Company Cheesecake

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. But, cheesecake doesn't HAVE to crack on top. I baked mine using a different website's directions for baking, 45 min. at 325 with a 9x13 pan of water on the rack below, then I turned the oven off completely for another hour (do NOT open the door) then when I took the cake out, I ran a knife around the edge (to allow for shrinkage) and placed a cookie sheet on top of the pan, letting it cool completely before putting it in the fridge. Cheesecakes commonly crack for many reasons, including temperature change, overbaking, not running the knife around the edge, dry oven temperature (that's what the water bath remedies) Hope I helped the other cheesecake lovers of the world with the other baking directions! Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I've already been lined up to make them for my family's next 3 birthdays!

I have used this website for quite some time, but I'm telling you, this is the best recipe I've used from here. I took this to work at Thanksgiving and they LOVED it. Just watch your cook time and temperature. Bake it slow and low. It needed a little more cook time in my oven. MARVELOUS. I've made many cheesecakes, but this was the absolute best. Thanks!

This was an amazing recipe! WOW! My family at Thanksgiving couldn't get enough of it! Thank you for putting this recipe online. I am sharing it with my friends!

the entire cheesecake was awesome, but the crust was such a nice change from the normal graham cracker crust. it tasted like a pecan butter cookie!

This was the first time making a REAL cheesecake, and I don't think that I will ever use a diffent recipe ever. This was the best.....

I have made many cheesecakes and this one was great! I followed the recipes exactly. Mine did not crack with a water bath during baking and a slow temperature transition. This is my new basic cheesecake recipe!

Made this for my husband's birthday. It's easy to make and taste really good. The crust is the best part.

Soo good!! I made it for a family gathering and just got a request to bring it again. Very easy to make. I've made a few different recipes and this is by far our favorite. Filling is yummmm!

Made this for New Years Eve and I will never use another recipe - fabulous. I followed all of the comments and had a beautiful no-crack cake. I substituted a basic graham cracker crust and made a strawberry/raspberry sauce. Guests loved it. One note for me - I only have an 9" springform, so I had leftover batter.

This is an awesome cheesecake! It was my first ever that I baked and it was not complicated. I, like others, shortened the baking time to about 55 minutes then turned off the oven and left it for an additional hour. My oven had browned the top more than I would have liked but it was consistent and did not effect the outcome of this delicious cheesecake. Minor crack circled the top but I think I worked it too much when adding the final eggs and whipping cream. Go easy! This cheesecake was a rave by everyone!

Throw all your other cheesecake recipes away. This is the only one you will ever need. I followed the alternate bakiing directionsto bake for 45 minutes, then let sit in closed oven for one hour, then run knife around rim and let cool with a plate covering the pan. No cracks and perfect! Everyone loved it.

Just took this to a Spanish dinner for 10 people. It was the best cheesecake any of us had ever had. One of the guests is lactose intolerant and has not had cheesecake for 30 years, and she ate it anyway. I followed the instructions included by reviewer rainbowxcurls and it turned out great. I always have trouble with my cheesecakes getting too done on the edges and not done in the center. This was a great solution for this problem. I served it with a strawberry balsamic sauce and a lemon/lime sauce...both recipes I got from epicurious.com. My husband liked the strawberry best and I liked the lemon/lime.

Absolutely fabulous! I've looked forever for the perfect cheesecake recipe and now I've found it. I have been making the other (very) popular cheesecake from this site for a while now. It was ok but it still wasn't exactly what I was looking for. This one is just so creamy and rich. It beats the other one hands-down and i have instructins from my husband to "make this one from now on". Thanks so much for sharing!

Loved this recipe. I used almond extract. Rave reviews from co workers.

This was good. I made a sugar cookie crust and baked it until golden before adding the filling.

