This classic Cheesecake is a tall, ultra-creamy, New York-style cheesecake. Baking with the water bath method is the secret to ensuring the perfect rise with a level top and no cracks.
This is a make-ahead, freezer-friendly dessert that is well-loved by all of our family and friends. Watch the video tutorial and you will be a pro in no time!
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Watch the Cheesecake Recipe Video:
If you have never made a homemade cheesecake, you are in for a treat. We love this homemade version even more than the original Cheesecake Factory cheesecake in taste and texture. Top a slice with homemade Cherry Sauce or even Strawberry Sauce and it’s a winning combination!
About Cheesecake:
Cheesecakes are essentially rich cheese and egg custards baked over a graham cracker crust. It’s not technically a ‘cake.’ The creamy and decadent texture of cheesecake is irresistible and all you need is a short list of basic ingredients: cream cheese, eggs, sugar, a bit of sour cream, and vanilla. The 3-ingredient crust is even easier.
Homemade cheesecakes are surprisingly easy to make and require very little active time. Your mixer does most of the work and the hardest part of the process is waiting for it to bake, cool, and chill overnight. It’s also one of the best parts about cheesecakes – they are a make-ahead dessert and also freeze well.
What Does a Water Bath do for a Cheesecake?
In searching for the perfect cheesecake recipe, we wanted to completely eliminate cracks, shrinkage, overbaking, and browning. We adapted our original (no water bath) Cheesecake recipe slightly, so if you enjoyed that one, you’ll completely fall in love with this one. Here’s why a water bath works so well:
- The center and edges of the cake cook at the same rate
- Steam moisture protects the top of the cake
- Gentle, even rise with minimal shrinkage and no more cracking!
- The cake is ultra-creamy all the way to the edges
- More forgiving and less likely to overbake
Our Favorite Cheesecake Crust:
A cheesecake crust is easy peasy with only 3 ingredients: graham crackers, sugar, and butter. You can pulse the crumbs in a food processor or blender, or put them in a sturdy Ziploc bag and roll with a rolling pin until fine crumbs form. They are also sold as crumbs to save time.
- Combine crumbs together with melted butter and sugar and stir until moistened.
- Press the crumbs into a 9″ springform pan, going up the sides slightly.
- Bake in the center of the oven at 350˚F for 8 minutes then cool to room temperature.
Tips for Making the Best Cheesecake:
Our best tip is to not rush the process of making or cooling the cake. Each step is important for making the perfect cheesecake. Read through this advice before starting your cheesecake and be sure to watch the video tutorial.
- Make sure cream cheese is at room temperature so you don’t end up with lumps of cream cheese.
- Beat cream cheese and sugar until completely smooth. This step is your last chance to ensure a smooth batter.
- Use the paddle attachment to avoid over-mixing.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and the attachment frequently to ensure the mixture is smooth.
- Reduce speed when adding eggs.
- Bake until the cheesecake looks set and the center wobbles slightly when you tap the pan.
- Always chill your cheesecake before serving, or it will be soupy in the center.
How to Bake a Cheesecake in a Water Bath:
- Boil a pot of water. Boil more than you think you’ll need to ensure you have enough.
- Place 2 large sheets of heavy-duty foil on the counter (use the extra-wide foil to go all the way up the sides).
- Fold the foil up the sides of the pan ensuring there are no rips or holes. Fan the foil out slightly at the tops to keep the rim clear for rising and to block any boiling water from splashing into the pan (don’t worry if a little water gets in).
- Pour cheesecake filling into the foil-lined springform pan and place into a deep roasting pan. Fill with 1 1/2 to 2″ with water. It should be about halfway up the side of the springform pan.
Safety Tip: Use oven mitts to transfer the roasting pan in and out of the oven for safety and transfer slowly to avoid sloshing.
Pro Tip: How to Cut a Cheesecake:
Cheesecakes can get ugly fast if cut the wrong way. To get clean professional looking slices, dip a long knife into very hot water (I pour hot water in a tall mason jar). Once the knife warms up, wipe with a paper towel and slice through the cheesecake. For best results, dip and wipe your knife between slices.
Our History with Cheesecake!
We are major cheesecake fans over here. For years, we have perfected our cheesecake recipes with everything from No-bake Cheesecake to Mini Cheesecakes and even Pumpkin Cheesecake.
Print the Recipe below then head to the grocery store to stock up on ingredients. This is bound to become your new favorite Cheesecake Recipe!
Perfect Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, from 12 whole crackers
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
For the Cheesecake:
- 2 1/4 lb cream cheese, room temperature (4 1/2 packages, 8-oz each)
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
How to Make Cheesecake Crust:
- Crush graham crackers into crumbs. In a medium bowl, combine crumbs together with melted butter and sugar and stir until moistened.
