Classic Cheesecake (baked)
This recipe requires no water bath and freezes beautifully, so you can make it ahead. It's not hard to master, and I give you all my tips. It's plain with just a hint of vanilla and can be served with various sweet toppings or sauces.
Servings 8 slices
Ingredients
For the crumb base:
- 2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
For the filling:
- 32 ounces regular cream cheese 4 blocks, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup regular sour cream at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
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 finely ground graham cracker crumbs with melted ½ cup unsalted butter in a medium bowl until well integrated and looking like wet sand. If starting with whole crackers, ground them in the food processor, add the melted butter, and mix until the mixture looks like wet sand.
- Transfer this crust 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 cheese filling:
- Mix 32 ounces regular 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 an electric mixer, use it only for this part and at the lowest speed. We don't want to incorporate air into the batter.
- Gradually add 1 ½ cups sugar and beat until it's very well incorporated.
- Add 4 eggs, two at a time, mixing until incorporated and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Be patient and don't be tempted to beat much. I use a whisk as we don't want to incorporate air. If using an electric mixer, use it at the lowest speed.
- Add ¾ cup regular sour cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and a pinch of salt and stir to incorporate well without beating.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake cheesecake for 10 minutes at 325°F (165°C).
- 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. This can vary depending on your oven and it can take even longer. It will solidify as it cools and in the refrigerator.
- Turn the oven off and, leaving the door ajar, let the cheesecake inside for 30 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven and carefully run a smooth bladed knife around the top of the sides of the springform pan to loosen up any batter that might be stuck. If it's too tender, let cool longer before doing this. It will help with cracks 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 highly recommend 1 or 2 days of refrigeration for the creamiest consistency before removing from the pan and eating it.
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 tracking how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Follow the instructions for cooling it down: every step is essential, so don't skip or accelerate them. It's important that the cheesecake cools gradually and is chilled several hours before eating. Also, I find the texture is superior when I refrigerate it for 1 or 2 days before removing it from the pan, as opposed to 6 to 8 hours, which is the minimum.
