How to make cheesecake: Recipe

There are few foods more beloved and packed full of indulgence than the humble cheesecake, a creamy and rich treat for the whole family. With this perfect cheesecake recipe, you'll never look back.

Is there anything better than a beautiful, delicious cheesecake?
Is there anything better than a beautiful, delicious cheesecake?  © Unsplash/Monika Grabkowska

Cheesecake is a dessert so flavorful and delicious that very few people could even think of turning their noses up at it.

Yet it's neither difficult nor expensive to make, and it's something that's perfect to keep the kids and family happy at any gathering or event.

How do you make the perfect cheesecake, though?

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With this fantastic cheesecake recipe, you'll be thrilling the family for years and years to come.

How to make the ultimate and tastiest cheesecake

A good quality cheesecake is all about the ingredients and the love with which you make it, not necessarily the technical skills you have or the equipment that you possess. While both of those factors play a role in many recipes, this is a simple, quick, and easy one that'll keep the whole family happy and not burn a deep hole in your time and bank account.

This is the equipment you will need to make a good cheesecake:

  • A wide cake pan, around 9 -10 inches in diameter
  • A collection of mixing bowls
  • Measuring apparatuses
  • Whisk
  • Wooden spoon for mixing
  • Pots and pans
  • Rolling pin
  • Plastic zip-sealed sandwich bags
  • Hand mixer

Nothing here is difficult to find, and most of you will have this equipment in your kitchen already. If you don't, go out and get it – you'll use all of this stuff for more than just cheesecake.

A good quality cheesecake will keep the entire family happy and is not hard to make.
A good quality cheesecake will keep the entire family happy and is not hard to make.  © Unsplash/Tina Guina

Cheesecake recipe | Ingredients

There are some fantastic recipes out there that don't require you to use high-quality ingredients, but this is not one of them. Seeing as it is a simple and straightforward cheesecake with very few ingredients, each one of them will stand out and be noticeable. As a result, we would recommend that you make sure to use the best ingredients that you can afford.

Here are the ingredients that you will need to make a great cheesecake:

  • Cheesecake crust:
    • Graham crackers (or digestive biscuits), 2 cups
    • Sugar, 1 tablespoon
    • Butter (unsalted), 8 tbsp melted
    • Pinch of salt
  • Filling:
    • Cream cheese, 40 ounces
    • Sugar, 1/2 cup
    • Cream, 1/2 cup
    • Vanilla extract, 2 tbsp
    • 4 eggs
    • Pinch of salt

On the proportions: The amounts included in this fantastic cheesecake recipes are enough to create a delicious and filling dessert big enough to cut about eight decently sized slices out of. If you want to make more or less, simply adjust the quantities proportionally.

Cheesecake recipe | Instructions

Freshen up your gorgeous cheesecake with some tasty fruit.
Freshen up your gorgeous cheesecake with some tasty fruit.  © Unsplash/Olena Bohovyk

The process by which you make a cheesecake is, ultimately, a very simple one that requires neither time nor patience to complete.

There is no long-form baking, there is no waiting for yeast to rise and activate – this is a good old-fashioned cake, and it is incredibly easy to get right.

Luckily, it's also insanely delicious and more than certain to impress your family.

Here's how to make the perfect cheesecake

Step 1: Put your graham crackers/digestives into the zip-sealed plastic bag, pushing out as much air as possible and sealing it closed (with a small amount open for air to escape.)

Step 2: Lay the parcel down on the countertop and give it a good whack with the rolling pin, smashing the biscuits up into crumbs as best as you can.

Step 3: Having preheated your oven to 356°F, melt your butter in a pot before adding the biscuit crumbs, sugar, salt, and butter to a mixing bowl. Using your hands, combine all the ingredients thoroughly.

Step 4: After lining your cake tin with either butter or baking paper, pour in the biscuit mixture and spread it out over its base and walls. Press it all in with your fingers and compact it so it is a tight and thin layer.

Step 5: In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt, and whisk it all until it is thoroughly fluffy and well combined.

Step 6: Mixer in hand, crack open your eggs and whip them into the mixture, one at a time until all the ingredients are properly combined and the cheesecake's filling is fluffy and has gone a little bit more yellow.

Step 7: Pour the cheesecake filling over the top of the crust, making sure it is all level. Bake the entire mixture in the oven for 45 - 55 minutes. You want it to have puffed up a little bit and have turned slightly brown.

Step 8: Remove it from the oven and let it sit resting for 20 minutes. Then separate it from the pan and place it on a wire rack, allowing it to cool to an edible temperature.

Step 9: Serve it garnished with berries, mint, ice cream, or one of the many other options we have detailed below.

By simply making a crust out of the digestive cookies and a creamy yet delicate cheese-based filling, you'll make a cake that's worth every moment you spend with it. What's not to love?

Different types of cheesecake

Good cheesecake is not just about balancing it on the plate, it's about balancing its flavors and textures as well.
Good cheesecake is not just about balancing it on the plate, it's about balancing its flavors and textures as well.  © Unsplash/Aneta Voborilova

There is a vast assortment of different cheesecakes out there in the world, each with very different vibes.

Japanese-style cheesecake is wildly different from New York cheesecake, which is wildly different from a lot of what you'll get across the Atlantic. All of them will, of course, be equally delicious.

Yet, some of the fun of cooking comes from taking a simple recipe like the one we have just described and putting your own spin on it. Choosing additional ingredients to add and use can improve the flavor, add additional elements, and help in some cases balance out the sweetness.

Here are a few alternatives to this cheesecake recipe:

  • Lemon or lime juice
  • Berries like raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries
  • Chocolate chips
  • Figs
  • A shot of espresso
  • Fudge
  • Juice
  • Cherries
  • Passion fruit
  • Mint
  • Honey
  • Golden syrup
  • Treacle
  • Maple syrup
  • Peaches
  • Cinnamon
  • Peanut butter
  • Mascarpone

With all of these additions, we recommend simply taking the ingredients and adding them to the filling while you are preparing it. Everything else can stay the same.

Few desserts have the potential to be as beautiful as the humble cheesecake.
Few desserts have the potential to be as beautiful as the humble cheesecake.  © Unsplash/Eduardo Kenji Amorim

How long does cheesecake last in the fridge?

As long as you keep it in the fridge, you should be able to keep your homemade cheesecake for at least a week. After this point, it will quickly deteriorate in texture and taste. Remember that there is cheese and dairy in the filling, so if you leave it for too long it can start to get moldy and completely inedible, even dangerous.

A beautiful cheesecake will work fantastically as something to take on a picnic, to a party, to a dinner event, or even to work when you've done something wrong. It's tasty, moreish, and there are few things better.

Cover photo: Unsplash/Monika Grabkowska

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