This extra rich and creamy cheesecake is freezer friendly and so delicious! Perfect for special occasions!
Creamy Cheesecake Recipe
Although I love to travel, I’m a homebody at heart, so after 15 days in LA… IT FEELS GOOD TO BE HOME! And despite the fact that I’m still battling a severe case of jet lag, I couldn’t resist sneaking into the kitchen and baking us something sweet. But I also couldn’t face the grocery store just yet, so I had to make due with ingredients I already had on hand.
Enter this rich and creamy cheesecake recipe! It’s make with simple ingredients like cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and heavy cream. Basically things most bakers always have on hand! And the results? Well let’s just say this classic cheesecake rivals anything you’d buy from a fancy bakery.
How to make Cheesecake
- Before you begin, be sure to lightly spray the entire baking pan with non-stick spray. If you don’t have, or don’t use, canned sprays, you may grease the pan with butter. Greasing the entire pan will ensure your crust and cheesecake don’t stick to the pan. No sticking equals perfect slices!
- Because this recipe begins with the crust, that is also where we will begin. To make the crust you will need melted butter, crushed graham cracker crumbs, and sugar. Yep – just three ingredients! You can buy graham cracker crumbs from the grocery store, or make your own by pulsing sheets of graham crackers in your blender or food processor.
- When pressing the crust down into the bottom of the springform pan, you’re going to want to press it down very firmly. A firmly packed crust will bake up nice and thick, and most importantly, won’t crumble much when sliced. I recommend starting to press the crumbs down in the center of the pan and then working the crust out and just a little bit up the edges.
- Room temperature ingredients are crucial when it comes to making a cheesecake! So be sure you bring your cream cheese, eggs, and heavy cream to room temp before you begin making the batter.
Do I have to make a Water Bath for Cheesecake?
Yes, but I promise it’s not that scary! The water bath helps the cheesecake stay nice and moist! And it also ensures a crack-free presentation.
The best type of pan to use for a water bath is a roasting pan or any other large baking pan with sides at least 2 inches high. You need a pan with high edges so you can put enough water into the pan without it overflowing. The best way to prepare a water bath is to place the wrapped cheesecake pan into the roasting pan, place the pan into the oven, and then – very carefully – add 2 inches of water into the pan. Since this recipe uses a springform pan, you’ll need to wrap the bottom and sides of the springform pan first with aluminum foil to prevent water from coming through the bottom. To quote Mary Berry, “nobody likes a soggy bottom!” lol. So play it safe and use MULTIPLE layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. You’ll want to bring the layer all the way up the sides of the pan, and in a crisscross pattern. I hope that helps!
If you’d like to avoid making a water bath at all costs, you can place the roasting pan of water on the rack beneath the cheesecake. This work about 80% of the time for me, but this method is not foolproof and sometimes I still get a little crack or two.
PRO TIP: BE SURE NOT TO OVERBEAT YOUR CHEESECAKE BATTER! THIS ALLOWS TOO MUCH AIR INTO THE BATTER, AND WILL CAUSE THE CHEESECAKE TO EXCESSIVELY RISE IN THE OVEN, THEN COLLAPSE WHEN REMOVED. TO MAKE A SILKY SMOOTH BATTER WITHOUT OVERBEATING, FULLY BLEND THE CREAM CHEESE BEFORE ADDING THE REMAINING INGREDIENTS.
Can I Freeze Cheesecake?
Yes, of course! Baked cheesecakes freeze great! Simply cool the cheesecake completely, then wrap the whole cheesecake, or slices of the cheesecake, in multiple layers of saran wrap, then place in a freezer bag. This cheesecake will keep, stored properly in the freezer, for two months.
How do you Defrost a Cheesecake?
To defrost the cheesecake, simply thaw the wrapped cheesecake in refrigerator overnight. Do not attempt to thaw cheesecake in the microwave or oven!
