Are you searching “how to make perfect cheesecake”? Look no further for the best cheesecake recipe! This recipe will make cheesecake that tastes like the famous cheesecake factory cheesecake, but with a flare of chocolate crust. If you are a cheesecake lover, this recipe is for you.
One of my favorite places to get cheesecake is from The Cheesecake Factory. Unfortunately, or fortunately if you want to view it as me being saved from overeating cheesecake every day, the city I live in does not have a local Cheesecake Factory. The closest Cheesecake Factory near me is three hours away! That is why I made it one of my missions to make cheesecake that would satisfy my cheesecake cravings. I tried various recipes and I found that the one I’ll be sharing with you today is the perfect cheesecake recipe.
Differences between New York Style Cheesecake and Regular Cheesecake
You may have heard of New York cheesecake. New York style cheesecake is typically known to be much denser than compared to a regular cheesecake and is extremely rich because it does not call out for heavy cream or sour cream in the ingredient list. Regular cheesecake will call out for heavy cream or sour cream to create that creamy texture you feel when biting into the cake. I am a fan of the regular cheesecake, so this cheese cake recipe calls the use of sour cream. I promise you that you’ll love this recipe
How to Keep Cheesecake from Cracking
Have you ever seen cheesecakes with cracks on the top surface? The flavor is not ruined, but the appearance is just not picture perfect. That is because the cheesecake may have been over baked or the cake cooled down and deflated while the edges were still stuck to the sides of your baking pan.
One way you can prevent your cheesecake from cracking is to make sure you do not over bake your cheesecake is to use a water bath baking process. The water creates moisture in the oven when baking; therefore, it keeps the cheesecake batter from cracking as it is baking because it is a form of custard cake. Custards need moisture to prevent the tops from becoming dry and rubbery as it bakes.
The second way to prevent your cheesecake from cracking is to use a knife, I recommend a butter knife, and run it around the edge of the pan to unstick the cheesecake from the baking pan. I highly recommend using a springform pan for baking cheesecake to easily remove it from the pan after it is done baking and is cooled down.
How to Bake Using a Water Bath
Water bath baking is a term used when you bake anything in an enclosed pan that is inserted in a larger pan with water.
I used a roasting pan as my water bath pan. It is larger than my 9″ springform pan. I filled 0.75 inches in height of water into the roasting pan. I wrapped large sheets of aluminum foil around my springform pan to prevent water from leaking into my springform pan when I placed it into the center of my water filled roasting pan.
Crust
The cheesecake crust can be altered to your liking. I will be showing you how to make a chocolate crust using chocolate graham crackers; however, you can use the regular graham cracker or cinnamon graham cracker as alternatives. The cheesecake chocolate crust recipe will remain the same in terms of the ratio of ingredients even if you swap out the chocolate for non-chocolate graham cracker.
Cheese Cake Recipe
Serving Size = one 9″ round springform pan
Filling Ingredients:
4 packages of full fat cream cheese (each 8oz packages), at room temperature
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups white granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cheesecake Topping Ingredients:
1/2 cup of sour cream
2 teaspoons sugar
Chocolate Cheesecake Crust Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of chocolate graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons of white granulated sugar
1/3 cups butter, melted
Step 1:
Prep your oven preheating the oven at 475 degree Fahrenheit.
Prep a pan larger than your 9″ springform pan with 0.75″ of water. Place pan into the oven as oven is preheating.
Step 2:
Prep your crust. Put your graham cracker into a food processor to make graham cracker crumbs. If you do not have a food processor, you can place your graham crackers into a ziplock bag and use your hands or a rolling pin to break the graham crackers into crumbs.
Step 3:
Put your 1 1/2 cup of graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoon of sugar and 1/3 cup of melted butter into a bowl. Mix well.
Step 4:
Pour your curst mixture into your springform pan. Press the crust onto the bottom and sides of your springform pan. Place your crust into the freezer.
