How to Make Cheesecake

Do you swoon over cheesecake and wish you could make it at home? You’ve come to the right place!

There are so many kinds of cheesecake you can make, ranging from easy to advanced. You can bake cheesecake or go with a quicker, no-bake version. 

And, you can make cheesecake in almost any flavor. How about hot chocolate cheesecake, lemon cheesecake, cookie dough cheesecake, or peanut butter brownie cup cheesecake?

Are you drooling yet?

Let’s get to the details.

Tips for Making Cheesecake

1. To prevent lumps, start with softened cream cheese. Let it sit out for an hour before starting. Beat one block of cream cheese until smooth, then add the remaining blocks one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the remaining batter ingredients and mix until smooth.
2. To prevent cracks:

• Bake the cheesecake in a water bath (bain-marie). If your springform leaks, you’ll need to wrap it in foil before filling it, or else place the springform in a pie dish, then put the pie dish with the springform in the water bath.
• Don’t open the oven during baking. This creates a draft that could cause cracks.
• After baking the cheesecake, let it sit in the oven with the door ajar for one hour. This allows the cheesecake to slowly cool down.

3. For the best texture, chill the cheesecake overnight to allow it to set. At the very least, chill it for six hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers for up to five days or freeze for 2-3 months.
4. To prevent the cheesecake crust from sticking to the sides of the pan, make sure to grease the sides well with cooking spray. Then, when removing the sides of your pan, lightly unhinge the spring and run a flat-edged knife around the inside of the pan to release the crust from the sides.

How to Make Cheesecake Crust

Many cheesecakes feature a graham cracker crust made by crushing graham crackers and stirring in sugar and melted butter. But, you could substitute cookies for the crackers to make an Oreo crust, a vanilla wafer crust, or a Nutter Butter crust.

How to Make No-Bake Cheesecake

To make a no-bake cheesecake, you simply need to beat cream cheese with whipped cream, sugar, plus the flavors of your choice.

Add some canned pumpkin and warm spices to for no-bake pumpkin cheesecake. Add some funfetti cake mix and white chocolate for no-bake funfetti cheesecake.

Place the cheesecake filling over your crust. Then, chill the no-bake cheesecake for at least three hours so it can set.

New York Cheesecake vs. Regular Cheesecake

New York cheesecake is taller than regular cheesecake. It’s made with extra cream cheese, plus sour cream or whipping cream, to make a large volume of batter and a creamier cheesecake.

What to Do if Your Cheesecake Cracks

Don’t worry if your cheesecake cracks. All is not lost!

You can simply cover the top of your cheesecake with whipped cream, pie filling or caramel sauce.

Do you Need Flour for Cheesecake?

Many cheesecakes contain flour to make them firmer. But you don’t need to use flour. Try this gluten-free, fluffy crustless cheesecake made without flour.

Cheesecake Variations

Now that you know the basics, you can make mini cheesecakes, vegan cheesecake bars, cheesecake brownies, or even cheesecake poke cake. Enjoy!

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