The Best Homemade Cheesecake - get the secret for the lightest and fluffiest cheesecake ever!
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What makes it so great? It is super light and fluffy. How does it get that way? The egg yolks are beaten in with the cream cheese and then the whipped egg whites are folded into the batter. That makes all the difference.
I took this cheesecake down to my parent's house for Christmas. I hadn't made it in a long time, and I won't be waiting so long to make it again. It tastes amazing! The cheesecake can be made ahead of time and frozen until you are ready to serve it.
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Yield: 8
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The Best Homemade Cheesecake
prep time: 10 MINScook time: 30 MINStotal time: 40 mins
INGREDIENTS:
Crust
- 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 5 Tbsp sugar
- 1/3 cup melted butter
Filling
- 3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs, separated
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Crust: Combine all ingredients and press against sides and bottom of 9-inch springform pan. (I use a measuring cup to do this - works great!)
- Filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together cream cheese, sugar, 4 egg yolks, lemon juice and vanilla.
- In another bowl, beat 4 egg whites until stiff and creamy. Fold egg whites into cream cheese mixture. Pour into crust in springform pan.
- Bake for 35 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another hour with the door closed.
- Freeze several hours before serving. Remove from freezer and remove from pan before allowing the cheesecake to thaw.
©Plain Chicken, Inc.
I love plain, un-topped cheesecake and this looks very good from here.
ReplyDeleteLooks great! Did you use a water bath for the cheesecake?
ReplyDeleteI did not. I cooked it exactly as I wrote above.
DeleteI loved it! I did it without freezing it, just refrigerated it for the day, we ate it that night!
DeleteIs the cheesecake going into the freezer while still warm? Freezing is required? This looks divine!! :)
ReplyDeleteI do out the cheesecake in the freezer while it is slightly warm. I have always frozen it, so I think it is required. You can eat it without freezing and see how it goes. I can't make any promises since I've never done it that way.
DeleteOh I must try this! Cheesecake is my favorite dessert - with strawberries on top :) I love that you can freeze it and have it on hand or ready for the holidays. I've made the Cook's Illustrated cheesecake and it was perfect, but this sounds a lot easier.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
Dear Steph, That is a beautiful looking cheesecake and I bet it is delicious!! I do love cheesecake.
ReplyDeleteHappy and Blessed New Year. xo Catherine
I've only recently realised that all the recipes that I had placed in my zip list are forever gone! What a disaster....and pinterest is too much. I tried it and forget it! So good luck with that.......they might just do a zip/zip too.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Steph. I have never made a cheesecake before and I am not a fan of lemon. Can I make this without the lemon juice?
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't have a lemon flavor at all. I've never made it without the lemon juice, but you can certainly try it.
DeleteSorry, if I post twice...lost my preview on log in. Beyond "light and fluffy"...is this cake dry and crumbly or smooth and creamy? Smooth & creamy (just slimy, to me) seems to be the preference these days, and I can never find a recipe to make the older, dry style.
ReplyDeleteI don't like those cheesecakes that feel like I'm eating a stick of butter either. This is creamy, but not slimy. So happy to have come across the recipe.
DeleteCan we use other pan than springfoam type?
ReplyDeleteHi! Could you tell me please how many grams of graham cracker crumbs, butter and cream cheese?
ReplyDeleteWow, this looks fabulous! I love the plain look of it, but there's nothing plain about it! Mmmmmm!!
ReplyDeletewhat kind of graham crackers did u use? is honey flavor ok?
ReplyDeleteI've used honey graham with cinnamon in another similar recipe. It was no problem at all.
DeleteHi
ReplyDeletedo you hv any photo to show the egg white became stiff and creamy? Or how long do we need to beat?
This looks very good. I have it in the oven right now. How long before serving do you take the cheesecake out of the freezer?
ReplyDeleteHas anyone made with Splenda? My hubby is a diabetic and was wondering did it still turn out o-k
ReplyDeleteI've never tried this with Splenda - I don't bake with Splenda, so I am not sure how it would turn out.
