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This rich and creamy classic cheesecake is simple to make, and indulgently delicious. It’s the perfect special occasion dessert!

I’ll be honest: I spent the first 40 years of my life hating cheesecake. It’s one of my dad’s favorite desserts, and my mom made it every year for his birthday and Father’s Day. And despite the repeated exposure, it just never appealed to me. I’ve never been a big fan of sweetened cream cheese in general, and cheesecake was just… too much. And then I was in the hospital after I had my son, and on a whim ordered a piece of cheesecake from the hospital cafeteria. And, shockingly, it was completely amazing! It was so rich and creamy, with a silky texture, and totally indulgent. And somehow that post-delivery cheesecake was tasty enough to change my mind completely. So of course I needed to figure out how to make a totally delicious cheesecake at home, and this classic cheesecake is it!

I don’t have a lot of experience baking cheesecake, but a lot of the recipes I came across seemed very fussy, and made me worried I wouldn’t be able to get it right. This recipe definitely takes some time (that’s the name of the cheesecake game) but it’s simple and straightforward. Using a water bath is the key to a consistent texture and no sinking in the middle. So definitely don’t skip that step! It’s also important to make sure your foil is wrapped tightly around the cheesecake so the water doesn’t seep in and make the crust soggy.

My homemade raspberry sauce is the perfect complement to this cheesecake. It adds a little brightness and tartness, and contrasts beautifully with the rich and sweet cheesecake. I’ve included the recipe below so you can enjoy them together. This cheesecake is dessert perfection!

Prep Time:30

Cook Time:1 30

Chill time:8

Total Time:10

Ingredients

for the crust:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs crushed
1/4 cup sugar
8 tablespoons butter melted

for the filling:

32 ounces cream cheese 4 packages
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
2/3 cup heavy cream

for the raspberry sauce:

12 ounces fresh raspberries
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350.
To make the crust, in a small bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan, pressing it up the sides about an inch. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then remove it from the oven and let it cool completely.
While the crust is cooling, make the filling by beating the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar, salt, and vanilla, and mix until smooth. With the mixer running on low, add the eggs one at a time, and mix until combined. Add the sour cream and heavy cream, and mix well, being sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.
Wrap the outside of the springform pan in 3 layers of aluminum foil to make it water tight. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the pan, filling to the top, and smoothing it out evenly.
Add the springform pan to a roasting pan, then pour boiling water into the roasting pan (being sure not to splash the cheesecake) until it the water reaches about halfway up the side of the springform pan.
Carefully place the roasting pan in the oven and bake 90 minutes. When the baking time is done, turn off the oven, crack the oven door open and inch, and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for an hour.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven, remove the foil layers, and cover the top of the cheesecake with a fresh piece of foil. Refrigerate at least 8 hours, or overnight.
Add the raspberries to a small pot over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and corn starch, then stir the sugar mixture into the raspberries. Add the lemon juice and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently. Simmer 3-5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
To serve the cheesecake, sprinkle the top with powdered sugar, and drizzle each piece with the raspberry sauce. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Servings: 12