More Cheesecake Recipes
- Ultimate Chocolate Cheesecake
- New York-Style Cheesecake Bars
- Creamy Greek Yogurt Key Lime Cheesecake
- Coconut Cheesecake Bars
If you try this cheesecake with heavy cream recipe, let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #bakerbynature on instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day ♥
Extra Rich and Creamy Cheesecake
Prep
Cook
Inactive
Total
Yield 9" cheesecake
This Extra Rich and Creamy Cheesecake is freezer friendly and perfect for special occasions!
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 7 tablespoons butter, melted
For the Creamy Cheesecake:
- 5 blocks of full-fat cream cheese (40 ounces total), softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
- Lightly spray a 9" springform pan with non-stick spray.
- Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with heavy duty tinfoil. I recommend doing several diligent layers here to ensure no water creeps through when you place the pan in the water bath. Set pan aside.
- In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter; stir well to combine. Firmly pat the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes. Place partially baked crust on a cooling rack and set aside while you prepare the filling.
For the Creamy Cheesecake Filling:
- In the body of a high power blender, food processor, stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a very large bowl using a hand held mixer, beat the softened cream cheese until completely smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Add sugar and vanilla and beat smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Add in the eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add in the cream and beat until it's just incorporated in the batter.
- Pour filling into prepared crust and, using a silicon spatula, smooth the top.
- Place the cheesecake pan into a large, deep pan. Fill the pan with 2 inches of hot water. This is your water bath and will help ensure your cheesecake comes out crack free.
- Carefully place the pan in the oven and bake for 1 hour. Turn oven off and let the cheesecake sit, undisturbed, for 30 minutes inside the oven with the door shut. The cheesecake should be still slightly wiggly.
- Remove cake from oven and gently run a knife very around the edge of the cake. Place the cheesecake on a cooling rack and cool completely, then loosely cover the pan with saran wrap and chill for at least 8 hours.
- Cheesecake will keep, covered in the fridge, for 5 days. Cheesecake may be frozen for 2 months. Thaw overnight before slicing.
Courses Dessert
Cuisine American
Looks delicious and can’t wait to try! Thank you for sharing. Just a quick question. In the tips section you mentioned Sour Cream but I don’t see it in the actual recipe. Does this cheesecake need it? Thanks!
Hello!! It’s heavy cream, not sour cream. You add it at the end, it is mentioned in step #3 of the creamy cheesecake filling (cream). Hope it helps
No Worries, Sour Cream workshop just fine. It is being used bij the cheesecake factory within cheesecakes aswell and I have made mine this wau and it is perfect. Either way use heavy Cream or sourcream.
I got a springform pan for Christmas. I have never made a cheesecake before. I am going to try your recipe for New Years but I have a question. When do you take the outside of the pan off.
I see you leave the bottom but no mention of the sides..
I don’t have a big enough pan so I read you put a pan under the cheesecake on the rack below.
The.n do I leave the pan in oven when cake is done and it sits with the oven off.
Thanks in advance for your help in making my first cheesecake. I will let you know how it. Comes out. By the way I live way down south in Louisiana. Toni
If you not putting the cheesecake in the water you don’t have to put the foil on it..
Nope!
Hi, so looking forward to trying this! My favourite dessert is cheesecake and this sounds devine. Quick question, what cream cheese do you recommend? We usually use Philadelphia cream cream cheese for desserts in our part of the world, is there a specific cream cheese or one that you use that you would advise to use in this recipe? Thank you.
I used store brand regular (full cat) cream cheese and it turned out delicious!
I made this for Father’s Day but feel 60 min just wasn’t enough baking time.
I think it says bake for 1 hr then leave in oven for another 30 minutes before taking it out of oven to cool.
wow, the cake looks delicious and very attractive, thank you for sharing
If you choose sour cream over the heavy cream is the measurement the same. 1/2 cup of either……
Hi, thank you for sharing the recipe! It looks delicious and I want to make it, I’m just not sure at what temperature should I bake the cheescake for an hour?
This looks amazing, but we dont need a full cheesecake sitting around the house.
Do you have any tips for freezing? Specifically, freezing it in individual slices? How do you wrap it or package it?
