This creamy cheesecake is great with a variety of toppings - or even by itself!
This recipe was great. Cracks in cheesecake come from overmixing the batter or getting too much air into it not from not having a water bath. Don't overmix or beat your batter and this cheesecake won't have any cracks (mine didn't).
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As I always do, I set the timer for five minutes less than the recipe stated, just to be on the safe side. That usually has been very helpful...but not this time. At 55 minutes my cheesecake was overdone. If I was to try this again (but more than likely I won't) I would either reduce the temperature to 325 degrees or shorten the baking time by 10-15 minutes, but even at that this would still be just a basic and average cheesecake. Also, for those who decide to try this recipe, I would suggest using three eggs, not four, and butter, not margarine, in the crust. I used the four eggs and didn't like that I could taste the "egginess."
Read MoreThis recipe was great. Cracks in cheesecake come from overmixing the batter or getting too much air into it not from not having a water bath. Don't overmix or beat your batter and this cheesecake won't have any cracks (mine didn't).
Wow! i made this to take with me to some new friends house. I was really scared, it was not my first attempt at cheesecake, but my first attempt at high altitude. Most recipes just don't come out quite right up here, but this one sure did. Smooth texture, followed recipe to the letter. I used the 13x9 pan of water on the lower shelf, no luck. It cracked everywhere, but it was still good. I was very apprehensive about submerging my cake into a water bath, but might try it next time. I also let it sit in the oven for 1 hour, on the counter for another hour and then outside (50's). It had already cracked inside the oven. It was so good, we decided this should be our wedding cake this summer! Can't go wrong here. We ate it plain with fresh strawberries. ****** UPDATE: I made this for my wedding, we had 40 people and I baked three of them at almost 14,000 ft. elevation (CO mountains) they turned a little dark, but didn't crack, they did sink a bit though (I used a stand mixer this time instead of a hand beater, I think this is what made the difference, do not over beat). I used an 8" and 2 -9" pans. EVERY single person raved at how fantastic this was and wanted to know my bakery. When I told them I made it (2 days ahead and held in the frig) they absolutely could not believe it. I practice twice (with a hand beater at lower altitude) before attempting my wedding cakes. We decorated with flowers, berries and offered a topping bar of choices.
This is an excellent basic cheesecake. Ultra creamy. The first time i made this i topped it with a homemade blueberry syrup. Folks were fighting over the last slices. Make sure to follow the cooling instructions so it will set up properly. I baked in a springform and instead of a water bath i placed a water filled pan on the shelf below it - worked out great.
As I always do, I set the timer for five minutes less than the recipe stated, just to be on the safe side. That usually has been very helpful...but not this time. At 55 minutes my cheesecake was overdone. If I was to try this again (but more than likely I won't) I would either reduce the temperature to 325 degrees or shorten the baking time by 10-15 minutes, but even at that this would still be just a basic and average cheesecake. Also, for those who decide to try this recipe, I would suggest using three eggs, not four, and butter, not margarine, in the crust. I used the four eggs and didn't like that I could taste the "egginess."
It was my 1st time baking a cheesecake, and this recipe turned out great. I typically enjoy thicker cheesecakes so I only used 1 cup of sour cream instead of the 2 cups the recipe calls for; however, that was the only change I made. Maybe it was beginner's luck, but it didn't crack at all.
Very good. I left out the salt, used more margarine for the crust (I like it to stick together more) and used low fat sour cream and low fat cream cheese. I baked it exactly for the time shown, left it in the oven turned off for an hour and then on the counter for another hour and then to the refrigerator. Mine did not crack and I did not use a water bath. I did wrap the bottom in foil though - just to be sure nothing leaked through. It was a teeny bit soft in the very middle, but it didn't affect the flavor. Served with a mixture of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries mixed with sugar. Thanks for sharing!
