Cherry Cheesecake
This is my go-to vanilla cheesecake recipe baked in a biscoff crust and topped with the best homemade, sweet cherry pie topping. It can be adjusted to fit different size pans.
Why you’ll love this cherry cheesecake
- Ingredients and process are simple and does not require an *actual* water bath.
- It’s smooth and creamy but dense and rich, like a classic cheesecake but it has a biscoff crust and if the cinnamon and ginger from the biscoff cookies pairs SO WELL with the cherry topping!
- You can use fresh or frozen cherries to make the topping!
- The recipe can be adjusted to make different sizes, from a small batch 6 inch cheesecake to a large 10 inch cheesecake.
If you’re also a cheesecake lover make sure to check out some of my favorites. I have a biscoff one, pistachio one and triple chocolate.
If you love cherries, I have a black forest cupcakes, cherry cobbler and cherry pie.
Ingredients & substitutions
- Cream Cheese: make sure to use the full-fat brick cream cheese. I prefer the Philadelphia brand.
- Sugar: I used granulated sugar and I don’t recommend swapping it. If you prefer a tangier cheesecake, you could reduce the amount slightly but I don’t recommend reducing it in the topping – it makes it nice and jammy.
- Sour Cream: I’ve tested this recipe with equal amounts of sour cream and greek yogurt several times and have never noticed a difference.
- Plain yogurt should also work fine, just make sure it’s unsweetened.
- Eggs: Use large, room temperature eggs.
- If you’re in a pinch, place them in hot water for 5-10 minutes.
- Vanilla: I recommend vanilla bean paste or actual vanilla beans. If you’re in a pinch, pure vanilla extract works well too.
- Crust: I’ve used graham crackers and biscoff cookies (speculoos cookies) interchangeably in this recipe. Graham crackers are more classic but that biscoff flavor goes sooooo well with the cherry topping. Makes it a little more unique.
- Cherries: I used fresh black (sweet) cherries to make the topping. Frozen cherries are also fine. I don’t recommend sour cherries unless you’re looking for a sour flavor lol.
- Lemon: I like to add a little lemon juice to the cherry topping – for more flavor, feel free to zest that lemon first and rub it in with the granulated sugar in the cheesecake batter before beginning.
- Cornstarch: this thickens the sauce for cherry topping – I don’t recommend swapping it.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Biscoff Crust
- Prepare your pan by removing the edge of the springform pan. Place a sheet of parchment paper onto the bottom of the pan so that it hangs off the edge. Then attach the side of the springform pan back to the bottom, so the parchment paper should be secure between the two pieces. Lightly spray the sides of the pan with baking spray.
- Make the crust by placing the biscoff cookies in a food processor and pulsing until you have fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until it’s evenly distributed. Spread the crust into the prepared pan, coming all the way up the sides. Use a ½ cup measuring cup to make the bottom smooth and the corners sharp.
Cheesecake
- *optional: I forgot to do this for myself but wish I would’ve. You could zest the lemon (from the cherry topping) and rub the lemon zest with the sugar before mixing it with the cream cheese. This will give the cheesecake base a slight lemon-y flavor.
- Make the filling by creaming the room temperature cream cheese with the sugar, until it’s smooth, creamy and glossy. Make sure there are no chunks of cream cheese left.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla and cream until it’s completely smooth. Then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed, just until each one is combined.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake at 300F (148C) for about 60 minutes. Then turn the oven off and use a knife to release the cheesecake from the edge of the pan. Let the cheesecake rest for 15 minutes in the oven with the door halfway open.
- Cheesecake should still have jiggle in the center, let it cool on the counter for a few hours before transferring to the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Cherry Topping
- Pit all the cherries – I like to leave them whole so they look for lushes but you can also cut them in half if you don’t have a cherry pitter.
- Cook cherries with the sugar and lemon juice for about 5 minutes on medium heat, until the cherries are a little softer.
- Add the cornstarch and cook just another couple of minutes, until the juice has thickened, stirring constantly.
- Pour into a jar or a bowl and allow to cool completely. Can refrigerate if made ahead.
- Spread the cherry topping on top of the cheesecake once the cheesecake and the cherry topping have completely cooled. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Expert tips to get the perfect bake and prevent cracking
- Weighing your ingredients with a digital scale is always recommended.
- Bake the cheesecake at a lower temperature than normal for a longer period of time. Bake until the edges are set and the center is still jiggly.
- Allow it to rest in the oven for another 15 minutes so that it can cool slowly to prevent cracking.
- Allow the cheesecake to chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight) so that it sets fully.
