It’s rare to find a human who doesn’t enjoy the taste of cheesecake. Cheesecake is a definite top pick for dessert lovers all over the world, and is it any wonder? It’s decadent, light and fluffy filling pairs well with chocolate and fruit, and a great one won’t leave you feeling overly full because of an obnoxiously rich taste. There are thousands of recipe variations out there to mosey through, some of which include different health considerations and flavor tweaking, but we think we’ve found the best recipe overall.
Crust Ingredients
- 2 cups ground graham crackers
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 stick unsalted butter
Filling Ingredients
- 2-8 ounce blocks of softened cream cheese
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 pint sour cream
- 1 lemon, zested
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Begin by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground, and in a mixing bowl, combine crackers, cinnamon and (melted) stick of butter until everything is thoroughly and evenly mixed. Grease an 8 inch springform pan, and poor the crumbs into the pan. Using a solid, flat surface (such as the bottom of a glass), press the crumbs down into the bottom and up the sides of the pan until flat, hard and even. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
For the filling, beat the cream cheese on low with an electric mixer. The mixer should make the cream cheese smooth and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat slowly until thoroughly combined. Gradually add in sugar and beat for 1-2 minutes until creamy.
Next, scrape the sides of the mixing bowl, and begin mixing again as you add sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Mix it all thoroughly until fluffy, but don’t over-beat (which flattens it out). Remove the crust from the refrigerator, and pour the filling into the crust, smooth out the top if necessary.
Set the cheesecake spring form pan on a large piece of foil and fold the sides up around it so there’s no pan showing. Place the foil wrapped pan in a large roasting pan, and then pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is halfway up the cheesecake pan. Bake like this for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven while the cheesecake still appears to be semi-liquid, as it will firm up in the refrigerator as it chills. Allow cheesecake to chill for 3-4 hours, and then run a thin knife along the edges to loosen the crust from the pan. For clean cuts and slices, cut the cheesecake with a knife that has been dipped in hot water.
Enjoy with hot fudge or fruit topping of your choice!
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 stick of butter until everything is thoroughly and evenly mixed. Grease an 8 inch springform pan, and poor the crumbs into the pan. Using a solid, flat surface (such as the bottom of a glass), press the crumbs down into the bottom and up the sides of the pan until flat, hard and even. Refrigerate while you make the filling. For the filling, beat the cream cheese on low with an electric mixer. The mixer should make the cream cheese smooth and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat slowly until thoroughly combined. Gradually add in sugar and beat for 1-2 minutes until creamy. Next, scrape the sides of the mixing bowl, and begin mixing again as you add sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Mix it all thoroughly until fluffy, but don't over-beat (which flattens it out). Remove the crust from the refrigerator, and pour the filling into the crust, smooth out the top if necessary. Set the cheesecake spring form pan on a large piece of foil and fold the sides up around it so there's no pan showing. Place the foil wrapped pan in a large roasting pan, and then pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is halfway up the cheesecake pan. Bake like this for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven while the cheesecake still appears to be semi-liquid, as it will firm up in the refrigerator as it chills. Allow cheesecake to chill for 3-4 hours, and then run a thin knife along the edges to loosen the crust from the pan. For clean cuts and slices, cut the cheesecake with a knife that has been dipped in hot water. Enjoy with hot fudge or fruit topping of your choice! [Image] Meta-description: Cheesecakes are a world renowned tasty dessert for many reasons. Of all the recipe variations out there, we think we have the best. Learn it here.){kind=link}