Baked Cherry Cheesecake

Close up slice of cherry-topped cheesecake. White plate, gray background.

Our 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 gatherings, cookouts and potlucks.

Course Cheesecakes

Cuisine American

Keyword cherry cheesecake

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 30

Servings servings

Calories 878kcal

Author Paula Montenegro

Ingredients

For the cookie base:

2 cups graham crackers ground
½ cup unsalted butter melted

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

US Customary - Metric

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 grinding the graham crackers in a food processor, simply add the butter and mix.
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.

Notes

Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use an oven thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.

Cheesecake batter: the key is not beating it, so we don't incorporate much air. If the ingredients are at room temperature, you should have no problem. I use that to know if they're at the right temperature: if I cannot easily mix the batter with a hand whisk, it's because the ingredients have not softened enough.

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 350°F (180°C) for ten minutes initially, the bulk of the baking is done at 300°F (150°C) at the most, sometimes less than that. Like baking a flan recipe, the lower temperature ensures that the batter doesn't puff and the filling stays creamy. The cheesecake will rise slightly, 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 a very creamy cheesecake filling.

Nutrition