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the best cheesecake
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5 from 8 votes

The Best Homemade Cheesecake Recipe

A creamy, classic cheesecake recipe that never fails! Pairs perfectly with a buttery graham cracker crust.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
5 hours
Total Time6 hours 25 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 624kcal
Author: Eden
Cost: $15

Equipment

  • Springform Pan
  • Electric Mixer

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 3 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • 6 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt

Cheesecake Filling

  • 32 ounces cream cheese must be room temp.
  • 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 large eggs room temp
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/3 cups heavy cream

Instructions

Graham Cracker Crust

  • Add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt in a bowl and stir. Add in the melted butter and mix together.
  • In a buttered, round springform pan (this is super important to use) press the crust down in an even layer.
    graham cracker crust
  • Wrap tinfoil around the bottom of the outside pan up to the sides.
  • Bake the crust for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Cheesecake Filling

  • Turn the oven to 325 degrees and boil some water in a kettle for later
  • Beat cream cheese on medium (about 4 min until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides. Make sure you scrape the bottom and sides to remove any clumps of cheese.
    mixing cheesecake batter
  • With the mixer running, add sugar and salt and continue to beat for another 4 mins.
  • Beat in the vanilla and add eggs one at a time, beating full after each addition.
  • Reduce speed to low and add heavy cream.
  • Pour batter on top of the crust, leaving a little room at the top for the cheesecake to rise.
  • Place the foil wrapped pan in a larger roasting pan and pour boiling water around the edges, halfway up to the springform pan, kind of like when you’re baking a soufflé.
    springform pan with tinfoil wrapped around it
  • Bake for 1 hour, until the top of the cheesecake is brown. Turn the oven off, prop the door open with a wooden spoon and let the cheesecake sit in there for another hour.
  • Take it out and let it cool at room temperature, then place it in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
    cheesecake in a springform pan

Notes

Cream cheese must be room temperature. If you need to get it to room temp quickly, remove it from the packaging, place it in a bowl and microwave for 1 min. 
Always use a springform pan when making a cheesecake. It's the only way to remove the sides of the pan to serve the cake. 
Bake in a water bath, this creates a very moist cheesecake. Place the tinfoil wrapped, spring form pan on a roasting pan in the oven. Then, add the boiling water to the roasting pan. This way you don't have to move the pan with hot boiling water. 
This cheesecake will bake for 1 hour and then rest for 1 hour in the oven. Then it will rest to room temperature for a few hours before storing it in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 624kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 196mg | Sodium: 707mg | Potassium: 188mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 1669IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 1mg