- Press crumbs into a 9" springform pan, going up the sides slightly. Bake in the center of a conventional oven at 350˚F for 8 minutes then cool to room temperature.
- Place 2 large sheets of extra-wide heavy-duty foil on the counter. Set the springform pan in the center and fold the foil up the sides of the pan ensuring there are no rips or holes. Fan the foil out slightly at the tops to keep the rim clear for rising.
How to Make Perfect Cheesecake:
- Preheat oven to 450˚F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine cream cheese and 1 1/4 cups sugar. Beat on medium/high speed for 5 minutes until completely smooth, scraping down the bowl and attachment as needed.
- Reduce speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, letting them incorporate between each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Reduce speed to low and add 1/4 cup sour cream and 1/2 Tbsp vanilla and mix just until incorporated. Pour batter over the foil-wrapped springform pan with your cooled crust.
How to Bake Cheesecake in a Water Bath:
- Boil a pot of water (boil more than you think you'll need to ensure there's enough). Set your cheesecake pan in a deep roasting pan. Pour hot water around the edges about halfway up the sides of the springform pan (1 1/2" to 2" of water).
- Carefully transfer cheesecake to the center rack of the oven and bake at 450˚F for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 225˚F and without opening the door, bake additional 60-75 minutes or until center of cheesecake wobbles slightly when you tap the pan.
- Remove cheesecake from the oven and let it rest in the roasting pan with water for 45 minutes then transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Cover pan with plastic wrap, being careful that it doesn't touch the surface, and chill in the refrigerator overnight to fully set before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
We can’t get enough of this classic cheesecake recipe. It bakes up beautifully and you can’t beat the flavor and creamy whipped texture. Make this and you will get recipe requests.
my mother has celiac and i would live to make her a mini version of this with a gluten free cookie crust, have you ever done a mini version of this? if so what size would the cook time be?
Hi Christina! I have not, but you could use my mini cheesecake recipe HERE instead.
My husband has celiac, I just use gluten free graham crackers and it’s amazing. You can’t even tell it’s gluten free!
Thank you for sharing with us, Casey! 🙂
You’ve made my mother very upset! I made your cheesecake — my first time using a recipe with a water bath — for my brother’s birthday. It was a huge success. He said it was the best cheesecake he ever had.
Why is Mom upset? Because she used to make him a birthday cheesecake every year, but this one was the best! LOL Thank you. 🙂
I’m so glad it was enjoyed! Thank you for sharing, Monica!
This is the best cheesecake recipe ever and most favorite in my family. Every birthday, holiday or any kind of celebration they want me to make this cheesecake. Thank you Natasha for sharing this awesome recipe. Also I make so many of your other recipes, like chicken marsala, so good. You rock 🙂
I’m so happy you found a favorite on my blog, Zemina! Thank you for sharing your excellent review with me!
How can I make this a chocolate cheesecake? Can I use powder coco? How should I do this?
Hi Josie! Cocoa powder tends to absorb water/moisture so I can’t advise on how to make this adjustment without testing it myself to know what the outcome would be. Chocolate syrup/ganache on top of this cheesecake is also a great idea to add chocolate flavor.
If you are a little intimidated and think you might screw this up, this is the recipe for you!! I left mine in the full bake time at 450, instead of reducing the temperature. So…Thanksgiving dessert is ruined right? Nope! It survived!! I did have to scrape off the black top and add a sour cream topping, but it was pretty decent! Great foolproof recipe!
I’m so glad it all worked out, Sarah! Happy Holidays!
Would it ruin the cake if I added 1 and 1/2 cups sugar instead of 1 and a quarter?
Hi Grace. without testing it myself, I cannot advise.
Hi Natasha,
If I wanted to add flavor to the mix how would I do this ? Maybe a lemon flavor ( fresh lemon juice )
Hi Heather. I think that could work, like using lemon extract and lemon zest. I haven’t tested it to provide specific instructions.
Hi Natasha.
I am only finding my 8 inch springform right now (in process of moving😊). Do you know the recommended baking time for this size pan? Thanking you in advance.
Hi Angela! If you have a taller 8-inch pan, it may work, but it may overflow without an adjustment to the recipe. I also have not tested this in a smaller pan to advise on the baking time. It will be done when the cheesecake looks set and the center wobbles slightly when you tap the pan. I hope tht helps.
I’m currently making and WOW this batter is phenomenal 😍!!!!!!! Do you think I could freeze for a short time instead of refrigerate overnight?
