Cheesecake

Try this creamy cheesecake in a crunchy graham cracker crust that's beyond delicious. Getting the perfect no-crack bake is easier than you think, and you don’t need a water bath!

CourseDessert

CuisineAmerican

Prep Time10

minutes

Cook Time1

hour

Cooling Time6

hours

Total Time7

hours

hours 10

minutes

Servings12 servings

Calories388kcal

AuthorJohn Kanell

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Crust

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs (180g)
¼ cup unsalted butter melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the Filling:

3 (8-ounce/227g) blocks cream cheese room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (10mL)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 large eggs room temperature
½ cup sour cream room temperature (120g)

Instructions

For the Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a medium bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Stir together until the mixture feels like wet sand. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan. (If your pan isn’t non-stick, you can lightly spray it with baking spray before adding the crumb mixture.) Press the crumbs into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan using the bottom of a glass or measuring cup. Place on a baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool while making the filling.

For the Filling:

Place the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the whip attachment. Beat on medium-low speed until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar, salt, vanilla, and lemon juice. Beat until the mixture is well combined and completely smooth. Stop and scrape down the bowl a few times during mixing.
With the mixer on medium-low speed, add in the eggs one at a time. Stop and scrape down the bowl between additions. Once the eggs are well combined, mix in the sour cream until well incorporated. Pour the batter into the cooled crust.
Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300F and continue baking for another 30 to 35 minutes or until the edges of the filling are just slightly puffed and the center wobbles slightly when gently shaken.
Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake and let cool at room temperature for another hour, then chill for at least 6 hours or up to 3 days before serving. (If refrigerating for several days, loosely cover after the cheesecake is fully chilled.)

Notes

Use the whisk attachment for the mixer. Many cheesecake recipes call for using a paddle attachment when beating the filling together. I used to do the same, but it was easy to find little lumps of cream cheese even when scraping down the bowl many times during mixing. I found that the whisk actually helps incorporate all of the ingredients more thoroughly! Just don't increase the mixer speed above medium-low to avoid incorporating too much air.
If your springform pan is not nonstick: You can lightly spray it with baking spray or rub the pan very lightly with oil before pressing in the crust mixture.
Remove air bubbles: When you pour the batter into the pan, gently tap the cheesecake on the counter to pop any air bubbles in the batter.
Use an offset spatula: It is a great tool for this recipe as it helps get the top of the cheesecake super smooth before baking.
Let the cheesecake cool gradually. Don't place it directly into the fridge to speed up the process, or it can easily crack.
For perfect slices: Warm a sharp knife with hot water for a few seconds, then dry it. Wipe off the knife between slices and rewarm it as needed.

Nutrition