Hi S! If you’re freezing the whole cheesecake, you’ll want to let it cool completely in the fridge, then wrap the whole pan tightly in a double layer of saran wrap and then a single layer of foil and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw the cheesecake overnight in the fridge and eat it within 3 days.
If you’re freezing slices, you want to place the slices on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 6 hours, or until the slices are solid. Then wrap each one individually in a double layer of saran wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Again, the slices should be thawed in the fridge overnight and eaten within 3 days.
Make individual cakes in cupcake tins . That way you can freeze and eat 1 at a time as wanted.
I would love to make this cheesecake, but I would like to add chocolate. How much should you add. Thanks
Hi Dawne. I would suggest checking out this recipe 🙂 https://bakerbynature.com/ultimate-chocolate-cheesecake/
What can I use for a water bath? I completely missed this part and now I just have a 9″ tin, oh dear
Made this cake for a friends birthday. Admittedly, I was a little worried as the batter seemed a little runnier than other recipes, BUT she baked beautifully in an hour, turned off the oven and let her stay in the oven for another hour. She was firm, no breaks… loved it
I made this – superbly delicious and decadent !
Everyone loves it! Thank you for the recipe !
I have one question thou.
Without baking paper lined, I lost quite a bit of the bottom crust when I cut and serve the cheesecake. They get stuck to the base.
Is this supposed to be right?
Oh my, this is sooo good! I even used only half the amount of sugar called for and used Stevia for the other half. I drizzled sugar free homemade Carmel sauce over it and it was heavenly!
Thank you for sharing!
Can you tell us how many calories and fat count is in this cheesecake?
I don’t mean to be rude, but if you were going to have a cheesecake, just go all the way, don’t substitute the heavy cream for some fat free stuff or get 0 sugar cream cheese or none of that stuff. the beauty of eating cheesecake, is the satisfaction and not feeling guilty
I dont have a pan large enough to fit me 9 inch pan either. I put a pan of warm water in the bottom rack of the oven under the cheesecake while baking. It seems to help and i usually have no cracking.
You do NOT want to know!
Hi can I add Butterfingers in this recipe? I’ve been dying for a Butterfingers cheesecake recipe but can’t seem to find one.
Could I substitute Coconut sugar for this? Also, use almond flour for the crust?
Hello, I can’t wait to try this recipe!
If I wanted to add smooth peanut butter to the cheesecake, would it ruin the consistency of the batter and affect the baking? If this isn’t the cake, how much peanut butter would you suggest adding?
thanks for your help!
I made this a few days ago and it was delicious and got rave – and I do mean rave – reviews. The only thing I changed was I baked it 15 minutes longer basically because I was afraid of the jiggle. I would also cut back on graham cracker crust which was a little too thick for me. I’m 64 years old and this was my very first cheesecake but it surely won’t be my last! (How do I post a photo? Mine looked so beautiful.)
It looks like a “flan” more than a cheesecake…but still delicious!
I have made many cheese cakes but have never been able to get that impressive look on top. How is that done?
David, i have learned that allllllll the ingredients must be at room temperature. That is important. Also, i dont have a pan to fit the 9 inch pan so i put a pan of warm water under the cheesecake while it bakes. It seems to help. I have made this twice and no cracks and super creamy. Love this recipe.
If you don’t have heavy cream, could sour cream be substituted?
I can’t wait to make this. It sounds so delicious. I noticed that you said use the whisk attachments. Normally when I make cheesecake they ask to use the paddle attachment. Is there a reason why you suggested the whisk attachment?
I made the recipe over the holidays and it turned out awesome. Would the cooking time be the same if you divided it into smaller (4”) pans?
Hi when you say 5 blocks do you mean 5 packs of like 250g ?300g packs of cream cheese. When I checked from ounce was about over 1kg. ? Is this correct ?
Thanks for your help. And looks delicious!☺️
Yes, that sounds correct (40oz=1133.98grams) so 5 Blocks :0)
I made this cheesecake for Christmas and it was a big hit!! This cheesecake is so creamy and delicious. It was actually better than a the cake BOUGHT in a bakery by someone! I will DEFINITELY be making this again and again!! Thanks for this great recipe!