My first "real" cheesecake and the taste is fabulous. I normally only would go for a graham cracker crust but so glad I didn't substitute in this case. The crust was so good but I noticed I had to mix it by hand- literally, due to the cold butter. The filling is so good and mine only chilled for 6 hours, I think the colder the better. I have just one suggestion, double the crust so you have enough to have it on the sides too. You will be glad when you taste it that there is more of it!! One thing and keep in mind I'm sure it is lack of technique, my cheesecake although so very good is so very ugly! I used a water bath and still huge cracks, more like ruts in my opinion. Good luck, this recipe is great!

Finally!! A perfect cheesecake!! I made this for Christmas and it turned out beautifully! It was pretty to look at and oh so delicious! This recipe is very uncomplicated. I let mine cook an extra 10 minutes (I think my oven runs cool). I topped it with raspberry spread and then made sweetened whipped cream with 2 dollops of sour cream to give it some tang and put that over the raspberry spread. I wish I had taken a picture it was so pretty! I will use this recipe again and again!

This was fantastic and got rave reviews from my husband's coworkers. I followed the advice of rainbowxcurls as far as cooking and ended with a picture perfect dessert with zero cracks. I also followed another reviewer's advice and doubled the crust so that I could have crust on the sides as well. This is now my go-to recipe.

I've made this cheesecake twice; both times it was perfect. One time I served it with raspberry sauce, the second time covered in strawberries. I did find that it needed to cook longer than the stated directions. Thanks for a *great* recipes!

I've tried many of the cheesecake recipes on this site, and IMO this is the best. Rich, creamy, delicious! I ended up subbing 1/4 cup of sour cream for the whipping cream (we like the taste better), and I play with different versions of the crust each time. But this cheesecake is fantastic!

First cheesecake I've EVER made and it turned out just PERFECT ! Everybody at home loved it, and the tips about baking it at a slightly lower heat and the waterbath and leaving it one more hour in the oven with the heat off really helped. It was smooth and beautiful with no cracks. This recipe really helps give a good grasp on how the basic plain cheesecake is made, and it was so easy to follow! Thank you !

AWESOME!!! Since chessecake is my favorite dessert/cake, I`ve tried quite many and this one is absolutely wonderful. I hesitated because - man, is that a load of cream chesse and then whipped cream... heavy duty. But the result is so yummy, that it takes away the calorie-worries. I`ve tried lower fat versions of cheesecake too, and it`s just not worth making. Not the taste I am looking for. So I rather eat it not so often but great instead of 50% fat and taste. The crust is absolutely delicious - and it`s a welcome change from the usual butter/graham cracker crust. I have gotten a lot of compliments on that creamcheese. Everybody is raving about it. I also served it with a blueberry sauce which was great. But the cake is great by itself, so next time I`ll just enjoy it by itself. HEAVEN!

One of the best cheesecake recipes I have made.

This is the best cheesecake that i have ever eaten and it is not too hard to make.

My husband really liked this cheesecake. He wanted a plain cheesecake. It may be plain but it is not ordinary. Very good. The cake fit in my pan with 1/4" to spare. The cake rose over an inch above the pan. It just rose straight up--no mess. As it cooled, it settled back to just below where it started. I never knew a cheesecake would rise before this. Thank you for a terrific recipe!

This cheesecake is very good. But I wanted it a little more moist, so I added 1/4 cup of sour cream. It did not lose that thick, strong cheesecake texture, but it did add a little moistness, and the slight sour cream flavor is nice also. I also added 2 tablespoons of amaretto liqueur for flavor. You will be a star amongst your friends after you make this cake.

I had to laugh because I was having company and was looking for a dessert to make. Every body loved it 5 star accept my husben he said it needed some sour cream to make it a little creamer, it was very thick. I will make again its still a keeper. Thanks for sharing!

So good! My company thought it was the best cheesecake they had ever had. I served it with a berry compote made with some fresh strawberries, frozen blueberries and 2 tbsp splenda, cooked on the stove for about 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat. EVERYONE had 2 large slices! Now that I'm doing low carb, I simply switched the 1 3/4 cup of sugar for 1 1/2 cups splenda and omitted the flour in the filling (I still make the crust but don't eat it, my boyfriend does eat it). I also have added the grated rind of 2 limes in the cheese batter and it makes a fantastic lime cheesecake!

