Easy Baked Cheesecake

★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews

• Author: Paula Montenegro
• Prep Time: 30
• Cook Time: 55
• Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Yield: 12 servings 1x
• Category: Cheesecakes
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

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Description

The best and creamiest cheesecake ever! With a chocolate crust and berry topping. Make it in a rectangular pan and feed a crowd.

The time given doesn't include cooling and refrigeration. Take that into account. 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the cookie base:

• 2 cups (200g) ground chocolate wafers
• ½ cup (110g) unsalted butter, melted

For the cream cheese filling:

• 32oz (930g) regular cream cheese, at room tº
• 1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
• 5 eggs, at room tº
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
• ¼ cup (60g) sour cream, at room t°
• ¼ cup whipping or heavy cream, at room t°

For the berry topping:

• 1 ½ cups mixed berries, fresh or frozen
• 3-4 tablespoons brown sugar
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2-3 tablespoon good raspberry or blackberry jam

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Instructions

For the cookie base:

1. Preheat oven at 350°F /180°C.
2. Spray a 8x10 inches (20x24cm) rectangular pan and line with a piece of parchment paper that covers the bottom and up the two long sides of the pan. You will only have two short sides without paper. This makes it easier to unmold; you simply lift the paper and take out the cheesecake.
3. Grind cookies in the food processor, add the melted butter and mix until the mixture looks like wet sand.
4. Or add already crushed cookies to the bowl with the melted butter and mix with a spoon.
5. Put this mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly onto the bottom.
6. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack while making the filling.
7. Don't turn the oven off.

For the cheese filling:

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. In a large bowl beat cream cheese until very smooth. You can use a handheld mixer or wire whisk. If the cheeses are at room t°, mixing them by hand should not be a problem.
3. Gradually add sugar and beat until sugar is very well incorporated.
4. Add eggs, in 2 additions, beating until just incorporated and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
5. Add vanilla, sour cream, and cream, stirring to incorporate.
6. Put the batter into the prepared pan.
7. Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F, turn the oven down to 280ºF, and bake for another 35-40 minutes. (This can vary depending on your oven). At this point, the cheesecake should jiggle quite a lot in the center. Don't be tempted to bake it longer.
8. Turn the oven off and, without opening the door, let the cheesecake inside for 1 hour.
9. Cool to room tº, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 8 hours. I highly recommend 2 days of refrigeration for the creamiest consistency.

For the topping:

1. Put berries, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan.
2. Cook over low heat until the juices bubble and are beginning to look syrupy, about 5 minutes.
3. Take the pan out of the heat and add 2-3 tablespoons jam. Mix well.

To assemble:

1. Take the cheesecake from the refrigerator.
2. Lift it aiding yourself with the pieces of parchment paper that overhang from the sides. Be careful as you place it on the serving board.
3. Top with the berry topping and serve.

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Notes

• Dessert for a crowd: cheesecake is such a favorite for most people, so bake this recipe in a rectangular pan (the cake will not be as tall), and then you can cut it in smaller squares and feed many more guests. If you do two cheesecakes you can serve dessert to 24 persons or something. It depends on the size of the servings.
• Cookies: use regular wafers, plain chocolate cookies. Or alternatively, use a graham cracker crust. The cheesecake will be amazing too.
• Ingredients: all filling ingredients must be at room t°. It’s the way you ensure they all mix well without overbeating the batter. This is so important and part of how you achieve a creamy consistency.
• Creaminess: besides the ingredients, make sure you bake it in a medium/low oven, turn it off while the cheesecake still jiggles a lot, and leave it at least 24 hours in the fridge. I suggest for 2 days. I find the texture is superior.
• Freezing: cheesecakes can be frozen and, in my opinion, many times they are creamier and softer after a stay in the freezer. There’s probably a chemical explanation.
• Topping: Keep in mind the ratio of filling and berry sauce. This is not a very tall cake as it's baked in a rectangular pan, so too much topping will not let the filling shine.

Keywords: baked cheesecake

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Paula Montenegro

I'm Paula, a baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe finder, sharing the best ones on this blog, with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.