Best 4 Cheese Cheesecake Recipes

THE BEST CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
• For the crust: Put the butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl, cover with a paper towel and melt in the microwave in 10-second increments. Brush a 9-inch springform pan with some of the melted butter.
• Stir together the remaining butter with the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan, taking care to get the crust evenly to the edges. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool. Place the pan on a large sheet of foil and wrap up the sides. Place in a roasting pan.
• For the cheesecake: Beat together the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat until just combined. Mix in the eggs by hand, one at a time, until just combined. (Take care not to overmix or the cheesecake will puff up and crack.) Pour the batter evenly over the crust, smoothing the top. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come about halfway up the sides of the foil-wrapped springform pan. Bake until the outside of the cake is set but the center is still slightly loose, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
• Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another hour. Remove the cheesecake from the roasting pan to a cooling rack. Run a knife around the edge and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
• Run a knife around the edge of the pan once more and unlock to unmold the cheesecake. Transfer to a serving platter or cake stand and smooth the edges with a knife.

OUR BEST CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix graham crumbs, butter and 1/4 cup sugar; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
• Beat cream cheese and remaining sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.
• Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours.
• Top with pie filling before serving.

PHILADELPHIA® CLASSIC CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Mix crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar and butter; press firmly onto bottom of pan.
• Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
• 55 min. or until center is almost set. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours.

4 CHEESE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Thoroughly butter the bottom and sides of a 9x3-inch (12 cup) springform pan.
• Dust pan well with fine Zwieback crumbs, pressing any remaining crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about 1/2 to 1 inch up the sides; set aside.
• Sift flour and corn starch together into a small bowl or cup, and set aside.
• In a small bowl, beat eggs and sugar together until thick and sugar is dissolved, set side.
• Mix together ricotta and baker's cheese, place into a fine sieve and using a wooden spoon, force the cheeses through the sieve into a large bowl.
• With mixer on medium speed, beat cheeses for about 2 minutes or until creamy.
• Add cream cheese, and beat on low speed for about 1 minute, or until well blended.
• Add mascarpone, and beat by hand with a wooden spoon or spatula until well blended.
• Add melted butter, mixing by hand until well blended.
• Add egg/sugar mixture, mixing by hand until well blended.
• Add flour/corn starch mixture, stirring until thoroughly incorporated.
• Add lemon juice and vanilla, stir until well blended.
• Fold sour cream into cheesecake batter.
• Tap bowl of batter on counter several times to get any bubbles in the batter to the top.
• If necessary, run the spatula through the batter to break up any air bubbles.
• Slowly pour the batter into prepared pan, lightly tap pan on counter to remove any remaining bubbles.
• Place cheesecake on middle rack in oven and bake at 350°F for 50 to 60 minutes.
• Turn off oven, and let cheesecake sit undisturbed (do not open oven door), 60 minutes longer.
• Remove from oven and continue to cool on wire rack.
• When completely cooled, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
• When ready to serve, run a thin bladed knife or icing spatula between the cake and sides of pan to loosen cake from the sides.
• Remove the side of the springform pan, leaving the cake on the pan base/bottom to serve.
• (Optional) Cake may be topped with fresh fruit, pie filling or your favorite fruit glaze.

CLASSIC NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the lower middle position. Wrap a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with one large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, covering the underside and extending all the way to the top so there are no seams on the bottom or sides of the pan. Repeat with another sheet of foil for insurance. Spray the inside of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt. Stir until well combined. Press the crumbs into an even layer on the the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until set. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Set a kettle of water to boil.
• Make the batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and flour together on medium speed until just smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to be sure the mixture is evenly combined. Add the vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt; beat on low speed until just combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until incorporated, scraping the bowl as necessary. Mix in the sour cream. Make sure the batter is uniform but do not over-mix.
• Check to make sure your oven has cooled to 325°F, then set the cheesecake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour the batter on top of the crust. Pour the boiling water into the large roasting pan to come about 1 inch up the side of the cake pan. Bake until the cake is just set, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes. (If the cheesecake starts to look too golden on top towards the end, cover it loosely with foil.) The cake should not look liquidy at all but will wobble just a bit when the pan is nudged; it will continue to cook as it cools. Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Cool the cheesecake in the water bath until the water is just warm, about 45 minutes. Remove the springform pan from the water bath and discard the foil. If necessary, run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the cake to make sure it's not sticking to the sides (which can cause cracks as it cools), then cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to cool for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• For serving: Remove the sides of the springform pan. Serve the cheesecake right from the base of the pan; or, to transfer it to a serving platter, run a long, thin spatula between the crust and the pan bottom, and then use two large spatulas to carefully transfer the cheesecake to a serving dish. Slice with a sharp knife, wiping the knife clean between slices. Serve with berry sauce, if you like.
• Make Ahead: The cheesecake can be made and stored in the springform pan in the fridge, tightly covered with plastic wrap, up to two days ahead of time.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cheesecake can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, place the cake in the freezer briefly, unwrapped, to firm it up. Then double-wrap it tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator the night before you plan to eat it.
• Pro Tip: Springform pans are notorious for leaking. Since a cheesecake bakes in a water bath, the foil prevents the water from seeping in during baking. Please do not attempt to use standard 12-inch (30cm) aluminum foil - you can't have any foil seams on the bottom or sides of the pan. No matter how well (or how many times) you wrap the pan, if there are seams exposed to the water, the water will find a way in. Even when wrapped properly, you can occasionally get some condensation inside the foil. If this happens, don't worry - the crust is likely just a bit moist around the edges. Simply remove the sides of the springform pan before refrigerating and let it dry out in the refrigerator.