This turned out great! I substituted my own crust recipe but the cheese cake part is delicious! I'll be saving this one! So moist and fluffy it was heaven in your mouth.

Tried this recipe a week before Thanksgiving to make sure it would come out right, because this was the first cheesecake I have ever made. This was unbelievably delicious! So delicious, that my husband wont even eat his grandmother's cheesecake anymore. The crust is the best crust I have ever had, and that is saying a lot because my step moms mom's is pretty hard to beat. Thank you very much for this recipe, dont think I even wanna try anything else!

Awesome cheesecake. Husband loves cheesecake and this was my first try at it. I sliced some fresh strawberries and added to whipped cream (and sugar) and it was a wonderful Christmas dessert. Thank you for sharing. Judi-Riverside, Il

Wonderful!!!! Loved the crust nice change from usual graham cracker crust. The hint of lemon was delicious.... Thanks for a great recipe

Thank You for this exceptional recipe! I have been looking for the perfect cheesecake recipe for at least 20 years. I finally found it! I followed the recipe to the letter except I used store bought graham cracker crust. It was enough for 2. It was super easy to make and came out light and fluffy and delicious. And the flavor is wonderful. I can't to make this for the next holiday family gathering. My husband ate half of one cheesecake at once.

Loved it. I don't have a spring form pan so used a pie pan. Used double the nuts. Tasted great! So had more crust than should and could have doubled the crust for 2 pans and had 2 cheese cakes with amount of batter. Had "Blueberry Sauce" from all recipes... With drizzle of chocolate sauce... Fabulous! First cheesecake ever and this will be the recipe I use.

This is a huge hit around here. My husband is in love with it and always asks me to make it. Also, this is the most requested thing I make for any event. I usually cut this recipe in half to make one cheesecake because I use a regular pie tin and make a graham cracker crust.

This cheesecake is so mega wicked yummy! It's the first one I ever made and it came out delicious. The texture of the cheesecake is smooth and the flavor is really, really good. We love the nuts in the crust as they give it an extra crunch! I tried the advice of someone else for baking and it seemed to work well. I put the cheesecake in a 325-degree oven for 60 minutes with a 9x13 pan of water on the rack below. Then, turned the oven off - do not open the oven door - and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for another 60 minutes. I've already made the cheesecake a second time and have been asked to make it again.

I gave this recipe a 5-star rating ... because like everyone else, I thought it tasted delicious. I have made cheesecake before ... and to be honest, didn't have the problems I encountered with this recipe. I haven't experienced the cracking of the top before ... with our without a water bath ... and this recipe just fell apart when I was serving it the next day. I noticed several reviewers added 10 minutes baking time ... which I did not. Will try that next time and see what happens. The taste of this cheesecake is worth giving it another shot!

My boyfriend loved this (as did I)! He is very particular about his cheescake, being his favorite dessert and all. Needless to say, this didn't last long.

Im a guy...limited cooking skill and my first cheesecake ever. Enough said? This recipe was easy to read, prepare, and follow. I read all of the comments. I followed some if not all of the user comments (cook 55 min, shut off oven, leave in 1 hour, I also read one users comments to use ground graham crackers instead of flour for the crust). Hah, It turned out perfect! It was even BETTER in my opinion than Cheesescake Factory! Even my wife and her girlfriend were impressed. This is my new one and only cheesecake recipe.

I wanted a richer flavor for my crust so I toasted the pecans and substituted the flour for graham cracker crumbs. But other than that, I stayed true to this recipe and it was un-be-freaking-lievable! So rich and delicious! It will be my go to for any potluck or family dinner!

the crust makes the cake. SoOOOOOOO gooood

Made this for my husbands birthday. Everyone loved it! So very rich and creamy.

thank you! all my cook books are in storage and I love this recipe. I have made it for many years from my Betty Crocker cook book my Aunt gave me when I moved out at 18 :) (that was a looong time ago) ...i really look forward to doing your pecan crust, sounds delicious!

