There is something about cheesecake that intimidates many bakers. Maybe it’s that water bath or a fancy pan they call for or how many critics claim if you crack the top you ruined the dessert. When a beginner baker looks at cheesecake recipes, they often sigh and stick to the no bake varieties or those box mixes. Let me tell you, there is a way to make classic cheesecake for beginners and without a lot of fancy equipment or so many packages of cream cheese that you need a small business loan to afford to make it.

Do you adore cheesecake but don’t own a springform pan or know what one even looks like? Don’t go out and buy a special pan that you will only use a few times a year, if that. Use an ordinary cake pan and a little parchment paper. Something they fail to mention with springform pans: they leak. Often. And that leaking can ruin your dessert or make you miserable cleaning up a mess in your stove. I’m personally just not a fan of them for cheesecakes or for other deserts. Most of the time despite wrapping them in rolls of aluminum paper, which I find wasteful, water still finds the weak point and you get a ruined or at the best a damp cake.

So now I just use a deep cake pan instead. They are cheap, great for all kinds of desserts and much easier to clean. You never have to worry about soggy, ruined custards or leaking angel food cakes again. Below, I’ll walk you through how to prepare an ordinary cake pan to bake a cheesecake.

What’s more is whereas cheesecakes do love humidity and the water-bath method is preferred, it’s not necessary. You can forego this step and bake it straight in the oven. You’ll get a New York Style cheesecake with a firm texture that still tastes divine. I’ll give you the baking times for both and go through how to bake a cheesecake using the water bath style since it is the more complex one. It is my goal to show how truly easy it is to make classic cheesecake, especially for beginners.

Easy and Delicious Classic Cheesecake

This classic creamy cheesecake is easy for the beginner. The tang of sour cream, the zip of the cream cheese and just the right amount of sugar makes this a traditional cheesecake just begging to be eaten. It's quick to put together and a great dessert for any occasion. You can bake it in a water bath for a more creamy, even texture to have the traditional French style cheesecake or bake it straight in the oven for a New York Style type of cheesecake with its classic firmer texture. You don't need a springform pan for this cheesecake, as we will show you how to use a classic cake pan.

Print Recipe

Prep Time15 minutes minutes

Cook Time1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Chill Time8 hours hours

Total Time9 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Servings16

Calories 277.2

Ingredients

For the Filling

• 3 pkg (678g) cream cheese
• 1 cup (200g) sugar
• 3 large (150g) eggs
• ⅓ cup (80g) sour cream
• 2 tbs (19g) flour
• 1 tsp (5mL) vanilla
• ¼ tsp (1.5g) salt

For the Crust

• 1 ½ cups (140g) graham cracker crumbs
• ⅓ cup (75g) melted butter

Instructions

• About 1/2 – 1 hour before starting, remove cream cheese, sour cream and eggs from the fridge. Bring to room temperature.
• Position the oven rack on the lowest position available. Preheat Oven to 325F (160C.)
• Cut 4 rectangular strips 3.5" x 15" (9 x 38 cm) of parchment paper. Trace the bottom of an 8 or 9" (20 or 23 cm) cake pan and cut a circle of parchment.
• Melt butter in microwave or on stove top. Grease the strips of paper with some of the butter and lay out two in a criss cross pattern on the bottom and up the sides, the others around the sides of the pan and finally the circle on the bottom. Set aside.
• Crush up 9 full sheets of graham crackers in a baggie or blender until you have 1 1/2 cups of fine crumbs. In a small bowl, mix together the crumbs and the remaining melted butter until moistened. Press the crumbs firmly into the bottom of the pan. If desired, you can press some up the sides as well.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add in the sour cream and mix until smooth. Mix in the flour, sugar, vanilla and salt.
• Add in eggs, one at a time and beat on low until just mixed. Over-mixing the batter will lead to cracks and collapsed centers.
• Pour mixture into the pan. Tap a few times to release any air bubbles.
• Place this pan in a larger pan and pour water into the larger pan until it comes about 1/2 way up the sides.
• Bake 70 – 80 minutes or until center just wobbles and temperature reaches 160F (71C.) Turn off oven, prop open the door and allow it to cool slowly for 1 hour. Remove from oven and water bath and finish cooling at room temperature.
• Chill cheesecake in pan 4 hours in the refrigerator. For best results, leave it overnight or 8 hours. Carefully remove from pan and slice. Cheesecake must stay chilled. Store any leftovers in fridge within one hour.

Notes

You can bake this without a water bath.  Preheat oven to 350F (180C.)  Bake 60 – 70 minutes or until center reaches 160F (71C) and just slightly wobbles when moved.  Cool at room temperature before moving to the fridge.

Baking without a water bath will change the texture slightly (think NY style or pumpkin pie) and may cause cracks.

If using a springform pan, wrap the outside of the pan with two layers of heavy duty aluminum foil to prevent water seepage.

Nutrition Facts

Easy and Delicious Classic Cheesecake

Serving Size

 

1 slice

Amount per Serving

Calories

277.2

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

19.9

g

31

%

Saturated Fat

 

12.3

g

77

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

0.1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

0.4

g

Sodium

 

235.8

mg

10

%

Carbohydrates

 

22.8

g

8

%

Fiber

 

0.3

g

1

%

Protein

 

4.8

g

10

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

* Calories provided as a courtesy and not guaranteed.