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
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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.
I made this and it is truly the best I have had. If I wanted to make (2) 6″ cheesecakes, how long would it take to bake them?
Hi Lisa! I’m so glad you love it. I haven’t tested different sizes to provide those exact instructions, I’m sorry. You’ll have to keep an eye on it and follow the cues given in the instructions above.
Best cheesecake recipe ever , just made this yesterday an was such a hit it’s almost all gone already lol
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Robin!
Dear Natasha. I’m a user of many of your superb recipes. I have two questions I hope you will answer. 1. Can I use this recipe to make 8 individual sized cheesecakes (4 inch spring pan). 2. Will I still need to prepare a water bath for these small cakes? Thanks in advance!
Hi Beverly, I bet this cheesecake can be made in smaller forms, while I haven’t tried it in 4″ forms specifically, I bet it could work. We have a very similar recipe where we made mini cheesecakes. You will likely need to adjust the bake time to ensure you don’t over bake it. If you experiment I hope you love this recipe.
Thanks Natasha! I’ll be sure to let you know how they turn out! I’ll skip the water bath but I’ll still put a pan with water in the oven for moisture.
I’m excited to try this recipe! I love when Cheesecake had a sour cream Topping how would I adjust this recipe to add that of possible?
Hi Savannah! I have not tested that to provide those instructions, sorry. I hope you love the recipe!
Oh man, I was so very careful reading this recipe and watching the video. I was distracted and after putting it all together in the oven I looked over and there sat a half pack of cream cheese. So, my cake only has 4 instead of 4 1/2 that the recipe calls for. Will this hurt my result? I’m so upset. I was wondering why it was so thin because I’ve done this recipe before and it came out perfectly. Can anyone tell me if this will be okay? Should I adjust time?
Hi Carol! I’m so sorry to hear that. I can’t say exactly what the end result will be. I would still do as the recipe instructs and check for doneness. I hope it still works out so it’s not a waste.
I just made this for family birthday dinner for my husband and it is by far one of the best cheesecakes I have ever had! I’ve never made a baked cheesecake before nor have I ever had to use a water bath so that was very new to me. A little bit of water did get in the foil but didn’t affect the cake (I know where I went wrong with this). One thing I did do was make sure the cheese mixed good before adding the sugar then I proceeded to make it light and fluffy then while I added the other ingredients one by one I tried to not over mix and this helped keep the cake fluffy and not dense. Very great recipe easy to follow! Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for trying my recipe and for sharing your wonderful feedback.
I made this cheesecake and it turned out perfect! I did add some lemon zest with the vanilla and sour cream step. Also a little trick I learned is to use an oven bag to cover the outside of the foil so that water does not seep into the pan during cooking. Thanks for sharing!
Sounds great! Thank you for this review, Kelly. We’re glad that you enjoyed it!
Too many adds to try to get to your recipes these pop up are so annoying!
Hi Karen! I’m sorry for the frustration. We are always trying to improve our user experience but need to have ads to continue to provide free content. If you go down to the recipe card and click on “print” it should open up the print view in another screen where you can follow the recipe without interruptions. I hope that helps.
This was my first attempt at a cheesecake. It came out with no cracks. There was minimal browning on top. It tasted delicious. The only problem I had was with the crust which turned out a bit mushy.
Hi Linda! I’m glad you loved the recipe! Did water seep in to the pan by chance? It’s important to get a good seal with foil to prevent this from happening.
I am so dissapointed.
After waiting the whole night and it looks amazing.
The consistency was too soft and the taste was not so good.
I am not making this again.
Hi Anna! I’m sorry to hear that. That is not normal and this recipe has had excellent results for many, including myself. Did you make any substitutions to the recipe or miss any steps? Was your oven fully preheated before you started to bake the cheesecake? If it did not set, common culprits would be that either there wasn’t enough eggs to bind it together or it wasn’t baked long enough. I highly encourage the use of a Internal oven thermometer (Amazon affiliate link) to check to see if your oven is heating correctly. This recipe is written for a conventional oven on regular bake mode. I hope that helps.