I have used hundreds of recipes from allrecipes and this is the first time that I have been compelled to review one of them. I made this cheesecake for my family for Thanksgiving and it was amazing! Everyone loved it. I usually use a recipe that has been reviewed more often from this site. This cheese cake is much better. I did only use 1 cup of sour cream but did not make any other changes. It was not too dry or too creamy. I will be making this over and over again!! Thanks mom!
My first attempt at making a cheesecake. I was quite pleased. It didn't even crack. I placed the pan in a water bath, which I read keeps it from cracking and it worked. I don't think I'll add cinnamon to the crust next time.
the best cheesecake ever!!! i did not overbeat the ingredients and i used a waterbath. it was still jiggly in the center when it was done and that worried me a bit. creamy to the bone!!
Awesome. Made it for a family gathering and everyone complimented it. Someone said "I don't even like cheesecake but that was amazing". I topped it with halved strawberries and a strawberry glaze - fortunate to hide the 3" crack that formed in the middle. Next time I will certainly let it cool in the oven even longer than 30 minutes - I'd probably say for a few HOURS at least, I think the crack developed because I went from the oven after 30 minutes to the outside which was fairly cold to chill it. I made the crust with only 3 tbs butter and it still held together beautifully.
I made this cheesecake earlier today. It is so beautiful! Only thing I did different was a water bath, I sprayed the sides of spring form pan with cooking spray. I let it sit in oven for several hours after turning off. No cracks, no discoloration. Ooo Lala!
This was an excellent flavoured New York Style cheesecake. My guests loved it. Next time I will move the oven rack down a bit as the top of my cake got a few dark spots. It didn't affect the taste but it messed up the pretty effect of a perfectly done cheesecake. This is a keeper for me
I like the like this better than The Chantell cheesecake from this site. I have made tis several times and have learned that for the best results I need to be careful to not over mix. I mix everything by hand.
WOW! This was the BEST cheesecake I've ever tasted. I've already gotten requests for this thick, creamy, melt-in-your mouth divine dessert. I will be using this one over and over again. You will not find a cheesecake recipe that will top this! I sprinkled a little shaved chocolate and dolloped some red raspberry pie filling on top, and it was TO DIE FOR.
turned out outstanding!! my first cheesecake..cooks so much better with the water bath..
This cheesecake is in the oven as I type, from what I tasted of the batter it is AMAZING! I looove cheescake and so excited to serve this after our 4th of July BBQ for everyone :-) Thankyou for the great recipe.
This is another recipe that I would give 6 stars if I could. I have made many a cheese cake's with different recipes and this by far is the best.The one thing I did was to cook this in a water bath. Cover bottom of pan with a large pc. of foil, put chesse cake in water bath with water half way up and bake as directed. Will come out beautfuly
This was the best! I have to say that I have always been intimidated by making a cheesecake! But for my sons 18th birthday, I thought I'd try it. I followed the recipe to a "T", and didn't have a problem at all. There were zero cracks in the cake, and it was so rich & creamy, just like a cheesecake should be. I did use my kitchen aid, and it worked fine, I didn't overbeat it at all. I topped it with crushed Oreos, I will make this again and again! Thank you for the recipe.
so far I am not too impresed with this recipe. I have made allot of cheese cakes and am always looking for a new one. I followed the recipe exactly as it said. When baking there was allot of fluid that leaked out. which I have never experienced. I made it for my mother inlaws birthday tonight. I am a little nervous about how it will taste. Will see if I need to change the rating later.
I really wanted the recipe to be absolutely great, sadly it wasn't. I was quite surprised after reading the other reviews. It was because of the reviews I decided to try it. That and also the fact that it required only 3 packs of cream cheese rather than 4 like most others. Perhaps its because I live at a high altitude but... It was flat, sank as low as it could. And although it didnt crack, it did have a strange artificial taste to it. My family didn't like it. Plus the recipe directs you to make far too little graham cracker crust. I’ll just have to try another recipe, But what a waste of good cream cheese.
This cheesecake turned out perfect! I followed all the directions and ingredients as written and it was a huge success. I will surely use this recipe next time.