Mine did crack, but otherwise this cheesecake was perfect. I liked the traditional taste with the little bit of extra flavor in the crust.

I used this recipe to try making my first cheesecake. Our family enjoyed it for our Christmas dessert - It was superb! I baked it a few more minutes but other than that, followed the recipe to the tee. I enjoyed the crust too. I normally don't like cheesecake crust. Definitely a keeper!

I made this for Thanksgiving. It turned out great. I put raspberry pie filling on the side. Next time I will make a caramel and chocolate option too. Love this recipe. It's a keeper.

Very good cheesecake. The first time i made it, it cracked.. but it's really easy to fix. The second time, i baked it longer (cause i fell asleep) but it turned out even better. It was light brown and it didn't crack at all.

THE. BEST. I made a graham cracker crust because that is what I prefer. The cheesecake is creamy and delicious. I will never use another recipe for cheesecake again. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!

great crust

I want to comment on the top reviewer's review concerning cooking time. I baked at 325 for 45 min with a 9x13 water bath underneath, then turned off the gas and let it sit inside the hot oven (without ever opening the door) for an extra hour, etc. She was right--it did not crack and looked pristine. It also wasn't done even after sitting in the fridge overnight. The center was more like a gooey custard, not firm/dense like it should be when I finally sliced it. I've since read that the center should still be wobbly but only the middle 2-3 inches when removed from heat. Mine was closer to 6 inches of wobble. Just an FYI to measure doneness. I would still use this reviewer's method--the results are beautiful--just cook for at least 55 minutes with this particular recipe (or as your oven requires).

I made this for my daughter's wedding brunch. It was an absolute smash hit! Everyone wanted more cheesecake. I usually change recipes, but I kept this one as is and I won't change a thing now. Delicious!

Excellent! I've never made a cheesecake before and this one was phenomenal. I brought it to work and also had two more requests to bring it again, one for a birthday and one for a baby shower. I followed the waterbath instructions in the comments section and also found instructions on the web on how to slice it quickly and evenly with non-flavoured dental floss, it worked much better than a knife with hot water. I served this with strawberry sauce, another quick and easy recipe I found on this site. Highly recommended.

recipe was easy to follow. This was only my 2nd attempt at a cheese cake. The first one did not get cooked completely. This one was perfect, very rich and creamy. It was a big hit at Easter. Have already been asked for the recipe.

This was excellent! My daughter had a piece of cheesecake every night until it was gone. You really must use real whip cream with fruit sauce and berries...what a presentation. Mine did not crack even after leaving it in the oven for another 10 minutes. I will definitely make this again! It was my 1st cheesecake!!!!

Excellent cheesecake! So creamy and yummy! Worth every calorie.

I made this for Thanksgiving and it was THE BEST!!!!! I made a graham cracker crust because thats my favorite and it worked great. No cracks at all- I turned the oven off and left it in for an additonal hour. Topped half cherry filling and half fresh strawberries. Will make again for Christmas

I've made a lot of cheesecakes and this was the best!

It was the second cake I ever baked and every single person I served it to said it was delicious. I even got a "one of the best cakes I've ever tasted in my life" and another thanked me for the cake three times. Nuff said, get it done!

This was the first cheesecake I've made and it was fabulous. My family and coworkers raved about it. I followed the recipe as written and it was very easy. I have since made this recipe several times and my family gets excited every time. It is now a family favorite. Thanks for sharing!!

This was my first attempt at making a cheesecake (in a spring form pan). I followed the instructions exactly but it still cracked in several places, but no one seemed to mind. This cheesecake is delicious and I'll make it again, but with a graham cracker crust. The crust for this recipe isn't worth the time and effort.