DeleteUse the Baking Splenda. I really do not like the melting stuff, bleah... The baking splenda does have sugar, but not as much. Hey, it looks like sugar, so...it does hae a better taste and it is made for baking. I did use this when my hubs was sick. Prednesone made his sgar skyrocket.
DeleteUse the Baking Splenda, it's the granulated kind. It is really good. Half the sugar, still has some, but much better than the "melty" stuff. Tried it in cheese cakes. Good.
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ReplyDeleteHow do you remove it from the pan if it is a graham cracker crust?
ReplyDeleteAnd after eating, do you put it back in the freezer or the fridge?
I store it in the fridge after serving.
DeleteWonderful flavor! I tried making as "mini" cheesecakes; but although I followed the recipe to the letter; every single one of them fell in the center - I had to improvise and fill in with fruit topping n chocolate swirls. They tasted wonderful but the "look" was very disapointing. What did I do wrong?
ReplyDeleteNot sure. This isn't a mini cheesecake recipe, so you will just have to play around with it to make it work
DeleteHi Stephanie! Is it possible to make it without the crust? Would the baking time and everything be the same?
ReplyDeleteHi Stephanie! Have you tried doing this without a crust? Would the baking time and instructions be the same? It's for my brothers birthday and he loves cheesecake but not so much the crust!
ReplyDeleteI've never made with without the crust, so I don't really know how it will bake without it. I would assume it would bake the same amount of time, but I've never tried it.
DeleteI just finished baking this and it still seems a bit jiggly.....does freezing it fully set it??
ReplyDeleteIt shouldn't be super jiggly. Did you leave it in the oven for an hour?
DeleteYes I baked it for 35min and let it set in the oven with the door closed for 1 hour. It has been in the freezer for two hours and it seems set now so I'm hoping when we cut it tomorrow it is cooked through. Fingers crossed!:-) It looks yummy!
DeleteFingers crossed!!!
DeleteI just took mine out of the oven and it has a brown lifted Shell around it. What did I do wrong?
ReplyDeleteI've never had that happen in all the times I've made this cheesecake. I'm not sure what happened. Sorry!
DeleteWould high altitude affect the baking in any way? How should I adjust?
ReplyDeleteYes, you can freeze them. I place mine in a gallon ziplock bag. It works great. Another topping is 1 pkg. sour cream, 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar, and cinnamon to taste. Whip together, pour on top of your cheese cake 5 minutes before done, and bake the rest of the way. OMG. It is so good. I bought 5" pans. My kids call them personal pan cheesecakes. :)
ReplyDeleteWhen do I take it out of the freezer ? how long before serving ? thanks
ReplyDeleteA few hours before serving should be fine. I usually take it out the morning that I am serving it and refrigerate it until we eat.
DeleteI just made it today,lol I probably shouldn't have put it in the freezer at all.I want it for supper
ReplyDeleteI have another question.Does anyone know how to cut cheesecake ? what to use? what kind of knife? When I cut mine it all sticks to the knife
ReplyDeleteI have used an ordinary knife..if it sticks, run warm water over the knife and bing-bang-bongalong...Bob's your uncle!! DELUMPTIOUS!! :)
DeleteThis is wonderful! I made it a month ago to raving family members, and now am taking it tomorrow to school for our faculty dessert. Thank you!
ReplyDeletehi! can I add i lil bit of gelatin and not bake it in the oven?
ReplyDeleteI don't think that would work, plus there would be raw eggs. I have a no-bake cheesecake on the blog you could try. http://www.plainchicken.com/2015/08/no-bake-lemon-cheesecake.html
Deletewhat do you use to cut your cheesecake ?
ReplyDeleteI use a sharp knife.
DeleteIt was stated 3 (8oz) cream cheese. Do you mean 3 of 8 Oz cream cheese or just 1 x 8 oz (approx. 225g))
ReplyDelete3 packages of 8-oz cream cheese. Enjoy!
DeleteI think 35 minutes was too much to mine. It became a little brown on top. Waiting the last one hour of oven and the others five hours of freeze to try!!! At least, it smeels very good! Thanks for share.