There was nothing good about this cheesecake. It had a funny texture, poor flavor, the baking instructions were to long (overdone). Never again.
I love this cheesecake! I had never made one before, this is so easy and so cremay. Very tasty. I'm making another one today for tomorrow. I did however place a 13 x 9 pan of boiling water underneath while cooking. It came out beautifully. If anyone is questioning making a cheesecake, make this one!
I made this for Christmas dessert. It turned out well even thought I used light sour cream (all I had). I cooked it in a water bath. Water bath directions: Wrap the spring form pan in foil. in a large baking pan add about 1 to 2 inches of water. Place the ready to bake cake in the water filled pan. be careful that no water can get between the foil and the spring form pan. The cheese cake was very creamy and delicious. Served cherry pie filling on top of each slice.
Used a 9" diameter foil pan, and converted the recipe from 12 to 8 servings. If you do this, you may want to keep the original ingredient amounts for the crust, depending on how much crust you like. This cheesecake came out reaally well! I put a pan of water on the shelf underneath the cheesecake. Baked for 45-50 minutes and let it cool in the oven for an additional ~15 minutes. Then let it cool outside and then refridgerate. The conversion calls for 2 packages of cream cheese, so I used one low fat and one whole fat, with regular sour cream. The consistency turned out fine, and no cracks!
Pretty good cheesecake. Better to use water bath and definitely hold back on the sour cream. I'll definitely make it again though.
I'm new to baking, so we all cringed when we took a piece of the cheesecake. Then we tasted it. Wow. It was so creamy, but not so rich you'd feel sick after one piece. I've never seen a cheesecake disappear so quickly! Easy to make with a high rate of return in deliciousness.
Great recipe!! I actually only had 2 & 1/2 bars of cream cheese, so I reduced the recipe to use only 3 eggs, a touch less sugar, vanilla, salt, and sour cream. Still used the 9" springfoam pan and basic crust (eliminated cinnamon). It was EXCELLENT!! Great for father's day! Nice and smooth - used the 13 X 9 pan of water and no cracks! Browned just a touch on the edges at 330 degrees for an hour. It cooled in the over (door closed) for about 4 hours and was perfectly set. I managed to save only one piece for my husband's lunch today! Great recipe even for those of us who tweak everything!
I made this cheesecake today. The cook time should be changed to 1 1/2 hours. After that, it needs to be chilled for another hour or two. It was delicious! It was light and fluffy, just the way I like it! Easy to make too!
This is a phenomenal cheesecake!!! I had no problems with it, no cracking...it was just beautiful!!! I made a blueberry/strawberry reduction to garnish the plate with...my friends are convinced I should open my own shop! Wonderful recipe...try it, you won't regret it!
This cake tastes very good and has a nice texture, although I used a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack and I still had a huge Y-shaped crack in the center. I will still make it again though.
I am just not having any luck with this recipe. I follow the directions to a T and I get an over cooked, spongy, eggy disaster. The batter tastes fantastic, but I don't know how many attempts are justified because of the wasted ingredients.
This was a fabulous cheesecake! I wrapped the bottom of my springform pan with foil and placed it in a large skillet with boiling water. I baked it for the recommended time and then covered it with a bowl upon removing it from the oven, like the video demo on this site suggests. It didn't crack and was so smooth and creamy. I used cinnamon graham crackers so omitted the cinnamon and sugar. I ran out of vanilla so I used 2 tsp. of orange juice. I also was 1/2 c. short of cream cheese so I substitued tofu. I served it with a red raspberry sauce. It was amazing. Will be a go to cheescake recipe for sure.
New favorite cheesecake recipe, not too heavy! I followed some other reviews and used a bit less sour cream than called for.
I have made this cheesecake twice and each time it turned out perfect. I followed the directions and ingredients given. I left it in the oven after baking with the door open and had only small cracks. Everyone who has tasted it says it is the best cheesecake they have ever had!