I have made this wonderful dessert over five times and each times the crust astounds me. It is fabulous, my faveorite cheesecake recipie. Mine does crack everytime, and nothing I do seems to solve that problem :( Fabulous in flavor though! :D

Thank you, Thank you! Awesome recipe. Only thing is, if you are going to make more of the crust for the sides only double. I did everything that others posted to try to not get a crack but still did. I have been searching for a recipe like this for about 20 years.

WOW! This is a GREAT recipe. I am a novice baker. I have cooked a cheesecake before it was decent. BUT THIS ONE! OUT OF SIGHT! My son told me that this cheesecake tastes just like the plain cheesecake at Cheesecake Factory. I had to agree with him. I did get lazy and used a ready made crust. It didn't ruin it at all. This cake was DEE-LISH-OUS! Gotta try it.

This recipe is so decadent! I have been using my mom's cheesecake recipe since I began to bake. I decieded to search for another recipe because I wanted to see what else is out there, and boy am I glad I did. This recipe is more difficult than my family one, but not too difficult for any beginner just time consuming. I am a nut free household so my alterations were only to do 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs instead of the chopped pecans. I did my best trying not to get a crack in the top but although I left it in the over 1 hour afterwards and had the water bath in the oven while cooking it still cracked. Oh well presentation didn't matter when it tasted this good. I will be using this recipe from now on. Sorry mom :)

This was my first cheesecake ever. I forgot to soften the cheesecake before whipping so whipping it was a little rougher than usual. As a result there were some tiny lumps. The batter was so good that we decided, "so what". Without being biased, I thought it was one of the best tasting cheesecakes ever! And so did my girlfriend & friends. It was even aesthetically more pleasing than the recipe photo. The crust is divine. Have I left anything out? The rating is well deserved:)

this recipe is great! i made it for xmas and it finished that same night. I did not change a thing in the recipe..i made it as is...it was wonderful!

This is the best cheesecake I ever made. The consistancy was wonderful and it tasted better than a 'store bought' one. I topped it with cherry pie filling. What a hit, it really went fast at a family birthday dinner. I am making two for a friend's open house. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!

This was the first cheesecake I've ever made. It was simple, but absolutely amazing. I served it with homemade strawberry sauce and that even made it more delicious! Definitely will be making this again!

AMAZING cheesecake! Thanks to this recipe, my family now thinks I should bake professionally! Thank you so much :) Followed alternative instructions on baking , but didn't use knife on edges before the 1 hour cooling period, and sadly my cake cracked after the 1 hour :( covered the crack with roses, and it was awesome.

This was awesome. Next time i will add some vanilla bean cut really fine to the filling. I used almonds for the crust but can see how pecans would be better.

I followed the recipe as is and it was amazing. I've made many cheesecakes but this is #1. Very creamy and tasty. Ours didn't crack and was perfect. Thank you!

I can't believe how good this is. Like another reviewer, I think this is my favorite recipe yet. And believe it or not, it was my 11 year old who followed this recipe and did it beautifully. I should have let it set a bit longer before serving (little too soft in the middle), but it was the creamiest most delicious ever! I can't wait to make it again!

SO GOOD! I made this for my husband for Valentines Day and topped it with homemade blueberry sauce. He said it's the best I've ever made which is a huge compliment to this recipe because I love to bake and bake all of the time. I did use the water bath, baked for 45 minutes and turned the oven off for 1 hour.

Very good creamy cheesecake. The only reason why I gave it 4 stars was because I preferred a graham cracker crust over ths one. The egg seamed like an odd addition to the crust. If I made this crust again I would try without the egg in the crust.

awesome cheesecake! best I've made. very simple to make and the crust is very good. I added a couple tablespoons of cashews and it was a nice addition on the second try.