How to bake this cheesecake in different size pans
I tested my base cheesecake recipe iin 4 different sizes. It’s pretty straightforward to adjust to whatever pan size you need. My traditional vanilla cheesecake uses 2 bricks of cream cheese and is baked in an 8 inch pan but the featured photos for this cherry cheesecake use 3 bricks of cream cheese and is also baked in an 8 inch pan so it’s taller.
You can adjust the quantity needed by what size pan you have and how tall you want your cheesecake.
I’ll list out the amount of cream cheese needed and you can just adjust the rest of the ingredients accordingly.
The amount of cheesecake batter you’ll need for each size pan:
- 10 inch pan: 4 bricks of cream cheese – bake for 65 minutes, rest in the oven for 25 minutes.
- 9 inch pan: 3 bricks of cream cheese for shorter cheesecake or 4 bricks for a taller cheesecake – bake for 55-70 minutes, rest in the oven for 20 minutes.
- 8 inch pan: 2 bricks of cheesecake for a shorter cheesecake or 3 bricks for a taller cheesecake – bake for 45-60 minutes, rest in the oven for 15 minutes.
- 6 inch pan: 1 brick of cream cheese – bake for 30 minutes, rest in the oven for 15 minutes.
If you have any questions, just comment down below!
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I use if I don’t have a springform pan?
If you don’t have a springform pan, you can use a regular cake pan. If you want this size and height, use a round 8 inch cake pan that’s 3 inches tall. I also recommend spraying it with baking spray and lining it with these precut parchment liners.
I like to use the 10 inch round liners in a greased 8 inch pan so that it comes up a little higher and you can remove it from the cheesecake from the pan easier.
What if I can’t find Biscoff cookies?
Sometimes biscoff cookies can be hard to come by. If you find any speculoos cookies, those will be the most similar. If you can’t find speculoos cookies, gingersnaps are probably your next best and then cinnamon graham crackers but honey graham crackers will also work just fine.
How to warm up ingredients quickly?
If you’re in a rush and don’t have time to let your ingredients come to room temperature (aka me everyday), place the cream cheese (with the packaging) and the eggs in a large bowl of hot water for 10-20 minutes.
You can also microwave the sour cream for 10-15 seconds.
Why did my cheesecake crack?
If your cheesecake does crack, it’s usually for 1 of 3 reasons.
– It’s over-baked, which means it dried out a little bit.
– It cooled too quickly which means it didn’t have time to set properly.
– It stuck to the sides of the pan and pulled on the center of the cheesecake.
Make sure to check out my pro tips on baking without a water bath above.
Can I use frozen cherries or other fruit?
Yes, you can sub the cherries out for strawberries, raspberries, etc. Frozen fruit also works fine.
How to store these cheesecake
To refrigerate, cover the cheesecake with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to a week. Serve cold or bring to room temperature 1-2 hours before serving.
I noticed if the longer the cherry topping sits on the cheesecake in the fridge, they get more and more wrinkly. If you’re making this a few days in advance, you can save the cherry topping in a container and then just give it a good mix and spread on top of the cheesecake fresh so it looks nicer.
To freeze the whole cheesecake, wrap it in plastic wrap and then wrap it twice in aluminum foil (or place it in an airtight container big enough).
To freeze slices, place them tightly in an airtight container and then place the container in a freezer bag, squeezing out all the excess air. Bring them back to room temperature by thawing at room temperature for a few hours before serving.
Thanks so much for reading today’s post, if you have any questions just comment down below. Make sure to leave it in the comment section because I can’t answer in the rating section.
If you make this cherry cheesecake recipe, I’d love it if you left a star rating for me. If it’s less than five stars, please leave a comment with the rating so I know why! 🙂
As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!
Love, B
Cherry Cheesecake Recipe
This is my go-to vanilla cheesecake recipe baked in a biscoff crust and topped with the best homemade, sweet cherry pie topping. It can be adjusted to fit different size pans.
Ingredients
Biscoff Crust
- 8 oz (1 pack/32 cookies) biscoff cookies
- 2 Tbsp (25g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp/ 113g) salted butter melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 24 oz (3 bricks) cream cheese softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (170g) sour cream room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 large eggs room temperature
Cherry Topping
- 1/2 lb fresh black cherries
- 2 Tbsp (25g) granulated sugar
- 1 large lemon juice (about 2-3 Tbsp)
- 1/2 Tbsp (5g) cornstarch
Instructions
Biscoff Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and grease and line an 8 inch pan with baking spray and parchment paper.*
- Place the Lotus Biscoff cookies in the bowl of your food processor and turn it to full speed, until the cookies are finely ground.8 oz (1 pack/32 cookies) biscoff cookies
- Add the sugar and the melted butter and pulse until the butter looks evenly distributed.2 Tbsp (25g) granulated sugar, 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp/ 113g) salted butter
- Dump the crumbs into the prepared pan and use a 1/2 cup measuring cup to press it down evenly, coming up on the edges.
