Best Perfect Cheesecake Recipes

PERFECT PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Stir flour, butter, and 1/4 cup sugar together in a bowl until dough is well-blended. Pat dough into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crust is lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, and vanilla together in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
• Whisk pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and cloves together in a bowl.
• Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over cooled crust. Pour pumpkin mixture over cream cheese mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven until bars are set, about 60 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.

PERFECT FRENCH CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Oil a 9 inch springform baking pan. Make crust Mix melted butter with grahm cracker crumbs until well combined. Press crumb mixture into prepared pan, making sure you have an even layer over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake crust in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool at room temperature well making filling. Make filling Beat cream cheese with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the remaining filling ingredients until smooth and well combined. Carefully pour filling into prepared crust. Bake cheesescake for exactly 30 minutes, or until set and light golden.

PERFECT CHEESECAKE WITH SOUR CREAM TOPPING

Steps:

• Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, ground almonds, and salt in a bowl. Drizzle melted butter and stir until evenly moistened. Press into the bottom and up the sides (as far as it'll go) of a lightly buttered 10-inch springform pan. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and salt and beat until smooth. Add flour and egg yolks and mix thoroughly. Stir in sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla and nutmeg and beat until smooth.
• In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with remaining 1/4 cup sugar until it forms stiff peaks. Fold thoroughly into cream cheese mixture; no need to be terribly gentle with it, but you do want the whites to be evenly incorporated. Pour into chilled crust.
• Bake cheesecake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until top is puffed and lightly golden brown. There will be cracks, but that's what the sour cream topping is for. Without opening the oven door, turn the oven off, and let the cheesecake sit in the oven as it cools for 1 hour. Do not take the cheesecake immediately out of the hot oven or it will fall. After an hour, remove cheesecake and heat oven to 450 degrees.
• While the cheesecake is cooling, make the sour cream topping by whisking the sour cream, sugar and vanilla together until smooth. Once the cheesecake has cooled for an hour, pour the sour cream topping over top. Using a rubber spatula or offset spatula, smooth out the surface.
• Place back into the oven (remember the heat should have been increased to 450° F) and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack to let cool to room temperature.
• Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight to set. ***Don't put cheesecake in the fridge until it has cooled to room temperature.***.

PERFECT CHEESECAKE EVERYTIME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Whisk together the crushed graham crackers, the 1 teaspoon sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts. Stir in the butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven; allow crust to cool.
• Beat the cream cheese with the eggs on medium-low with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the 1 cup sugar and vanilla. Fold in the sour cream just until blended. Do not overmix; ovemixing causes the cheesecake to crack. Pour into the cooled crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn oven off. When the cheesecake has reached room temperature, chill in refrigerator for 8 hours before serving.

PERFECT AND FAST RED VELVET CHEESECAKE COOKIE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Stir cookie mix, 1/2 cup butter, 1 egg, and food coloring together in a bowl until just combined. Spread cookie dough into the prepared pan to cover entire bottom surface.
• Beat cream cheese, sugar, 1/2 cup butter, and 3 eggs together in a bowl using an electric mixer on medium-high speed. Add flour, heavy cream, and vanilla extract; mix until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour cheesecake layer over the cookie dough layer in the pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheesecake layer is slightly golden and firm to the touch, 30 to 45 minutes. Let cool.
• Melt chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting, about 90 seconds. Pour over the cooled cheesecake. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set. Cut into bars and store in the refrigerator.

PERFECT CHEESECAKE (FROM SIMPLYRECIPES, ELISE BAUER)

Steps:

• Prepare the crust.
• Prepare the springform pan so that no water leaks into it while cooking. Place a large 18-inch by 18-inch square of heavy duty aluminum foil on a flat surface. Place the springform pan in the middle of the foil. Gently fold up the sides of the foil around the pan. Make sure to do this gently so that you don't create any holes in the foil. If there are any holes, water will get into the pan and ruin the crust. Repeat two more times.
• Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack in lower third of oven. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor or blender until finely ground. Put in a large bowl, and stir in the sugar and salt. Use your (clean) hands to stir in the melted butter. Use your hands to press down graham cracker crumbs form even layer of graham cracker crumbs.
• Put the graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of the springform pan. Gently press down on the crumbs using your fingers, until the crumbs are a nice even layer at the bottom of the pan, with maybe just a slight rise along the inside edges of the pan. Be careful as you do this, as not to tear the aluminum foil. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
• Make the filling.
• Cut the cream cheese into chunks and place in the bowl of an electric mixer, with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for 4 minutes until smooth, soft and creamy. Add the sugar, beat for 4 minutes more. place cream cheese in mixer beat until smooth.
• Add the salt and vanilla, beating after each addition. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition. Add the sour cream, beat until incorporated.
• Add the heavy cream, beat until incorporated. Remember to scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl, and scrape up any thicker bits of cream cheese that have stuck to the bottom of the mixer that paddle attachment has failed to incorporate.
• Cook the cheesecake.
• Place the foil-wrapped springform pan in a large, high-sided roasting pan. Prepare 2 quarts of boiling water. Pour the cream cheese filling into the springform pan, over the graham cracker bottom layer. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
• Place the roasting pan with the springform pan in it, in the oven, on the lower rack. Carefully pour the hot water into the roasting pan (without touching the hot oven), to create a water bath for the cheesecake, pouring until the water reaches halfway up the side of the springform pan, about 1 1/4 inches. (Alternatively you can add the water before putting the pan in the oven, whichever is easier for you.) Cook at 325°F for 1 1/2 hours.
• Turn off the heat of the oven. Crack open the oven door 1-inch, and let the cake cool in the oven, as the oven cools, for another hour. This gentle cooling will help prevent the cheesecake surface from cracking.
• Cover the top of the cheesecake with foil, so that it doesn't actually touch the cheesecake. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight.
• Prepare sour cream topping.
• Place sour cream in a medium sized bowl, stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla, until smooth. Chill until you are ready to serve the cake.
• Note that this recipe produces enough sour cream topping for a thick topping and some extra to spoon over individual pieces of cheesecake, if desired. If you would like a thinner layer of topping and no extra, reduce the sour cream topping ingredients in half.
• Prepare the raspberry sauce.
• Place raspberries, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Use a potato masher to mash the raspberries. Heat on medium, whisking, about 5 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Let cool.
• Prepare the cake to serve.
• Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Remove the foil from the sides of the pan, and place the cake on your cake serving dish. Run the side of a blunt knife between the edge of the cake and the pan. Dorie recommends, and we've done with success, that you use a hair dryer to heat the sides of the pan to make it easier to remove. Open the springform latch and gently open the pan and lift up the sides.
• Spread the top with the sour cream mixture. Serve plain or drizzle individual slices with raspberry sauce.

PERFECT NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• mix crust ingredients and press into a 9 or 10 in springform pan.
• grease sides of pan with melted butter- this is important!
• preheat oven to 325 with a baking dish of water on the bottom rack (move to lowest position) and move upper rack to second highest position.
• beat cream cheese, adding sugar at medium low speed. scrape sides as needed (if you have a mixer with paddle attachment, use it!) until smooth.
• on low speed add milk until combined.
• add eggs one at a time until combined.
• add lemon, vanilla and sour cream.
• sift in flour and cornstarch, mix just until combined (still on low).
• pour into crust.
• bake on higher rack- DON'T open oven before one hour ever!
• check on it at 1 hour 5 minutes, if it's set outside but jiggles, not liquid, but definitely shakes) inside, it's done. it usually will need 1 hour 15 minutes at least. the edges should be just turning golden.
• TURN OFF oven leave door closed, no more peeking for at least one hour, preferably 3.
• refrigerate overnight for best taste.

NO FAIL PERFECT NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• 1. SPONGE CAKE CRUST
• 2. Preheat oven to 350* F and generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring-form pan. Wrap the outside with aluminum foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides.
• 3. In a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
• 4. Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high for 3-minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add 2-tablespoons of the sugar and beat until thick light yellow ribbons form, about 5-minutes more. Beat in the extracts.
• 5. Sift the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in by hand, just until no more white flecks appear. Blend in the melted butter.
• 6. Wash the mixing bowl and beaters really well (if even a little fat is left, this can cause the egg whites not to whip). Put the egg whites and cream of tartar into the bowl and beat with the mixer on high until frothy. Gradually add the remaining sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the whites will stand up and look glossy, not dry). Fold about one-third of the whites into the batter, then the remaining whites. Don't worry if you still see a few white specks, they'll disappear during baking.
• 7. Gently spread out the batter over the bottom of the pan, and bake just until set and golden (not wet or sticky), about 10-12 minutes. Touch the cake gently in the center. If it springs back, it's done. Watch carefully and don't let the top brown.
• 8. Leave the crust in the pan and place on a wire rack to cool. Leave the oven on while you prepare the batter.
• 9. CHEESECAKE DIRECTIONS:
• 10. Put one package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the corn-starch in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3-minutes, scraping the bowl several times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each one.
• 11. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1-1/3 cups sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Beat in the cream just until completely blended. Be careful not to over mix! Gently spoon the batter over the crust.
• 12. Wrap the bottom of your springform pan with aluminum foil to prevent any leakage. Place the cake in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1-inch up the sides of the springform. Bake until the edges are light golden brown and the top is slightly golden tan, about 1 1/4 hours.
• 13. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 2-hours; JUST WALK AWAY - DON'T MOVE IT.
• 14. Leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cold, preferably overnight or for at least 4 hours.
• 15. To serve, release and remove the sides of the springform, leaving the cake on the bottom pan. Place the cake on a plate and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• 16. Slice the cold cake with a sharp straight-edge knife, not a serrated one. Cover any leftover cake and refrigerate or wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.