I use this recipe as a base for all my cheesecakes. Everytime I am invited somewhere for any occasion, I am asked to please bring my cheesecake. I never knew it was so simple to make cheesecake and have it turn out so yummy!! this definitely is a 10 in my books!
I honestly can't see what the fuss is about this recipe. It was far too eggy for my taste. Perhaps that's why it's so smooth and not as dense as a cheesecake with more cream cheese than egg in it. I used to work in a bakery and was looking for a recipe similar to the ones we used. This is not it, and if I try it again I will reduce the amount of eggs, because it was just too much egg taste for my liking.
This is a great recipe & was easy esp. since this was my first try. I agree w/other reviews abt cooking for the exact time & will definitely cook this again. Also, be sure not to cut it while it's too hot. Overall this is a keeper!
took this to a Christmas party and everyone loved it. I reduced it to one cup of sour cream like some other reviewers. Next time i will use two. i think it would make it creamier. Great Recipe. thanks.
This cheesecake recipe was great. I did make some changes. I used one container of Sour cream and 3 eggs instead of 4 (which seemed like way to much). I also, made a carrot cake batter and layered it between the cream cheese filling. OMG!! We will use this base recipe again and again.
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful & easy to make cheesecake. I made this one for my hubby's meeting and they all loved it... The first bite they already knew that it was homemade because it was so creamy and rich. I put blueberry filling on top and decorated with my homemade whipped topping.... I will definitely make this again... Thank you again.
My husband liked this cheesecake. Myself, not soo much. To me it was much much to eggy tasting. I most likely won't make it again.
AMAZING!!! I am a horrible cook but I trick everyone into believing that I am an awesome cook when I make this!! I've made it several times already. It's SOOOOO GOOD!! For the crust, I don't bother with the extra ingredients... I just stick with the graham crackers (it doesn't make a difference to me). I always get cracks in my cheesecake so I add a variety of fruit (blueberries, blackberries, kiwi, strawberries, grapes) and top it with strawberry glaze. It makes it look better (it tastes GREAT either way!) EXCELLENT! PLEASE TRY IT... YOU WON'T REGRET IT!
It was very much loved here! Only complaint was the consistancy. It wasnt as smooth as I would like, a little curdy....
Great recipe. I made it tonight and only was able to cool it in the fridge for an hour or so (after the 1 hour cooling in the oven) so it wasn't cold, but everyone loved it. And several said it was the best cheese cake they'd ever had! I will definetly make this again! Also, I experimented with the crust this time because i had a bunch of chocolate covered pretzels that had all melted together. I chopped it up and then also used a couple graham crackers. It was really good!
This is a wonderful basic cheesecake recipe. It turned out creamy and thick and everything that a cheesecake should be. I changed the flavor a bit by substituting almond extract and black cherry extract for some of the vanilla, and the result was fantastic. This recipe is a definite keeper.
This recipe was GREAT!! It turned out perfect and this was my first attempt! Everyone said it was the best they ever tasted.
Best ever this will be my go to recipe for cheesecake! I will cut the the sugar to 1 cup it was very sweet.
As usual, I did not change this recipe one bit. It turned out so good, rich and creamy! It was great alone, or with some slightly sweetened mixed berries. It did crack, but I (nor my guests) were worried about presentation- as long as it tasted great, which it did. Will definitely make this one again!!
Yum! My first cheesecake & declared a success! At a work potluck, a coworker with many a cheesecake under her belt loved it. We both thought it light & airy, a nice difference from most dense ones. Great as is but can't wait to try it again with some toppings.
I have one in the oven right now, and if the batter is any indication of how good this is, oh my goodness!!! So creamy and silky! If you are looking for a standard cheesecake recipe, use this one!
My first try at making cheesecake. I did not overbeat and I did wrap in tin foil and set it in a water bath. I baked it for an hour and then left it in the oven for another 30 minutes with the heat off. It was still a little jiggly in the center so I turned the oven back on at 300 and baked it for another 20 minutes. It turned out perfectly golden on top...no cracks! My husband and daughter thought it was the best they ever had. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
This is a really easy cheesecake to make. Allow it sufficient time to cool, though, so that it stops wiggling in the center!
