Basic Cheesecake

This is my go-to cheesecake recipe. It's amazingly good, but simple enough that I don't have to do a lot of planning or fancy techniques. The original recipe by Tyler Florence can be found here. I made a couple of small modifications to the recipe. Also, if you're going to be following the video in the original recipe, please note that your cheesecake should not jiggle as much as his when it comes out of the oven. That's gonna come out really custardy, so unless you like that texture, let it cook for a few more minutes. The center should still jiggle, but really only slightly.

Equipment

• 8-inch spring form pan (20cm)
• Roasting pan or some other pan that your spring form pan will fit into, with at least 2-inch sides
• Spatula
• Mixing equipment - electric whisk, stand mixer, or just your good old wooden spatula
• Aluminum foil
• Measuring equipment
• Something to boil water with

Ingredients

* note that all ingredients should be at room temperature before you start

Crust

• 1.5 cups (200g) of finely ground graham cracker crust, or other crushed biscuits
• 4 tbsp. (60g) of melted butter (probably hotter than room temperature)
• 1 tsp. of sugar
• 1 tsp. of cinnamon (optional, though highly recommended - it tastes amazing!)

Filling

• 2 8-oz packages (450g) of cream cheese
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cups (100g) of sugar
• 1 pint (450ml) of sour cream
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 1 tbsp. of vanilla extract

Topping

• Sliced strawberries & blended strawberries or lemon curd & raspberry sauce

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C)
• Spray your spring form pan with some non-stick spray, or use butter and flour. Wrap the bottom of the pan with aluminum oil to prevent water from getting in. I usually use at least two layers.
• Combine cracker crumbs, 1 tsp. of sugar, and cinnamon together. Add melted butter and mix until well combined.
• Press the crumbs firmly on the bottom of the pan. I don't go up the sides, but if you do, you'll need to add more butter and crumbs. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to spread everything evenly on the bottom, and press firmly down.
• Bake this for about 5-10 minutes once the oven is preheated. Let the form cool down completely while we make the filling.
• It is extremely important that your eggs, cream cheese, and sour cream are at room temperature. Trust me, it makes a huge difference.
• Beat together the cream cheese until it's soft. It shouldn't take more than 30s if your cream cheese is really at room temperature.
• Slowly add the eggs, one at a time, and mix gently, just enough to combine. If you're using an electric whisk or a stand mixer, use the lowest speed setting.
• While still mixing, slowly add in the sugar and mix until combined.
• Add the sour cream in. Ideally, these should combine really well. If you see small lumps of cheese, don't worry, they'll dissolve during baking.
• Add in the zest and vanilla extract, and stir a couple of times.
• Pour the batter in the cooled down form. Place the form inside your larger pan and bring about 1 quart (1L) of water to boil. Place the pan in the middle rack of your oven, and carefully pour the boiling water inside the pan. The water should reach at least one inch up.
• Bake the cheesecake for 60-75 minutes. Again, your cheesecake should jiggle less than Tyler's cheesecake if you don't want to eat custard. But if it's not jiggling at all, then you've overbaked the cheesecake, which is not the worst thing in the world.
• Once done, let the cheesecake cool down in the oven for about 30 minutes, with the oven door open slightly. Then, let it cool down completely on your counter for about an hour to 90 minutes, and after that, chill it for at least 6 hours in the fridge (ideally 12 hours).
• My favorite toppings for this cheesecake include sliced strawberries, strawberry glaze, or a combination of lemon curd spread and raspberry sauce. The cheesecake itself is not as sweet as most cheesecakes you'll get, so it'll go really well with seasonal berries. I love anything lemon, so that's why I add a layer of lemon curd on top, but it might not be your thing.

Tips

• Be careful not to overbake your cheesecake, and let it cool down gently. These are the two biggest reasons why cheesecakes get cracks. Using the above instructions, I have never had mine crack before.
• It can be quite a daunting task to remove the cheesecake from the bottom of the pan once it's chilled in the fridge. I usually put it on the stove and turn it on for 10-15 seconds. The butter on the bottom will melt slightly, which will make it so much easier to remove the cheesecake. Then, you just put it on your plate and plop it back in the fridge for 20 minutes, and you're good to go!
• If you don't use the water bath or don't have a large enough pan, then instead use the "fake water bath" method - put your cheesecake it, put in an oven-safe dish with some boiling water (at least 1.5 cups/300ml) and place it below the cheesecake. It doesn't work as well as a water bath, but it's better than not doing it altogether. Also, you'll definitely want to watch your cheesecake carefully after the 55-minute mark if you do.
• Also, sliced strawberries look amazing on the cheesecake, but they'll be a pain once you start slicing... Just a heads up...