Hi Kaylie! This cheesecake recipe will stay good in the refrigerator for several days but it does freeze well! If you are freezing the entire cheesecake, wrap it in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and place it in an airtight container.
Natasha, my family is wanting a Cherry Swirl NY Style Cheesecake for Thanksgiving, would you be able to help me with that request please?
Thanks Much, Marie
Hi Marie, That sounds wonderful. I do not have a recipe or instructions for that but this cheesecake would be a good starting point to experiment with.
My family loves this recipe!!
I was wondering if it could be made into individual mini cheesecakes?
I’m so glad it was a hit, Gail! I haven’t tested this specific recipe making mini cheesecakes out of this recipe yet to advise of the changes that needs to be made. If you try it as an experiment, please share with us how it goes. We do have a Mini Cheesecake Recipe here that you may want to try.
Hi, I made this last week, first cheesecake ever and I must say, it was absolutely delicious!!! The video was quite helpful so I’m glad you showed that, because I was nervous to try it with the water bath. It did have some uneven browning on the top and from your feedback on other comments, I’m assuming the oven temp was a little too high. Wondering if I need to lower the higher temp by a few degrees or the lower temp? Hubs said this was much better than Cheesecake Factory 😊😊
Also, have you experimented with adding anything to it, like Oreos or Reese cups, anything like that?
Anyway, best cheesecake ever!!! Will be taking this to mom’s for Thanksgiving dinner.
I’m so glad the video was helpful, Tracey! Thank you for sharing your excellent review with me! I have not tried those additions, but I bet that could work with a few modifications!
I am looking for the cherry sauce. You said it’s in the notes.
Where are the notes ?
Thank you
Hi Edie, here’s the Cherry Sauce Recipe.
Natasha your recipe and steps created the perfect cheesecake. It turned out exactly as the photo.
Thank you for your good comments, Mary. I’m glad you loved it!
The best cheesecake recipe out there! We’ve been making this for years and always comes out great and is so easy to make!!!
It sounds like you have a favorite! That’s so great, Kynzie!
How would I adjust the recipe for a 10 1/2 inch dark nonstick pan. I bought it without reading the recipe well enough. I love this cheesecake!!!
Hi Candy, I have not really tried different pans to advise on instructions or measurements for this.
I can’t figure out why mine browns on the top every time. I followed the recipe exactly….no convection oven…..2 inches of almost boiling water…center of the oven. It’s delicious I just wish it was as pretty as yours.
This is often due to the oven temperature being too high. I highly recommend using an internal oven thermometer and adjust accordingly.
I’ve baked this recipe twice in the last month. I modified the recipe to use 5 blocks of cream cheese instead of 4.5 with a slight increase in sugar and an extra egg. The original recipe was very good as it is but not being a fan of cream cheese in the raw or as a dip, I did not want half of a block sitting in the fridge until it went bad. I can say that either way I prepared the cheesecake, it was very good and plenty of good feedback from those who had a slice or two. I have a silicone springform pan holder that I used the second time instead of foil. Foil worked fine though. You can buy a few rolls of foil for what the silicone wrap costs. Anyway, many thanks for the recipe. I have a request to bake and sell one because it was so good. That says it all.
So glad it turned out, Mark! Thank you for sharing your experiment. 🙂
Can this cheesecake be frozen once it has cooled? Made on short notice and would like to serve it this evening. Was wondering if I put it in the freezer for 3-5 hours if it would taste good
This cheesecake recipe will stay good in the refrigerator for several days and it does freeze well! If you are freezing an entire cheesecake, wrap it in plastic wrap, the. aluminum foil, and place it in an airtight container.
Awesome recipe! Just a question about the color on the cheesecake’s top surface…. How do you keep the top surface so white after it comes out of the oven? Mine comes out golden brown on the top surface every single time… Do you cover the top as well while it’s in the oven to prevent it from browning?
Hi Michel, our cheesecake ended up with hardly any color on top when we followed these baking instructions. A few things that could have caused that – avoid using a broil setting. Ensure you are not using a convection mode but only conventional oven settings. Also, make sure you are using a water bath with hot water. The steam creates a barrier for the top of the cheesecake that prevents browning. I highly recommend watching the video to see where things may have gone wrong with your cheesecake. I hope that helps for next time.
check the temp of your oven also. I tend to bake at a lower temp meaning that if I check the temp and it is 10 degrees or so cooler than the recommended temp, I leave it alone. My oven is a 20 plus years old electric and the cheesecake I baked this week had just a hint of brown along the edge against the springform pan but the rest of the surface was whiteish, no cracks and just a few bubble spots.