I really did not like the consistency of this cheesecake....much too eggy and you could hardly taste the cream cheese, so disapointing because the batter tastes wonderful. You can find a much better recipe with half the cooking time and way better, more consistent results.
This is by far the creamiest and dreamiest cheesecake I have ever made. I made it for my boyfriend's birthday and he loved it. Absolutely wonderful.
made this for a neighborhood bbq. Turned out ok but I think 2 cups sour cream is too much. Not as dense as good cheesecake should be. Fell apart when slicing even though I served the day after I made it. Next time I would decrease the sour cream to 1 cup. Then it would be 5 stars.
I have this in the oven right now and I can tell you the batter is amazing! (I'm not afraid of raw eggs!) I am trying this recipe out with a fudge brownie crust. I hope it is amazing in the end! Cross my fingers and hope for no cracks.
I made this for a group of friends and everyone LOVED it...very smooth...had a great flavor without being too rich.
Thank You! This recipe was the closest to my Mom’s. She didn’t have a recipe book, she just knew what and how much to put in. When I finished it, it was Magically Delicious. I used butter and a mix of brown sugar and regular sugar for the crust. I also added a few extra drops of vanilla to taste.
I had no problems making this, it has become my holiday dish. I make it the night before and chill in the fridge, then top it with caramel sauce and pecans. It is a big hit! UPDATE: I cut the amount of sugar down to only one cup and it was fantastic! A little tangy and tart!
I use this website often but rarely leave a review...thank you to those of you who do, btw! This is the easiest cheesecake I’ve ever made and no cracks! Finally, no cracks!!??!! I used a water bath on the shelf below the cheesecake and left it in the oven for an hour after I turned the heat off, then on the counter for another couple of hours, then the fridge overnight. Perfection!
Beautiful cheesecake! No cracking, golden top and just an excellent flavor. This is the first cheesecake I made that didn’t crack. I added a pan of water on the rack below and turned my oven down to 335*. I couldn’t be more pleased.
A family favorite. I switched it up a little and make minis, cook time is 30 to 35 minnutes and makes about 55 mini tart sized cheese cakes. For the Gluten free option the minis are great you cna eliminate the graham cracker crust.
This recipe is really great if you like to experiment with flavors, I added lots of lemon zest and lots of lemon juice, turned out amazing
This was good, but seemed "curdily", I used a natural sour cream and due to timeline could not leave in oven long enough, sat for 30 minutes in oven but as soon as I took outside to cooler air it cracked. I will try again, but definately leave in oven until reaches room temperature then transfer to refrigerator and leave there for a few hours.
Loved this just the way its written. I did use some low fat substitutes the second time I made it because it is a bit heavy (as cheesecakes always are) and it still turned out great. Its pretty large so I only make it when company is coming and its always a hit.
Hello! This was my very first attempt at making a cheesecake. I followed the recipe to a T to make sure it came out properly. The end result was brown all over with an extremely "eggy" taste. I can only chalk the browning to the cake being overdone. However, like the recipe called for, I baked the cake for exactly 1 hour in a preheated 350 degree oven. I don't know where I went wrong! If anyone has pointers...please help!
I've made all kinds of cheesecakes over the years and this is absolutely the best ever!! It had a perfect balance of creaminess and density. Following suggestions from others, I increased the melted margarine to 1/2 cup, but next time I'd stick to what is called for or just slightly more.
Really great! I was my first attempt at cheesecake and my husband was very pleased. I made it for his birthday. Mine did crack, but I couldn't leave it in the oven for 1 hour like suggested, so I think it cooled too quickly. No one was disappointed.
