Classic Baked Cheesecake
This easy baked cheesecake infused with lemon zest is super creamy and the buttery crust is perfect. Served with an easy berry sauce, it is the ultimate indulgent dessert.
Baked Cheesecake: A Creamy & Dreamy Dessert
This dreamy, creamy classic lemon baked cheesecake recipe is honestly the stuff of dreams. The buttery crust is the perfect base for the incredibly luscious, creamy lemon cheesecake filling. The sour cream cheesecake topping finishes the baked cheesecake off beautifully (and hides any cracks that might’ve appeared while baking, but keep reading, I have a few tips for that). And then there’s that easy berry sauce. Ruby red, with just enough tartness to complement the sweet and creamy cheesecake.
If you’re looking for the ultimate decadent dessert, this cheesecake recipe is it. A total showstopper and easier than you might think.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the crust:
- Cookies. Graham crackers or Digestive biscuits are classic.
- Melted butter. I always use salted butter but feel free to substitute with unsalted butter.
For the cheesecake filling
- Cream cheese. Use full-fat cream cheese. Philadelphia is my go-to.
- Cottage cheese. If you can find it, creamed cottage cheese or smooth cottage cheese is best. Alternatively, blend chunky cottage cheese until smooth in a blender. Cottage cheese adds lightness to the filling.
- Caster sugar. Also called superfine sugar, this can usually be found in the baking aisle of your supermarket.
- Flour.
- Eggs.
- Sour cream.
- Vanilla extract.
- Salt.
- Fresh lemon zest. Optional.
For the berry sauce
I can’t think of a better companion to rich cheesecake than berry sauce, and this one is so quick and easy to make. Chocolate ganache or caramel sauce are great options too.
- Frozen berries. I like using a mixture of berries but you can use strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or cherries on their own if you prefer.
- Lemon juice.
- Sugar.
- Cornstarch.
- Water.
How To Make Baked Cheesecake
- Make the crust: Crush the cookies and mix with melted butter. Press into the bottom of a springform pan and place in the freezer while you make the filling.
- Make the cheesecake filling: Beat the cream- and cottage cheese together until light and fluffy, then add the flour and sugar. Beat the eggs in, one-at-a-time then fold in the sour cream, lemon zest and vanilla. Pour the cheesecake batter into the Graham cracker crust then place in the oven and bake according to recipe instructions.
- Make the sour cream topping: Combine the sour cream and sugar then pour over the baked cheesecake, return to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes.
- Allow to cool: Once baked, open the oven door and allow to cool for at least one hour.
- Serve: Serve sliced with the berry sauce.
Tips For The Best Baked Cheesecake
- Use room temperature ingredients: This ensures proper blending and prevents lumps. It’s essential that the cream cheese is at room temperature.
- Scrape the bowl regularly: Use a rubber spatula and scrape down the sides of the bowl regularly to ensure even mixing.
- To water bath or not to water bath: To play it safe, I would suggest using a water bath/Bain Marie to bake your cheesecake to prevent cracking. Some ovens are inconsistent with their temperature and the water evens out the heat. If you know your oven to be consistent, you can skip this step.
- Bake slowly: Avoid rushing the baking process. Low heat and a slow bake will result in a perfectly creamy, smooth cheesecake.
- Check for jiggle: The center should have a slight jiggle once baked. It will continue setting as it cools.
- Let the cheesecake cool slowly: By allowing the cheesecake to cool with the oven door ajar, you avoid a huge temperature difference which can lead to cracking.
Servings: 16
Calories: 483kcal
Ingredients
For the crust
- 400 g (14oz) cookies crushed (Graham crackers/Digestive biscuits)
- 100 g (3.5oz) butter melted
For the filling
- 750 g (1½lb) plain cream cheese room temperature
- 250 g (½lb) creamed cottage cheese room temperature
- 250 g (1¼ cups) caster sugar
- 3 tbsp/50g flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 250 ml (1 cup) sour cream
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- zest of 1 lemon
For the topping
- 500 ml (2 cups) sour cream
- 50 g (¼ cup) sugar
Easy berry sauce
- 400 g (14oz) frozen berries
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp cornflour/corn starch mixed with 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 230ºC and grease a 20cm springform cake pan well.