ReplyDeleteThis happened to me once . I had UT too close to the oven rack top.
DeleteHow long can I leave it in the freezer before serving ? and how long does it take to thaw ?
ReplyDeleteIt should keep in the freezer up to a month. It will take several hours to thaw. I usually leave it in the fridge all day and it is thawed by the evening.
Deletei forgot to separate the eggs. hope is ok. the cake looks amazing regardless. ty for a nice and easy recipe stephanie. the next time i will separate and fold as recipe. that should be very soon.. ria
ReplyDeleteThis recipe is awesome. I made it for a family dinner and my father in law asked for the leftovers to be left for him. I followed it exactly and was a little nervous because I never baked a cheese cake before. It was perfect and everyone loved it. I topped it with a strawberry glaze made from jam. Thanks for this. Will be making it again, soon.
ReplyDeleteI love cheesecake and this looks so simple! Definitely gonna try this!
ReplyDeleteThis was an awesome recipe! My family loved it! Definitely a great cheesecake
DeleteHi! Any substitution for sugar?
ReplyDeleteWell I made this cheesecake last night. Actually, I was searching for a good recipe to top off some brownies so I used this as my cheesecake layer for a 9x13" pan. I was happy to find the recipe came out to equal twice as much cheesecake as there was brownie. I am pregnant and have become very picky about my brownie to cheesecake ratio. However, my only complaint is when I pulled them out this morning to be cut up, I ended up ingesting somewhere upwards of 1,000 calories in cheesecake alone before I had even touched my first cup of coffee. This left me with heartburn and that unique sense of diet failure. I immediately cut up what was left into bars and threw them into a storage container in the freezer, hoping nobody would notice a quarter of the pan was somehow missing. We all know the pregnant lady is an immediate suspect. But I have a feeling once they get a taste I will have their complete understanding. The cheesecake was fluffy and creamy without being too dense. I did keep a pan of water on the bottom rack during baking and didn't end up having any cracks. I'm excited to give this recipe a try in an actual cheesecake pan! The fact that it is such an easy recipe is probably not a good thing. I have a love/hate relationship with super yummy things where the ingredients come together in less than 20 minutes. But regardless, now that I have it, I will certainly be making it again soon! Also, to address the "cracking" issue. The best thing I have found to prevent cracking with cheesecake is to keep the oven closed as to avoid temp changes. Keep the light on and give the door a jiggle or open ever so slightly and allow it to kind of slam closed to test the "wobbly" factor of the cake. When it looks right, just turn the oven off and leave it. Keep a water bath under it and allow it to cool for at least 2 hours in the oven before opening the door.
ReplyDeleteI really loved your recipe. I made this cheesecake last night it is very simple, but yet very tasty. Since I couldn't try it last night I had to have it for breakfast. Definitely I'll keep this recipe handy for when I get friends coming over the house. Thank you so much for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteHi! At what temperature do you have to bake the cheese cake for 35 minutes?
ReplyDelete325 F
DeleteCan you use a 10 in pan instead? If so how long would you bake it?
ReplyDeleteThis is by far the best cheesecake I've ever had. I made it last night for dessert today. Absolutely delicious!
ReplyDeleteHas anyone ever used a pre made graham cracker crust? I disn't have any graham crackers but has thowse. It made 2 and it is resting in the oven now. So we shall see.
ReplyDeleteBest recipe ever!!! I've looked too long for a good cheesecake recipe. I love that it is super fluffy and tastes light. Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeletethis is the one I always make also
Delete
ReplyDeleteDo I need to allow it to cool before I place it in the freezer?
Should I cover it with something before I place it in the freezer also ?
I cover it with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. I do let it cool before freeze.
DeleteIs it just me, or does this recipe make more than fits into one pan? My 9.5 inch glass pan definitely doesn't whole the entire mix.
ReplyDeleteThe recipe is not for a pie plate. It is made to go in a springform pan. They are not the same.
DeleteI love this cake and have made it several times. Have you ever done a chocolate version? I need to make a chocolate cheesecake and don't wanna do the whole water bath thing. I just don't want to add the chocolate if it will compromise the texture and lightness. Have you ever tried it?