Step 5:
Cream together your cheesecake filling ingredients of 4 packages of cream cheese, 1 1/4 cups of sugar, 1/2 cup of sour cream and 2 teaspoons of vanilla using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Once everything is smooth, add in one egg at a time until all 5 eggs have been added into your cheesecake filling batter.
Step 6:
Take your curst out of the freezer. Pour your cheesecake filling batter into the pan over the crust.
Step 7:
Use a large aluminum foil sheet to cover the sides of the springform pan to prevent water from leaking into the pan when you place it into a water bath for baking.
Step 8:
Slowly place your cheesecake into the preheated water bath for baking. Bake the cheesecake for 13 minutes at 475 degree Fahrenheit, then turn the oven temperature down to 350 degree Fahrenheit and continue to bake for 50 minutes. Avoid opening the oven door as you are baking. Once timer is done, carefully remove cake from oven. Let your cheesecake cool for about 5 minutes then take a knife and run it around the edge of the pan to unstick the cheesecake from the pan, but do not take the cheesecake out of the springform pan. Continue to allow the cake to cool down for 15 minutes.
Step 9:
The final step is to make your cheesecake topping. In a bowl, add in 1/2 cup of sour cream and 2 teaspoon of sugar. Mix well. Spread this over the top of your cheesecake once the cheesecake has fully cooled down.
Now your cheesecake is ready!
You can top your cheesecake with strawberry and cherry topping for a sweet and tart cheesecake or chocolate syrup, like how I did mine, to make it into a chocolate delight.
I hope you enjoy this cheesecake recipe.
Be sure to share with me your cheesecake photos by tagging me on Facebook using #BubblepinsFoodie.
I would love to know what you thought about this recipe, and if you made alternations. Feel free to share your comments below. ENJOY!
Cheese Cake Recipe with Chocolate Crust
Ingredients
Cheesecake Filling
- 4 packages full fat cream cheese (8oz package) at room temperature
- 5 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream at room temperature
- 1¼ cup white granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cheesecake Topping Ingredients
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons white granulated sugar
Chocolate Cheesecake Crust Ingredients
- 1½ cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup butter melted
Instructions
- Prep your oven preheating the oven at 475° Fahrenheit.Prep a pan larger than your 9″ springform pan with 0.75″ of water. Place pan into the oven as oven is preheating.
- Prep your crust. Put your graham cracker into a food processor to make graham cracker crumbs. If you do not have a food processor, you can place your graham crackers into a ziplock bag and use your hands or a rolling pin to break the graham crackers into crumbs.
- Put your 1 1/2 cup of graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoon of sugar and 1/3 cup of melted butter into a bowl. Mix well.
- Pour your curst mixture into your springform pan. Press the crust onto the bottom and sides of your springform pan. Place your crust into the freezer.
- Cream together your cheesecake filling ingredients of 4 packages of cream cheese, 1 1/4 cups of sugar, 1/2 cup of sour cream and 2 teaspoons of vanilla using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Once everything is smooth, add in one egg at a time until all 5 eggs have been added into your cheesecake filling batter.
- Take your curst out of the freezer. Pour your cheesecake filling batter into the pan over the crust.
- Use a large aluminum foil sheet to cover the sides of the springform pan to prevent water from leaking into the pan when you place it into a water bath for baking.
- Slowly place your cheesecake into the preheated water bath for baking. Bake the cheesecake for 13 minutes at 475 degree Fahrenheit, then turn the oven temperature down to 350 degree Fahrenheit and continue to bake for 50 minutes. Avoid opening the oven door as you are baking. Once timer is done, carefully remove cake from oven. Let your cheesecake cool for about 5 minutes then take a knife and run it around the edge of the pan to unstick the cheesecake from the pan, but do not take the cheesecake out of the springform pan. Continue to allow the cake to cool down for 15 minutes.
- The final step is to make your cheesecake topping. In a bowl, add in 1/2 cup of sour cream and 2 teaspoon of sugar. Mix well. Spread this over the top of your cheesecake once the cheesecake has fully cooled down.