I love to cook and hate to bake. But I really wanted a great cheesecake for Christmas. The frozen boxed cheesecakes just do not cut it and our local bakery wants $45 for one! I decided to take the plunge and am so glad I found this recipe. It was relatively easy and turned out absolutely perfect. I made the cherry sauce to top it with and the presentation was beautiful. My husband took the first bite and gave a nod and said “mm, yep. It’s so good”. It is hands down the best cheesecake I’ve ever had. I’m so proud of it! Thank you for the great recipe!
Hello Elizabeth, I’m glad you decided to try our recipe and loved it! Thanks a lot for sharing your experiernce with us.
Hi Natasha, I have made this cheesecake twice now and each time IT CAME OUT PERFECT!! Thank you for the best cheesecake recipe ever! I’ve been cooking your recipes for years and they never disappoint. Also, I received your cookbook for Christmas this year. I can’t wait to pour through every page! Thank you!!
That’e awesome and great job to you! I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try from the cookbook.
I made this cake and it looks amazing but I noticed when I took it out of the aluminum foil water got into the foil and into the pan. Is my cake ruined? I’m taking it to a dinner and want to be prepared, lol. I’m worried the crust might be soggy.
Hi Kara! It’s hard to tell without being there. It might have effected the crust. I hope not, but be sure to use heavy duty foil to help prevent this in the future.
Hi there, I have not tasted my cheese cake yet, but the top did brown quite a bit during first 15 minutes. I noticed yours is not? I’m not sure if this will affect the taste? Seems like it set really well though no cracks and no sink. Thanks!
Hi Yvonne, some ovens have hot spots and that could be a culprit but the brown spots won’t affect the flavor at all. It also could be having the cake too close to the heating element or baking on convection mode. I hope you absolutely love the cheesecake and Merry Christmas!
Tasted perfect! I had one problem, at the very end, just before refrigerating overnight. You say to plastic wrap the springform pan. 🙁 Somehow I messed up and the plastic wrap concaved into the pan and tore up random spots from the smooth crackless surface. Any suggestions?
And TY for not only the recipe but also for your instructions in your video!
Oh bummer when that happens. I will add a note to the recipe to be cautious there. I do try to keep it tight when covering so it doesn’t touch the surface. I would serve with berries all over the top or pipe whipped cream to cover up any torn parts on the surface. It will be so lovely also with sugared cranberries.
I have been the cheesecake queen in my family as long as I can remember. I had an old recipe that didnt always turn out consistent. I had to hope for the best. This recipe however, has been fool proof. I have received so many compliments and requests that I wanted to pass them on.
That’s wonderful, Rae! Thank you so much for the feedback.
This cheesecake tasted delicious and was very easy to do! Loved all the tips for creaminess and technique. Had a little problem with oven temp at beginning but think I have solved the browning issue! Still tasted great! Doing another for Christmas Eve! Thank you!!!
That’s great, Francesca! Thank you for sharing.
Well i made the cheesecake and it turned brown on one side after cooling and releasing the rim it cracked I don’t know what it tastes like but the presentation wasn’t great ! Followed directions to a tee maybe it’ll taste great for Xmas ugh !
Hi Michele! I’m sorry to hear that. If the cheesecake turned brown it’s often due to over-baking, the oven running too hot or uneven baking if it’s just on one side. Be sure to not skip the water bath and it’s important to use room temperature ingredients as recommended in the recipe card. These are all common reasons of cracking as well.
I highly encourage the use of an Internal oven thermometer (Amazon affiliate link) to see is your oven is calibrated and heating correctly. I hope that helps!
Hello, in the video you mentioned to preheat the oven to 350, but in the written instructions, it says 450. Which is the initial correct temperature?
Hi Aaron. The crust is pre-baked at 350 for 8 mins, then you follow the temperature recommendation in the instructions for the cheesecake as indicated in the recipe card above.
Hi Natasha. Love your recipes. I’m going to make this recipe for Christmas, was wondering if I could use mascarpone cheese. Thank you and Merry Christmas.
Hi Carmen, we believe we found the perfect balance without it here, but if you test it out, I’d love to know how you like it.
Hi wondering if I can halve the recipe for a smaller springform pan. Thank you
Hi Linda! I haven’t tested different size pans to know how to make adjustments to the ingredients. You’ll have to do some experimenting.