OMG! This cheesecake is pure heaven. I have a great Cheesecake recipe handed down to me by my beloved Momma. It is wonderful, but, has a lot of ingredients and steps, and is a little heavy. This recipe is so simple to follow. And, the outcome is delicious/creamy, and looks like a bakery cheesecake. I followed the directions and didn’t change ingredients or use any health conscious ingredients. WHY DO PEOPLE DO THAT? Although, ovens are different, so after the 60 minutes (1 hour), it was not golden color on top like the picture from the recipe. So, therefore, I switched my oven to Convection Bake for 5 minutes only and it turned a golden brown. Than, I shut the oven off and left it for about 40 minutes. Pure Perfection! Thank you Ashley aka Baker By Nature for sharing this recipe with everyone. I will be sure to add this to my Recipe Book and continue to make this Cheesecake for a long long time, and pass it down to the next generation in my family. Just curios, where did you find this great recipe???? By the way, I love so many of your recipes. I share your love of cooking and baking. #cookingbyvera
I have been wanting to try this recipe for a long time now, but, have been putting it off. I have my beloved mommas Cheesecake recipe that we have been making for years, and it is delicious, but a little heavy. So, yesterday I decided to try your recipe. Well, it is AMAZING! Just PERFECT. The perfect combination of CREAMY/SWEET HEAVEN. I made a couple of last minute decisions though. As all ovens cook differently, after the 1 hour (60 minutes) it was not golden brown like yours on top. So, I switched my oven to Convection Bake, and for 5 more minutes it turned that golden brown color on top. I also left it in the oven for about 40 mins with the door shut. And, for all of you out there who want to change the ingredients up, WHY??? If you are going to go through the trouble of making Cheesecake, don’t change anything. This recipe will definitely be added to my Recipe Book.
Wow…incredibly delicious, wonderful directions, and not so intimidating to make!! Thank you!!!
I’m making this tomorrow, can I use a 10” springform pan? Would cook time be the same?
Best cheesecake recipe ever!!!
So creamy and delicious
My family said it was like eating high end restaurant quality cake hhhmmmmm yummmmm.
Thank you
I made this cheesecake recipe last night, and OH MY!! It was absolutely AMAZING!! Every ingredient, bake time was perfect! Absolutely delicious….thank you for sharing your recipe.
Made it last night and served it today! It was excellent! I baked it for the full hour then let it stay in the oven for another hour after I turned off the heat. Very creamy!
I’ve been wanting to make this and now have a reason! I’ll be making the 9″ tonight, but wonder if you have any suggestions on baking time for a 6″ cheesecake?
Thanks and I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Hi Lisa! I think this recipe might have too much batter for a 6″ cheesecake pan. But if you do try, you’d likely need to increase the bake time by 20 minutes.
Thank you! I made the 9 inch and it filled it to the rim. It was divine! Everyone devoured it and said it’s the best they’d had. It was so rich and creamy!
I ended up not being able to find my 6 inch pan. I made some extra batter (1/2 recipe and used it to make mini 3 inch cheesecakes. they were very tasty too.
I shared it and tagged you on instagram lisa_sweetsicle.
Thanks for your reply.
Is there a video of this recipe? Could we have one if there isn’t one, please? Thank you.
Currently there is no video for this recipe, but thank you for the feedback and we’ll definitely consider making one soon 🙂
Is there some way to make mini cheesecakes out of this? Maybe in a muffin tin? I want to make a couple of different flavors, but dont have enough people to eat 2cheesecakes.
Hi! If I don’t have a pan big enough to fit my 9in pan in, cab I put a dish of warm water in the rack below? Thank you.
I made this recipe; it was AMAZING; easy to follow,
I just added a dash of cinnamon to the base and
a teaspoon of lemon juice to the batter; thank you
Very much; will be making more of your recipes
for sure.
I have it in the oven now .. followed the recipe exactly , but did anyone find the batter a little runny ?