PERFECT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place a large pan or oven-safe skillet (that the cheesecake pan will fit inside) filled with about ½-inch of water into the oven while it preheats. This will be your water bath.
• 2. Combine 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon into a medium bowl. Mix in 1/3 cup melted margarine. Press the crumb into a 9-inch spring form pan that has been lined on the bottom and side with parchment paper. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan and about 2/3 the way up the side. Wrap a large piece of foil around the bottom of the pan to keep the cheesecake dry when placed in the water bath in the oven. Put the crust in your freezer until the filling is done.
• 3. Use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese with sugar, sour cream, and vanilla. Blend mixture for a couple of minutes or until the ingredients are smooth and creamy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl and then add them to the cream cheese mixture. Blend the mixture just enough to integrate the eggs.
• 4. Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the filling into it.
• 5. Carefully place the cheesecake into the preheated water bath. Bake for 12 minutes at 475 degrees, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the top of the cheesecake turns a light brown or tan color. Remove the cheesecake from the oven to cool.

PERFECT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• *Crust*.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Combine flour, graham crumbs, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add melted butter and mix until an even crumbly texture.
• Press crust into a lightly greased 10-inch springform pan, pressing up the sides a bit.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool.
• Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
• *Filling*.
• Cream cheese until smooth and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl frequently. Gradually add sugar, again scraping sides often. Add in flour, scraped seeds from vanilla bean, vanilla extract, lemon zest and salt and mix well.
• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and again, scraping sides.
• Scrape filling into springform pan. Place into a baking pan with edges, and fill pan with boiling water 1 inch up the sides.
• Bake cheesecake for 90 minutes with the oven door cracked open slightly. Allow cake to sit at room temperature for an hour before chilling. It is essential to chill overnight.
• Gently run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake before removing springform ring. Cheesecakes cut best with a hot, dry knife.
• *Sugared Lemon Zest*.
• Slice off the top and tail of the lemons and score the lemons lengthwise about five times. Pull the scored peel off the lemons, as if peeling an orange. Julienne the peel segments (slice thinly lengthwise).
• Blanch the peel in a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes and drain (this cooks out the bitterness). Return zest to pot with 1 cup sugar and 1 cup boiling water and simmer until zest appears translucent, about 15 minutes.
• Drain well (you can reserve the syrup to poach fruits or brush onto a lemon loaf). Spread zest onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and let dry for a few hours (4-6). Toss zest with remaining 1/4 cup sugar to coat. Zest will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
• *Sugared Pansies*.
• Whisk egg white until foamy, but not fully whipped.
• Brush or dip flowers with egg white delicately and dip into sugar. Set on a baking pan to dry. Flowers should last a few days in an airtight container.
• *To Assemble*.
• Arrange sugared zest around outside edge of cheesecake and dot top with sugared pansies.

THE PERFECT CHEESECAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• To make the filling, beat together the cream cheese and farmer cheese until smooth.
• Continue beating and add the eggs (one at a time), milk and vanilla.
• Mix together the sugar, cornstarch and salt and add to the wet ingredients, beating until smooth.
• To make the crust, mix together the crumbs, cinnamon and sugar. Add the butter and work with your hands until it is well distributed and coats the crumbs.
• Set aside 1/4 cup of the buttered crumbs to use later on top of the cheesecake.
• Lightly butter a springform pan and place the pan on a cookie sheet to avoid later disaster. Press the crumbs into the sides and bottom of the pan to form a crust.
• Never NEVER pick up the springform pan without supporting its bottom. Nothing is sadder than a whole cheesecake smashed on the oven door or inside the refridgerator. This is the voice of experience speaking!!!
• To assemble, pour the filling carefully into the crust trying not to move the crumbs.
• Sprinkle the reserved crumbs on top of the filling.
• Bake for one hour on a rack in the middle of the oven. Turn off the oven and allow the cake to stand in the oven for a second hour.
• Refrigerate for several hours before attempting to remove the sides of the springform pan and serving.