FOUR 4.5-INCH CHEESECAKES WITH NINE STIR-IN VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• Mix crumbs, the 3 tablespoons sugar and butter; press scant 1/3 cup crumb mixture onto bottom of each of 4 mini (4-1/2-inch) springform pans. Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 7 minutes.
• Mix cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended.
• Decide what variations you'll make and pour 1/4 of the batter (about 1 cup) into each of 4 bowls. Add one of the stir-In variations to each bowl of batter, as desired. Pour over crusts. Place pans on cookie sheet.
• Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 40 to 45 minutes, or until centers are almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rims of pans to loosen cakes; cool before removing rims of pans. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
• Topping Ideas to garnish: Fresh fruits, such as strawberry halves, slices of kiwi, whole raspberries, sliced peaches, or chocolate curls can be placed in the middle of cheesecakes, for garnish, before serving.
• STIR-IN VARIATIONS ~ For each 1/4 portion of batter (approximately 1 cup), stir in one of the following:.
• APPLE PIE MINI CHEESECAKE: Stir in 1/8 teaspoon. ground cinnamon; pour over crust. Bake as directed. Top cheesecake with combined 1/2 cup warmed apple pie filling and 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar.
• NEW YORK MINI CHEESECAKE: Stir in 1/4 cup sour cream and 1 tablespoon flour.
• CHOCOLATE CHUNK MINI CHEESECAKE: Stir in 1/4 cup milk chocolate chunks.
• CITRUS MINI CHEESECAKE: Stir in 1 teaspoon lemon, orange, or lime juice; 1 teaspoon flour and 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon, orange. or lime zest.
• S'MORES MINI CHEESECAKE: Stir in 3 tablespoons milk chocolate chunks; pour over crust. Top with 1/4 cup miniature marshmallows and 1 tablespoon broken graham crackers.
• COOKIES AND CREAM MINI CHEESECAKE: Stir in 1/4 cup chopped cookies, such as Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies or Chips Ahoy! Chocolate Chip Cookies.
• CHOCOLATE ROYALE MINI CHEESECAKE: Stir in 2 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted.
• PEANUT BUTTER MINI CHEESECAKE: Stir in 2 tablespoons peanut butter and 1 tablespoon milk.
• MOCHA MINI CHEESECAKE: Mix 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules with 2 teaspoons hot water. Stir into batter along with 2 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted.

TALL AND CREAMY CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• To make the crust: Butter a 9-inch springform pan - choose one that has sides that are 2 3/4 inches high (if the sides are lower, you will have cheesecake batter left over) - and wrap the bottom of the pan in a double layer of aluminum foil.
• Stir the crumbs, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Pour over the melted butter and stir until all of the dry ingredients are uniformly moist. (I do this with my fingers.) Turn the ingredients into the springform pan and use your fingers to pat an even layer of crumbs along the bottom of the pan and about halfway up the sides. Don't worry if the sides are not perfectly even or if the crumbs reach above or below the midway point on the sides. Put the pan in the freezer while you preheat the over. (The crust can be covered and frozen for up to 2 months.)
• Center a rack in the over, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the springform on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Set the crust aside to cool on a rack while you make the cheesecake.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
• To make the cheesecake: Put a kettle of water on to boil.
• Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese at medium speed until it is soft and creamy, about 4 minutes. With the mixer running, add the sugar and salt and continue to beat for another 4 minutes or so, until the cream cheese is light. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs, one by one, beating for 1 full minute after each addition - you want a well-aerated batter. Reduce the mixer speed to low and stir in the sour cream and/or heavy cream.
• Put the foil-wrapped springform pan in a roasting pan that is large enough to hold the pan with some space around it.
• Give the batter a few stirs with a rubber spatula, just to make sure that nothing has been left unmixed at the bottom of the bowl, and scrape the batter into the springform pan. The batter will reach the rim of the pan. (If you have a pan with lower sides and have leftover batter, you can bake the batter in a buttered ramekin or small soufflé mold.) Put the roasting pan in the oven and pour enough boiling water into the roaster to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
• Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour 30 minutes, at which point the top will be browned (and perhaps cracked) and may have risen just a little above the rim of the pan. Turn off the oven's heat and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon. Allow the cheesecake to luxuriate in its water bath for another hour.
• After 1 hour, carefully pull the setup out of the oven, lift the springform pan out of the roaster - be careful, there may be some hot water in the aluminum foil - and remove the foil. Let the cheesecake come to room temperature on a cooling rack.
• When the cake is cool, cover the top lightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, although overnight is better.
• At serving time, remove the sides of the springform pan - you can use a hairdryer to do this - and set the cake on a serving platter.