How To Make Cheesecake The Ultimate Guide

No more feeling intimidated when it comes to making cheesecake! This how-to guide is here to save the day. Start by making the BEST New York cheesecake, then move on to this lemon or key lime cheesecake!

How to Make Cheesecake

Here we go! Cheesecake making 101, and I’m setting you up for success! This ultimate cheesecake guide is everything you need to know and more. I walk you through all the steps and answer commonly asked questions I’ve seen throughout the years. You can apply these tips to all of your favorite cheesecake recipes! Once you get comfortable, try my Oreo or chocolate cheesecake flavors. You’ll LOVE the endless possibilities when it comes to making this impressive dessert!

Let’s Start with the Crust!

A buttery sweet graham cracker crust is the start to making the perfect cheesecake! Here are the best tips for preparing the crust.

Perfect Filling Ingredients

Here are the ingredients needed for a basic cheesecake filling! Each ingredient is necessary to achieve its smooth and creamy texture.

Cream Cheese: Full-fat block cream cheese gives the best results! Sour cream: Adds moisture and helps make the texture softer/creamier. Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar needs to be beaten into the batter long enough that the sugar dissolves. This process also helps aerate the batter, which aids in the cheesecake rising. Eggs: The protein in eggs helps the cheesecake set. If you don’t use enough eggs then the cheesecake will be too soft or won’t set. However, if you use too many eggs then the cheesecake will be too firm with a sunken, cracked center.

Baking Cheesecake in a Water Bath

Water baths help achieve the perfect cheesecake texture! How does it work? It helps the cheesecake bake evenly, so the outside doesn’t bake faster than the center. The water surrounding the pan heats up and stays much more consistent in temperature than hot air. This helps to maintain even baking from the sides to the middle.

Room Temperature Ingredients: This is SO important! Using cold ingredients will result in a lumpy texture. Set the ingredients out 2 hours before you start. Scrape the Bowl: down the sides and bottom of the bowl, a few times with each step of the batter to ensure everything is well incorporated and to avoid any lumps. Speed: Don’t mix the batter at too high of a speed! This will add a lot of air into the batter, which you don’t want. Mix on a medium/moderate speed to help everything blend well, but avoid whipping it. Air in a cheesecake will lead it to crack or sink in the center. How to soften cream cheese? The cream cheese should be at room temperature, so it’s best to set it out on the counter for 2 hours before preparing the filling. If it’s not very soft, I would put it in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it for 15-20 seconds in the microwave. It should be soft enough to indent with your finger easily, but not so soft that your finger goes more than halfway through it.

How to Make a Water Bath?

A water bath is easy to make! You don’t have to feel intimidated anymore with my helpful steps.

Baking Without a Water Bath

If you choose not to use a water bath, your cheesecake will take 15-30 minutes longer to bake because the center will take longer to set. The cheesecake will rise quite a bit more and brown on top. Once it hits the right wobble in the center, turn off the oven and finish the cooling process as directed.

How Do I Know When My Cheesecake is Done?

The best way to know when your cheesecake is done baking is to do the wobble test. It’s a gentle shake of the roasting pan to test if the center “wobbles.” Here are some tips to help you test and look for doneness.

Wobble Test Tips

Releasing the Cheesecake From the Pan: Run a sharp paring knife around the outside of the pan before opening the springform pan. Hot Knife: When slicing the cheesecake, use a large, sharp chef’s knife. Run the knife under very hot water to get that perfect clean cut. Cutting: Wipe the knife clean after each cut. Heat the knife before every new cut and dry it with a paper towel or a clean kitchen towel before slicing.

How to Cool and Chill: Allow the cheesecake to cool on the counter for 1-2 hours or until it reaches room temperature. Cover and chill it in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours or overnight. In the Refrigerator: Store for 4-5 days in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. In the Freezer: Store in an airtight container or wrap with plastic wrap in tin foil. Your cheesecake will stay good for about 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge before you serve it!