ReplyDeleteRecipe came out great! First set of eggs white WOULD NOT get firm so I had to redo that step but the cheesecake came out great and tastes great as well! I cooked it for 35 mins as suggested then let it sit in the oven for an hour. I did not use a water bath although I saw many comments where it was suggested and the cheesecake still came out beautifully.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed it!!! A water bath is totally unnecessary for this recipe. It never fails me!
Deleteare we using 8 eggs in total?
ReplyDeleteNope. Just 4 egg and in tota
DeleteOk, i've made this twice now exactly as written. Everyone loved loved it and i get requests ro make it for my family members birthdays! Thanks so much for the easiest and best cheesecake recipe!!!!��
ReplyDeletecan you use this recipe for mini cheesecakes?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you could. You will have to play with the cooking time.
DeleteDoes brown sugar work for the crust?
ReplyDeleteI have not made the crust with brown sugar, but it should be fine.
Deletecan you use a regular circular cake pan for this instead of springfoam?
ReplyDeleteI've only made this in a springform pan. I don't think a cake pan would be deep enough and it will be harder to get out of the pan.
DeleteDoes it matter if the butter is salted or unsalted?
ReplyDeleteNo - I always use unsalted, but salted is fine in this recipe. Enjoy!
DeleteDoes it matter if the butter is salted or unsalted?
ReplyDeleteDo you have to use a springform pan?
ReplyDeleteI've only made this recipe in a springform pan. You can try lining a cake pan with foil and baking it in that. You might have some leftover filling.
DeleteI’ve made this over and over, and it turns out perfectly each time!!! Thank you for an amazing cheesecake recipe!!! We love it!!!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you and your family enjoy the recipe!
DeleteHelp!My cheesecake has sunk in the middle! Why? I did everything according to instructions. Maybe I should have mixed all the ingredients together at the same time rather then creaming the egg yolks and sugar and then adding everything else....I would be really happy if I got your reply.Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI’ve never had an issue with the cheesecake sinking. I’m not sure why that happened. I make the cheesecake exactly as written and never have any issues. It turns out just like the photo.
DeleteMine cracked big time down the center. Is that normal? I didn't everything exactly how it said to.
ReplyDeleteIn all the times I’ve made the cheesecake, I’ve never had it crack. It could just be the differences in ovens. Not sure. Sorry!
DeleteI love this recipe! Cheesecake is my husband's favorite so I needed this. I just made it and put it in the freezer. How long can I leave it in the freezer? I was going to have guest come over tomorrow night, but plans got changed to the day after tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteIt will keep several weeks or up to a month in the freezer. You are good. Enjoy!
DeleteI thoroughly enjoyed this cheesecake. I messed up and put 1 tbs instead of 1 tsp of vanilla but it was still really good! Everyone loved it!
ReplyDeleteI had made this recipe twice came out wonderful and we loved it. Making it again for my sons birthday and today baked for the 35 min @325 and then let sit in the oven for an hour. And when took it out it was still super jiggly in the middle and could tell it was not done. Put back in the over @325 for 15 min and rest in the oven again seems better but the top is now a little over done. Ever had that happen? Have you ever checked the cheesecake to make sure it is done at the 35 min mark to know if it needs to bake more?
ReplyDeleteIs this 3 x 8oz cream cheese or 8 oz total?
ReplyDelete3 x 8-oz for a total of 24-oz cream cheese. 3 blocks
Deletecould you bake 2 at a time or do you think it would just be best to stick with 1?
ReplyDeleteI’ve never made 2 at one time. You can try it. Maybe add 10 minutes to the cooking time.
DeleteI removed it after letting it rest for the hour and it still feels very jiggly and not done from the center. Will the freezing period fix that?
ReplyDeleteYes
DeleteHas anyone tried baking this in a convection oven and if so, at what temperature?