- For the crust, combine the crushed cookies with the melted butter and mix well. Press into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared cake pan. The crust doesn’t have to be all the way up to the top of the pan.
- Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- To make the cheesecake filling, beat the cream cheese and cottage cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until fluffy. (You can make the filling with an electric hand mixer and large mixing bowl too.) Add the sugar and flour and continue beating until well mixed, scraping down half way through the mixing.
- Add the eggs and yolk, one at a time, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition.
- Stir in the sour cream, lemon zest and vanilla extract.
- Pour the filling onto the chilled crust and place on a baking sheet (if your oven’s temperature is not steady and you know it has heat spots, wrap the bottom of the cake pan in foil and place the cake pan into a deep roasting dish. Fill up to half way up the cake pan’s height with boiling water then place in the oven.) and place in the oven.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 230ºC then turn down the heat to 110ºC and allow to bake for a further 45-60 minutes, until the cake’s centre jiggles slightly when the pan is gently shaken.
- Mix together the sour cream and sugar and pour gently on top of the cake and return to the oven to bake for another 15 minutes.
- When the cheesecake is baked, switch off the oven and open the oven door. Allow the cheesecake to cool for at least one hour this way and then transfer to the refrigerator to cool overnight.
- To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Cool to room temperature and serve with slices of cheesecake. e
Nutrition
Calories: 483kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 406mg | Potassium: 244mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 834IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 151mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Why Did My Cheesecake Crack?
- Over-mixing (especially after the eggs are added) will introduce too much air into the batter. The cheesecake will rise and then sink when removed from the oven, causing the top to crack.
- Opening the oven while the cheesecake is still baking can cause it to crack. Keep the temperature steady during baking. A good way to do that is to bake the cake in a water bath.
- Over-baking. The cheesecake will still have a wobbly center which will result in a crack-free, creamy texture.
- Removing the cake from the oven too quickly. Once baked, open the oven door and then leave it to cool in the oven for an hour or so. This will allow the cheesecake to chill slowly.
what fat percentage should the sour cream have? planning on making this for my granny’s bday!!
Such a perfect cheesecake and I love the pretty berry topping! 🙂
Thanks so much Laura!
Holy moly this cheesecake looks amazing Alida! Cheesecake happens to be my husband’s favorite dessert! Gotta try your recipe soon!
Thanks so much Mary Ann! 🙂
My mouth is watering looking at your pictures. I needed a good classic cheesecake recipe, so thank you for posting this!
Thanks so much Susie! 🙂
I can’t get over how decadent and thick this cheesecake is. Topped with the berry sauce, it’s just the perfect dessert.
Thanks so much Sharon!
This looks so creamy! I have been intimidated by making cheesecakes but this recipe looks like one that I can do. That berry sauce is the perfect complement.
You must try this recipe, I think you’ll ace it!
Oh my goodness, this cheesecake is perfection! I don’t think that brand of cream cheese is available around here, which is too bad because it looks like it cooked beautifully in this cake.
You could use any good quality cream cheese in this recipe and it will work perfectly. ?
I would suggest using 20%less ingredients. My 20cm spring form pan couldn’t fit all of it and didn’t have any space for the sour cream topping. I had to scoop some out and then still rose a bit. I am in Australia and maybe the pans are different?
That’s strange, how deep was your pan? The one I use is around 10cm deep.
This looks like the perfect classic cheesecake – which is my favorite type! I also love that you’ve made your own compote out of mixed berries instead of the traditional cherries.
That compote is the perfect tangy counter for the rich, creamy cheesecake.
I freaking LOVE all types of cheesecakes, but classic baked cheesecake I can’t go past! that berry sauce looks so so good!!!
Thanks Georgie!