Best cheesecake I ever ate! I made it for Easter with a few changes: I used 2 cups graham cracker crumbs instead of 1 1/2, and one stick (1/2 cup) of butter (from another recipe) instead of 1/4 c. margarine. Makes the crust a bit more sturdy. I also used Splenda and Splenda Blend instead of all the sugar. This way my diabetic husband could have a (small)piece. It still tasted fantastic! Of course it still had about a jillion calories, but hey, it was a holiday dessert!
I make this recipe all the time. I have changed it slightly so it is a little more friendly to the diabetics in our family. I cut the sugar in half and put in splenda. I use the sugar in the crust. I find with splenda it is more fluffy and lighter not a heavy cake.
I couldn't have been more pleased with this recipe! I used the pan of water on rack below (did get a few minor cracks that weren't noticeable after it had cooled), halved the amt of sour cream and increased to 1/3 c butter (not margarine)in the crust. It was awesome, just like a real deli cheesecake u would get in a restaurant. U don't even need to use any topping; it's so flavourful on its own. I made this for a family gathering and everyone literally raved about it and said it was the best cheesecake they ever had!
This was the first cheesecake that I have ever made, and it came out GREAT! I used a water bath, and it did not crack at all! I did only use one cup of sour cream, and I used fat-free, simply because that was what we had in the refriderator. My whole family loved this, and it was great with some cherry pie filling on top. Will defenetly make again!
Very good. made this cheesecake twice and made 4 cheesecakes they all were ate in less than two weeks. very good will make again.
Love this cheesecake, I will only make this one for my family. You can sub lemon zest for one tsp of vanilla.
It was okay but not the best cheesecake I've ever had. I probably won't use the recipe again.
All guest were very pleased, I served it with fresh strawberries which really added to it! This was overall very good, however, I found it a little dry to taste. Directions were simple and it was easy to follow and a quick make. I may try another recipe next time for comparison. Also I used a springform pan with a textured bottom and first few slices stuck to the bottom.
This is the first cheesecake I’ve made that turned out perfect. I took the advice of another reviewer and used the water bath. I also left it in the oven to cool, about two hours. Not one crack! Very creamy and not heavy at all. Delicious!
This recipe was great. It was my first cheesecake I ever made. It all went in one sitting. Thanks for the recipe. Mike
I baked it for my co-workers a few days ago and the result was amazing! The whole cake vanished within half an hour! The texture was so heavenly creamy and really contains cheesy taste. I took advice from the other and reduced amount of sour cream to 1.5 cups, also increased amount of crumbs to 2.5 cups too. Baked it for only 45 minutes (cause I used convection oven) without water bath and no cracks at all! The cake was topped by cherry pie filling and the final presentation was fantastic.
This is the first cheesecake I have made in many years as I never had good luck making a cheesecake. I adjusted recipe to serve 8 and used water bath as suggested and added about 1/4 tsp cinnamon to the crust. I followed the the steps as directed; it came out creamy & delicious with no cracks. No topping needed.
Disclaimer: I modified the recipe but kept the ingredients for the filling exact to this recipe. The cheesecake recipe was perfect! It tasted delicious and creamy. For this cheesecake I wanted to have a chocolate graham cracker crust and I prefer using a tart pan, I also tried a water bath vs the cooking instructions here, however the cooking time was spot on. I will be making this recipe again as it is listed here exactly, but suggest everyone try the water bath method if you get cracks or browning.
I actually made this recipe twice. I did make some changes also, I used only 3 eggs and 1 cup of sour cream . I baked it at 325 degrees for 1 hour and then turned oven off and let it sit in the oven for about 45 minutes . After cooling outside of the oven I refrigerated it over night . It was so creamy ! will use this recipe again and again !
This cheesecake was the hit of my son-in-law's birthday. I increased where others advised and reduced also -- it turned out perfect! No cracks, very creamy and light!!
Very good cheesecake. Not as sweet as I would have liked on its own but a great recipe if you have toppers like caramel or fruit.
Great recipe---really easy to make. This was my first cheesecake and it came out great.