ReplyDeleteHi, I've made this before and it's delicious. My family didn't want to wait and we dug in without freezing it. I want to try it again the right way and freeze it. Since it was a bit too soft the first time. My question is, do you freeze it in the springform pan? Any problems or tips from keeping it to stick?
ReplyDeleteI froze mine in the pan, when it thawed. I removed the sides . Perfect , just dip the knife in water to slice
DeleteI made this, and my husband who doesn't like cheesecake said that he liked this one. The only thing I did different was pre-bake my crust so it wouldn't fall apart and added parchment paper to my pan. Mine did crack down the middle, so I wonder if it was because the crust was warm from pre-baking. I'll bake everything all at once next time. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
ReplyDeleteI made this cheesecake a few months ago. I followed your recipe to the T, omg!!! It was the best cheesecake ever! I'm been thinking about it every since. I finally got all the ingredients to make it again . I'm soooo excited to make it again . Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe!!!
ReplyDeleteThis cheesecake is AMAZING! I absolutely love it and so does everyone who tries it - and they usually ask me for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteQuestion - mine cracks every, single, time after I get it out of the oven to cool before I put in the freezer. I am following the recipe to the T. Any suggestions on keeping it from cracking. This last time I beat the egg whites even more and it cracked a little less but still cracked. Thoughts?
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this cheesecake recipe!!! Since Halloween, I’ve made this cheesecake THREE TIMES!! The first time, for a Halloween potluck, my coworkers knew they were all my test bunnies. And since I’ve made others over the years, they were all willing. I was doubtful, trying something new and all. I needed their honest so that I could fix whatever needed. Well, the cheesecake was brought to the dessert table at 11ish. It was gone.. GONE by 2:30!!! I even shared your recipe with two... THREE other coworkers. THIS is by far my favorite cheesecake. As for my third one, it’s for my Mom’s birthday on Christmas Eve. I wanted to be sure I had that ready for her for her special day. Thank you for sharing the BEST CHEESECAKE ever recipe.
ReplyDeleteWould it be a problem if i used oreo cookies for the crust?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn’t think so. Sounds delicious!
DeleteHello.
ReplyDeleteThis is my go to cheesecake. It's the best one out there... If you follow the directions as written. No sub this or that. It comes out perfect every single time. The one thing I do is add some extra crumble to the top before baking. YUMMY!!
My question is... Once it's thawed, can you refreeze any leftovers?
I think that would be fine.
DeleteI’ve used this recipe before and LOVED IT! Thank you so much for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteI do have a question though - have you tried this recipe with anything mixed in? I’d love to try swirling salted caramel throughout or something fruity. Do you think it would still have a good consistency?
Thanks in advance!
I haven't tried mixing anything into the batter. Sounds really good. I think it is worth a shot!
DeletePersonally, I think it would not bake the same. Seems anything added to it would probably make it sink in thy middle... That's my take on this. I've made this cheesecake three times... This is the ONLY recipe I have followed step by step and each time has been perfect. And NO leftovers ☺️ Maybe drizzle the caramel... For me, I would not want to waste money and the time this takes to make, in hopes that a little tweak may or may not turn out...
DeleteJust an update... it turned out great š I used probably 1/3 cup of salted caramel and swirled it on top after placing the filling in the pan. Baked exactly the same and it turned out perfect!
DeleteThank you SO much for the update, Katy! I am definitely going to add salted caramel next time I make this - sounds delicious!
DeleteI also agree with both comments above, I want to add baileys, but I also do not want to waste all the ingredients to just trial.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if I should cut down on yogurt, maybe the vanilla. This is by far the best recipe I have found and really want to try it.
I welcome advice from any baker out there!
Did not mean to say yogurt or vanilla, sorry! Actually maybe add some cream cheese to firm up
ReplyDeleteMade this for Thanksgiving yesterday. It was my first time fixing cheesecake and followed the recipe exactly.. This has to be the best cheescake I have ever tried... My family absolutely loved it.. Thankyou so much ��
ReplyDeleteJust made this for my sister's birthday and liked it very much, however it is MUCH lighter than the usual cheesecake so if heavier is what you are expecting, you will be disappointed!
ReplyDelete