I don’t have a standing mixer. I wanted to make this tomorrow. Can I use a regular hand held beater?
Also was thinking of making little mini cupcake size- do you need a water bath still and how long should I bake them for? Very excited to make this!
Bonjour Ashley,
Can you give me the temperature for the Creamy Cheesecake ?
Is it always 350 degrés (F) – 180 degrés (C) like for the crust ?
Thank you for your answer.
Excuse me for the fault, but I’m French and my engish is not very good.
NB : I am fan of your blog.
Best regard.
Stéphanie.
“PLEASE HELP” I have never made a Cheesecake from scratch before…there are too many different recipes…YIKES! I want to make one for Mother’s Day, but of course I want it to be “THE BEST EVER”!!!!!
I noticed you also have two different cheesecake recipes…“Extra Rich and Creamy Cheesecake” & “The Beat New-York Style Cheesecake” with strawberry sauce topping.
I can’t decide which recipe… “Extra Rich and Creamy Cheesecake” or “ The Beat New-York Style Cheesecake” with strawberry sauce topping.
Can you tell me how are they different? Is the flavor different, and how about the texture? Is one more creamy then the other? Why the baking difference? Has anyone ever made both of these and compared them??
The other recipe with strawberries has **sour cream and cooks **@325 for **1 hr and 15 mins, turn oven off let sit another **45 mins, remove from oven run a knife around the edge, and let it sit in the pan **15 more mins then cover loosely with plastic wrap then refrigerate.
This recipe says no sour cream, cook @350 for 1 hr let sit in oven for 30 mins longer, and let cool completely before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Thank you, Cindy:)
I have never tried it, but I have read to wrap the bottom of the springform pan in a crockpot bad then wrap in foil to prevent the dreaded soggy bottom.
These are great tips! I’ve tried making homemade cheesecake a few times and it did not come out the way I wanted it to. I will definitely try these methods next time. thanks a lot for sharing
I’ve made this cheesecake twice. It is now my favourite recipe. Thank you!
Can’t wait to make this!!! Above someone asked if you can use a 10” pan instead. Can you? TIA!
Sure! It will just be slightly less thick.
Do you think that this recie can make small bite=sized cheese cakes that would hold together? My mother is celebrating her 90th birthday this year and we are holding a tea party for a large group of friends and family members.. Individual small cakes would be just the ticket.
If i like to add sour cream how much should i add? It will come out different tasty? And The cheesecake looks delicious
This was my first cheesecake and it is the best cheesecake ever! Thank you for this great reception
I made this paleo ish friendly by substituting the sugar with maple sugar and substituted the graham crackers with food processor crushed mixed roasted nuts (cooked the crust about 15 -20 min instead of 8). It turned out AMAZING. I served with strawberries with fresh lime juice and honey.
Love your idea of making the crust of roasted nuts. I still have to loose about ten pounds before December, and this will certainly be a big help! Thank you!
WOW! Simple to make. Absolutely stunning and delicious. Made a raspberry coulis and arrived with fresh berries and whipped cream.
Accidentally forgot to add heavy cream and it didn’t matter at all. Thank you for this recipe!
Sorry, but you didn’t say what to do with the egg whites! The cake looks delicious! I can wait to bake it! Thak you very uch!
You can discard them or save them for another recipe 🙂
This cheesecake recipe is sooo creamy and AMAZING!!!This will be my go to recipe from now on !!!
Hi! I’ve used the recipe twice now and it’s incredible. What would you suggest for baking time if I choose a 7 inch spring form pan instead of the 9? I know I’ll have leftover batter and can use it for a mini but wasn’t sure what to change for the baking time. Thanks!
I made this last night following the recipe to the letter. My family and I just had the first slices and we all agree that it is the best cheesecake we have ever had! For those of you that don’t know us, they are the hardest people to please that you will come across, lol. Will never change cheesecake recipes again!
Hi Dear, I made this recipe already; my homies liked this yummy cheesecake so much. It was really Yummy n Amazing. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe with all of us, will wait for more recipes like this. Love n Regards!!
