Easy Cheesecake

Every home baker needs a classic cheesecake recipe, and we find this one of our easy cheesecake recipes. All you need is 20 minutes of prep time and no water bath is necessary. Once you bake this for the first time, you won’t be able to stop making this easy cheesecake recipe.

Easy to make, it’s so delicious that friends and family will keep asking for it again and again. The recipes we include for Homemade Raspberry Sauce and Sour Cream Topping take it to another level, adding another layer of sweetness. For the raspberry sauce, allow an additional 15 minutes of prep (but you can do that while the cheesecake is baking) and the sour cream topping takes just five minutes. Professional cheesecake bakers even freeze it completely and thaw it for a few hours before slicing and serving. Alternatively, chilling the cheesecake in the fridge for two hours is okay.

Ingredients for Easy Cheesecake

Laura Scherb for Taste of Home

• Graham cracker crumbs: Crushed graham crackers add more than just the flavors (honey, vanilla extract and cinnamon) to this crust. The sugar within the crackers helps bind the crust together.
• Sugar: Sugar is used for the crust, filling and the homemade raspberry sauce in this cheesecake recipe. Use granulated sugar in all instances.
• Butter: Your butter should be cold, not room temperature. Simply remove the butter from the fridge just before adding to the recipe.
• Cream cheese: You can’t make a cheesecake without cheese, of course, and the reason why cream cheese does so well is it’s a soft, spreadable and not overpowering.
• Lemon juice: You’ll barely taste the lemon in this recipe—used for both the filling and the homemade raspberry sauce—but it’s super important because lemon acts as a thickener.
• Vanilla extract: Injecting even a tiny bit of vanilla extract in your cheesecake goes a long way as this ingredient interacts with all the other ingredients in such a way that accentuates them. This includes helping the sugar have a caramel-like flavor.
• Eggs: Your eggs should be at room temperature before adding them to the recipe. The reason you incorporate eggs into a cheesecake recipe is because they do the heavy lifting of adding structure.
• Cornstarch: This ingredient is one of the five ingredients in the Homemade Raspberry Sauce and helps thicken the sauce so you can easily pour it on top of the cheesecake.
• Raspberries: Used for the Homemade Raspberry Sauce, either fresh or frozen raspberries will work but if you have access to fresh berries, opt for those! Your palate will thank you.
• Confectioners’ sugar: For the sour cream topping, confectioners’ sugar (also called powdered sugar) is used.
• Sour cream: Many cheesecake recipes will fold in sour cream and there’s a reason: it adds to the fluffiness—even in this case—but without packing in more sweet notes.

Directions

Step 1: Make the crust

Laura Scherb for Taste of Home

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, combine crushed graham crackers and sugar. Next, cut in the butter until the crust is crumbly. Grease the sides only of a 9-inch springform pan and press the crust mixture onto the pan’s bottom. Bake for 10 minutes, and cool on a wire rack before adding the cheesecake filling.

Editor’s Tip: In a pinch, it’s okay to buy a store-bought graham-cracker crust. The taste will not vary substantially.

Step 2: Make the filling

Laura Scherb for Taste of Home

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until the mixture is smooth. Next, beat in the lemon juice and vanilla before adding the eggs.  Beat it on low speed until the ingredients are combined.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t have a hand-held or stand mixer? No problem. Your arm will be sore but you can beat this by hand if needed. However, it’s worth using a mixer if you’ve got one to ensure there aren’t any lumps in the batter.

Step 3: Bake the cheesecake

Laura Scherb for Taste of Home

Pour the filling into the crust. Bake at 350° for 45 to 55 minutes or until the center is almost set. You’ll know when it’s set by lifting up the cheesecake and it will no longer jiggle. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. To remove from the pan, Carefully run a butter knife around the inside edge, to remove from the pan. Before serving, cool for an additional hour.

Step 4: Make the sauce/topping

Laura Scherb for Taste of Home

While the cheesecake is baking, make one or both of these optional toppings. For the homemade raspberry sauce, combine the sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan, then stir in the water until the mixture is smooth. Add fresh or frozen raspberries and stir until the sauce is thickened. Remove the sauce from the heat and strain it to remove seeds. Finally, stir in the lemon juice. Transfer the sauce to a small bowl and cover. Store it in the fridge. For the sour cream topping, combine sour cream and confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl until smooth and store in a covered container in the fridge.

Laura Scherb for Taste of Home

Easy Cheesecake Variations

• Top with fruit: Is there anything better than a sweet layer of berries on top of this amazing, fluffy cheesecake? Buy a can of Duncan Hines Original Country Cherry topping or Original Berry Medley and dump it on top in lieu of this recipe suggested homemade raspberry sauce. Wait until the cheesecake has slightly cooled.
• Add a layer of whipping cream: Like with our family favorite cheesecake, an inch of whipped cream is the cheesecake’s top layer, featuring whipping cream, sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract.

How to Store Easy Cheesecake

This is a very easy cheesecake to store! Cover the cheesecake in the fridge or the freezer. You do want to store this at room temperature even if it’s covered because it will evolve into a sloppy mess that affects both the appearance and flavor.

Can you freeze easy cheesecake?

Pastry pros and professional bakers prefer to freeze the cheesecake after it’s cooled from baking. Then it thaws for three hours before serving. You can also freeze the cheesecake for up to two months. Make sure to not freeze it with the homemade raspberry sauce or sour cream topping on top. If you’ve already added those to the cheesecake, simply scrape them off and then freeze. You can always add later.

How long does easy cheesecake last?

While we don’t think you’ll be stuck with extra cheesecake—because this is a winner with most people’s palates—it’s safe to say that cheesecake stored in the fridge should be consumed within five to seven days. 

Can you make easy cheesecake ahead of time?

To save time you can make the crust ahead and store it in the refrigerator for up to two days. You could also make and refrigerate the premade filling for up to a day. It’s not recommended to store the cheesecake filling and crust together as this may make the crust soggy. A premade homemade raspberry sauce lasts up to three or four days. The sour cream topping should be made no more than one day before serving.

How do you reheat easy cheesecake?

Cheesecake is meant to be eaten cold so it’s not a good idea to reheat this.

Easy Cheesecake Tips

Laura Scherb for Taste of Home

Can I make this vegan?

We get that there’s a dairy-free dieter in your midst but the best way to make a cheesecake vegan is to go with an entirely new recipe and not alter this one.

Can I turn this into a chocolate cheesecake?

We think there are few things that taste better than chocolate and fruit so yes, that’s a definite option. Add melted chocolate chips to the batter.