Vanilla Cheesecake

My vanilla cheesecake recipe that can be adjusted to fit different size pans. It’s smooth and creamy but dense and rich at the same time.

Why I love this 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.
• The recipe can be adjusted to make different sizes, from a small batch 6 inch cheesecake to a large 10 inch cheesecake. 

Ingredients & substitutions

• Cream Cheese: make sure to use the full-fat brick cream cheese. I prefer the Philadelphia brand. 
• Sugar: I used granulated sugar but this recipe works with light or dark brown sugar as well, it will just slightly darken the color and alter the flavor.
• 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, biscoff has a more fall(ish) cinnamon-y flavor. 

Guided Instructions

Step 1: 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.

Step 2: Make the crust by placing the graham crackers 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. 

Step 3: 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.

Step 5: Pour into the prepared pan and bake at 300F (148C) for 45 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. 

Step 6: 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. 

Tips to get the perfect bake without a waterbath

• 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. 
• Use a knife to release the cheesecake from the edge of the pan after baking. The cheesecake will shrivel a little as it cools and if it’s stuck to the edge of the pan, that will make it crack in the center.
• 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 flavor this base cheesecake recipe

I use this vanilla cheesecake recipe as the base for other cheesecakes. I have a biscoff version where I swap the graham crackers for biscoff cookies and add in 2 cups of biscoff cookie butter.

The cookie butter can be replaced with peanut butter to make peanut butter cheesecake or nutella for nutella cheesecake. 

Top it with fresh strawberries, blueberry topping, cherry topping, raspberry topping, rhubarb jam, caramelized white chocolate ganache, salted caramel sauce or chocolate ganache.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to store 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. 

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 my 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