Amazing cheesecake, won't use another recipe ever again. I made this cheesecake in a 9x13 pan because I wanted cheesecake bars and topped with canned blueberry pie topping and it was great!! I baked for 45 mins, turned off the oven and left for 1 hour, then removed and covered with cookie sheet until it cooled completely. Thank you for the recipe!

Wow. I can't believe it. My first hand at a cheesecake and it was amazing thanks to this recipe. Instructions were pretty simple, as were the ingredients. Results were awesome, although I did have to follow the baking instructions of one of the reviewers instead (baking for 45 minutes with the waterbath, then leaving it in the oven untouched for 1 hour with the heat turned off). Can't wait to share this with my co-workers!

THE BEST EVER!!!

This is the first cheesecake I have made from scratch and it turned out perfectly. My husband and I both thank you.

This cheesecake is phenomenal! And it was much better the 2nd and 3rd day.

My husband ate 3/4 of this cheesecake in 2 days!!! This time I'm making it while he's away on business so I can share it with friends. There will be a few pieces left when he gets back :)

This cheesecake is awesome. The crust is delicious. It baked up nicely. (No cracks!) And best of all, there was plenty to share. I will definitely make this again!

Simply the Best!!!!!

My husband's comment: This is SUPERB. I'll second that. Although it cracked - who cares? It is truly the best. I will admit that I'm on the fence tho' about the crust. I might like a graham cracker crust better (certainly easier). Hmmm - guess that means another cheesecake in the near future to find out!

i make a graham cracker crust, but otherwise, this is the best! My husband requests this cheesecake for every event.

the best yet 2-8-12

Five stars=a PERFECT 10..!! I have made MANY cheesecakes in my lifetime, but this TAKES THE CAKE... :D I think we all fought over the the last few crumbs...It was really that good!! I placed a heavy foil under the cake while baking and used the water method...Using the water under the cake while baking always turns out a crack free cake..(or it does for me)Also, my oven gets a lot hotter than most ovens, so I baked on 300...It worked like a charm. Thanks for the recipe...it's truely a KEEPER

Best cheesecake ever!!!!

Made my own crust (crushed cookies,sugar, and butter was easier!) but otherwise followed the recipe. Got RAVE reviews. Will be making again!

I've never made cheesecake before. It was a hit with the family. My husband said I should rate it 5 1/2 stars, that it is the best cheesecake he has ever eaten. I baked it 75 min. The center was a little gooey, but it is so good. My hubby said he liked it a little gooey.

This isn't bad but doesn't have the richness and tanginess I like in a cheesecake. The crust is exceptional however.

A~mazing!!!

so good did not change a thing

haven't made yet ...but I can tell

ABSOLUTELY the best cheesecake I have ever made. Delicious is not kind enough for this recipe. Scrumptious is more like it. :)

Without question, this is the best cheesecake I've ever tasted. I top mine with a glaze of lemon curd, which complements the lemon zest in the crust quite nicely.

Phenomenal dessert. This cheesecake is much better than any you can get at a restaurant. I did not make the crust with pecans as my boyfriend is not a fan. I made the crust the same way but substituted some graham cracker crumbs for the pecans. I think the crust would have definitely been better with pecans as the recipe calls for. I also followed the baking directions of another reviewer. I baked with a water bath for about 55 minutes at 325 degrees until the edges were browned. Then I turned off the oven, but left the cake in the oven for an hour. I removed the cake from the oven and ran a knife around the edges and allowed the cheesecake to cool entirely with a baking sheet on top. I then chilled overnight. No cracking or sinking in the middle!! Fantastic cheesecake.

Wonderful, basic cheesecake recipe! Pretty labor-intense, but I think that's the thing with cheesecake!

Oh my God! This is it! I made one as written, then made a second for Thanksgiving using a graham cracker crust recipe instead of the pecan. Topped it with cherry pie filling for an absolutely perfect cheese cake! I will never even try another. Make sure you wait the full 24 hours. The first we ate a little to soon, it was good, but it was even better after it sat a while. We waited 2 days before topping and cutting it and it was incredible!