- Bake the crust for 5-10 minutes, while you prepare the filling.
Cheesecake Filling
- It's important that everything is softened to room temperature. If you need to, place the cream cheese (with the packaging) and the eggs in a bowl of hot water for 5-10 minutes and microwave the sour cream for 10-20 seconds.
- Place the cream cheese in the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a hand mixer). Turn the mixer to low speed and stream in the sugar.24 oz (3 bricks) cream cheese, 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- Mix for 1-2 minutes, scraping the edge of the bowl every so often to make sure the mixture is smooth and there are no chunks of cream cheese left.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla and salt and mix at low speed, until they're fully combined.3/4 cup (170g) sour cream, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- With the mixer still at low speed, add the first egg and mix just until it's combined. Then add the second egg and then the third. Scrape the edge of the bowl well and give it one more good mix. Make sure to get smooth out any visible chunks and don't increase the speed so you don't incorporate air.3 large eggs
- Reduce the oven to 300F (148C) conventional (no fan) when you remove the crust.
- Fold the batter a few times before pouring it over the crust. Place the cheesecake on the bottom rack of the oven and place another pan full of hot water next to it.
- Bake for about 60 minutes, until the edges of the cheesecake are set but the center is still jiggly.
- Turn the oven off and pull out the cheesecake just slightly so you can reach it. Run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake so it can release from the pan and prevent cracking as it cools.
- Put the cheesecake back in the oven and leave the door halfway open for 20 minutes.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours.
Cherry Topping
- Pit the cherries with a cherry pitter and leave them whole (if you don't have one, you can cut them in half and remove the pits).1/2 lb fresh black cherries
- Toss the cherries with the sugar and lemon juice in a small pot and cook over medium-low heat for about five minutes, until the cherries feel a little softer.2 Tbsp (25g) granulated sugar, 1 large lemon
- Add the cornstarch and continue cooking over medium-low heat for another few minutes while stirring continuously.1/2 Tbsp (5g) cornstarch
- Once the sauce thickens (you'll notice after a couple of minutes), remove from the heat. Stir for another few seconds and pour into a heat safe jar or bowl. Allow to cool completely to room temperature.
- Spread on top of cooled cheesecake and keep refrigerated.
Notes
*if you're using a springform pan, remove the sides, place the parchment on the bottom of the pan, leaving an overhang, and then clip the sides back to the bottom of the pan.
*if you're using a regular cake pan, I recommend using these precut parchment liners with an overhang. If not, then just line it with a regular sheet of parchment, leaving an overhang so you can easily remove it from the pan.
- For a 6 inch cheesecake, use ⅓ of the recipe and bake 30 minutes, rest 10.
- For a shorter (average height) 8 inch cheesecake, reduce the recipe by ⅓ and bake for 40-45 minutes, resting for 15 minutes.
- For a shorter 9 inch cheesecake, use the same amount and bake for about 50-55 minutes, rest for 20 minutes.
- For a tall 9 inch cake, increase the recipe by 25% and bake 70-75 minutes, rest 20.
- For a slightly shorter 10 inch cake, increase the recipe by 25% and bake 60-65 minutes, rest 20.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 234kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 9gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 475mgPotassium: 220mgFiber: 1gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 494IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 180mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Hello, for how many minutes do I have to bake the cheesecake? It says 45 mins on top and 60 mins in the recipe card. I have a habit of reading it all. Please advise have to make it tonight
So sorry it is closer to 60 minutes for this cheesecake
Thank you so much for the prompt reply
Can I put some fresh blueberries inside the cheesecake and use yiur blueberry jam recipe for the top? Let me know if uts ok to out wome blueberries inside the cheesecake
I haven’t tried it. I would assume you could and maybe bake it a little longer?
Thank you! I have tried your recipes they all turned out amazing. I would love to try this cheesecake too, but with bl it blueberries and for that, I should follow the recipe jam recipe you shared and pour it over the cheesecake. am I right?
Yes
Hi I am still waiting for your response
Hi, I haven’t made a blueberry cheesecake but I’m sure it would work fine with any topping. I have a blueberry jam I made in this cake if you’d like the recipe. Biscoff cookies, graham crackers or any digestive cookie should be fine.
https://baranbakery.com/blueberry-chocolate-cake/
It looks so delicious. I love old like to use blueberries instead. Suggest me what crust would be perfectly paired with it? Also, do I have to follow the same method you used for cherry topping?
Absolutely loved this recipe!! The cherry topping is delicious and compliments the flavor of the crust well. Thank you for the detailed instructions!