I’ve been making cheesecake for years and I have to say this is the best cheesecake I’ve ever tasted. I followed the directions exactly and it is perfect. Thank you for sharing.
This is The Ultimate Old Style New York Cheesecake! There is nothing better! The crust is buttery and crispy-sweet, the filling is out of this world decadent! I set my filled spring-form pan inside of a Reynolds Crock Pot Liner bag, then into the water bath which was already set into the oven. Pull the Crock Pot Liner bag up and around the sides of the spring-form pan, then just roll it down a bit when you set it into the water bath. No leaks, no spills, perfection!
This is a huge recipe!!! I took this recipe and made 30 mini cheesecakes in cupcake liners and had leftover batter and was able to make a small but full-size cheesecake. I’ll freeze that for later. Surprising my mom with the mini ones for her birthday!! Ate two of them tonight and they are so creamy and delicious, light and fluffy. This is going to be my go to recipe but I think the next time I’m going to make it a half batch because it was way too much batter but you can never have too much cheesecake in my opinion.
How long did you bake the cupcake size ones please?
Today I made this cheesecake which the first time I’ve EVER made a cheesecake. I had extra crumbs and batter so I also made six little muffin-sized cheesecakes. Its very good but doesn’t seem to have much flavor to me. Tomorrow before taking it to a neighboring autumn bonfire I’ll add apple topping to half, and a pecan pie topping to the other half.
I must admit I’m a bit concerned about it being done in the center, although a knife came out clean.
Thanks for sharing this recipe with us. I feel that it was a success for my first time.
I love this recipe and have made it quite a few times. I triple foil wrapped the bottom of the pan, then a collar around the sides and under, but I think the collar should have gone first. I always seem to get a little water in the foil and keep my fingers crossed that none got in to the cheesecake or crust. I always do a water bath but didn’t have a roasting pan available so I used a large fry pan. Fingers crossed again. Used farm fresh eggs so the color is more yellow than usual. Fingers crossed again. For a recipe I adore – this day before Thanksgiving is a bit spooky. Have you ever had water seep in to the foil?
Me again. The minor seepage of water into the foil wasn’t a problem after all. I did use Triple Ginger cookies from Trader Joe’s to make crumbs for the crust and everyone loved that, topped with a store bought caramel syrup, and the whole thing was great and very ‘Thanksgiving’.
Hello, just to let you know that I made this for one of our requested dessyto have a part of our Thanksgiving menu. I chose your Cheesecake over all others even though I had made Cheesecake from a recipe that I always did from my recipe box,. Your recipe of this Cheesecake was so easy to make, made as instructed, will Definitely make again , my recipe will be exchanged out with yours. My family loved it , ate it all, none left, probably should have made 2. A great recipe. Thanks so much…..
I made this cheesecake for thanksgiving and it was a hit! It was so creamy and delicious! Even some of family who aren’t big fans of cheesecake loved it. I used heavy cream in my recipe too. I will say, once the batter was in the pan it was so close to the top. My mom had to help me put it in the water bath so I wouldn’t spill it. Maybe the pan wasn’t high enough? But my mom is a great baker and she said the pan was big enough so who knows. Other than that, it was a really easy recipe. I would definitely make it again. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hello,
Love your baking and this recipe looks great!
However do you by any chance have the quantities in metric scale?Meaning grams&ml?
I am having a hard time with converting all of it and it never works.
I would like to add a raspberry curd to the top of this cheesecake. Can I pour it on at the end or do I need to bake it a little?
I have this cheesecake in the oven right now!! I used farm fresh eggs, which I hope don’t make a huge difference & I used fresh vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract stuff. SO Crossing my fingers this isn’t son so yummy for Christmas Day!! Thank you for sharing.
I made this for Christmas and the family said it was the best I had ever made, one even said it was just as good as the Cheesecake Factory!
I didn’t have heavy cream so I substituted sour cream.
Very Yummy!!!
How do you get it golden brown on top?
I’ve made this recipe multiple times and it is amazing but it has never turned golden brown on top. Thank you for the recipe. My family loves it!