The Best Classic Vanilla Cheesecake Recipe! (video)
You can never go wrong with a classic vanilla cheesecake for any celebration! Sharing my favorite classic cheesecake recipe, served with whipped cream, berries, and/or raspberry sauce. This simple and elegant cheesecake is super easy to make and comes together in no time. It’s great for making ahead of time, too!
Watch My Vanilla Cheesecake Video Tutorial
Watch my YouTube video reel for my latest cheesecake tutorial, and watch my older, full-length tutorial for more details. Please note, the printable recipe below is the updated version!
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Ingredients for Making Classic Cheesecake
Here are my tips for the main ingredients you’ll need to make this incredible classic vanilla cheesecake. Find the full list of ingredients with measurements in the printable recipe card below.
- Cream Cheese – soft the cheese at room temperature for at least an hour prior to making the cheesecake batter.
- Eggs – having the eggs at room temperature will ensure the cheesecake bakes more evenly.
- Sour Cream – the full-fat versions will work best.
- Vanilla – you can use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Graham Crackers – both regular and gluten free crackers will work great.
Supplies & Tools for the Recipe
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Preparing the Graham Cracker Crust
This vanilla cheesecake is made with a simple graham cracker crust. While you can pre-bake the crust, I don’t find it necessary and skip the step.
- Preheat the oven to 300F. Wrap the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan with a sheet of wide foil. This will seal the pan from water.
- Place the graham crackers into a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Don’t have a food processor? Place the cookies into a plastic bag and crush using a rolling pin.
- Add in the melted butter and then pulse again until the crumbs are well coated.
- Transfer the crumbs into the prepared pan and use a spoon to press the crumbs firmly and evenly into the sides and bottom of the pan.
Making Vanilla Cheesecake Batter
This cheesecake recipe is super easy to make with either a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer.
- Place the softened cream cheese into a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl. Beat for 7 to 10 minutes, scrapping down the sides of the bowl often, until the cheese is creamy and smooth.
- Add in the sugar, vanilla, and salt next. Beat again for a few minutes until the batter is creamy.
- Add in the eggs and sour cream last, then beat for a few minutes until the eggs are well beaten.
Baking Instructions for Vanilla Cheesecake
- Pour the vanilla cheesecake batter over the graham cracker crust. Use a spoon to smooth off the top and tap the cheesecake a few times to release any air bubbles.
- Place the springform pan onto a large baking sheet and fill it with water. This step is easier done with the pan on the oven rack. This method of baking is called a water bath. The extra moisture will keep the cake level and will prevent cracking.
- Bake the cheesecake at 300F for 2 hours. Turn the oven off and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon, then allow the cake to cool slowly to room temperature (about 2 to 3 hours).
- Remove the foil wrapping, then transfer the vanilla cheesecake into the refrigerator to chill for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
Garnish & Serving Classic Cheesecake
Once the cheesecake is chilled, gently release the springform pan from around the sides. Slide a flat spatula under the crust to loosen the cake, then transfer onto a cake stand.
Garnish the top of the cake with whipped cream and berries, if desired. You can also serve with additional whipped cream on the side and a few spoonful’s of raspberry sauce.
Easy Whipped Cream for Topping
Garnish and serve this vanilla cheesecake with simple whipped cream!
- Pour the chilled cream into a large mixing bowl. Add the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract.
- Begin whisking the cream on low speed, gradually increasing to high speed. Whisk for a 2 to 4 minutes until stiff peaks form.
- Transfer the whipped cream into a pastry bag tipped with a star tip. Keep the whipped cream refrigerated until ready to use.
Optional Raspberry Sauce for Serving
I love this classic cheesecake with berries and a simple raspberry sauce. It’s super easy to make, too!
- Place the raspberries and sugar into a small saucepan and mash the berries.
- Heat the berries over medium heat to a simmer. Simmer for 6 to 10 minutes, until a thick jam forms. Stir often.
- Pour the sauce into a fine mesh sieve and use a rubber spatula to press the juices through the sieve, leaving behind the seeds.
- Whisk the resulting raspberry sauce and spoon over each serving of cheesecake.
More Recipes!
Enjoyed this easy and delicious vanilla cheesecake recipe? Check out some of my other recipes you’re sure to love!
- No-Bake Vanilla Cheesecake – a no-bake version of this classic dessert, garnished with raspberry swirls!
- White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake – this one is always a huge hit! Sweet and rich cheesecake with raspberries and raspberry sauce.
- The Best Strawberry Cheesecake – a fruity cake dotted with berries, topped with whipped cream and more strawberries!
- Lemon Meringue Cheesecake – one of my favorites! A creamy lemon cheesecake with lemon curd, topped with torched meringue.
Share it on Pinterest!
The Best Classic Vanilla Cheesecake Recipe (video)
Ingredients
For Cheesecake:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, approximately 12 whole graham crackers
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 32 oz cream cheese, softened at room temp; 4 packages
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups mixed berries, for serving
For Whipped Cream (optional):
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, well chilled
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For Raspberry Sauce (optional):
- 2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/4 cup sugar, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300F. Wrap the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan with a sheet of wide foil. This will seal the pan from water.
Making the Crust:
- Place the graham crackers into a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Don’t have a food processor? Place the cookies into a plastic bag and crush using a rolling pin.
- Add in the melted butter and then pulse again until the crumbs are well coated.
- Transfer the crumbs into the prepared pan and use a spoon to press the crumbs firmly and evenly into the sides and bottom of the pan.
Cheesecake Batter:
- Place the softened cream cheese into a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl. Beat for 7 to 10 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl often, until the cheese is creamy and smooth.
- Add in the sugar, vanilla, and salt next. Beat again for a few minutes until the batter is creamy.
- Add in the eggs and sour cream last, then beat for a few minutes until the eggs are well beaten.
- Pour the vanilla cheesecake batter over the graham cracker crust. Use a spoon to smooth off the top and tap the cheesecake a few times to release any air bubbles.
Baking Instructions:
- Place the springform pan onto a large baking sheet and fill it with water. This step is easier done with the pan on the oven rack. This method of baking is called a water bath. The extra moisture will keep the cake level and will prevent cracking.
- Bake the cheesecake at 300F for 2 hours. Turn the oven off and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon, then allow the cake to cool slowly to room temperature (about 2 to 3 hours).
- Remove the foil wrapping, then transfer the vanilla cheesecake into the refrigerator to chill for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
Serving Suggestions:
- Once the cheesecake is chilled, gently release the springform pan from around the sides. Slide a flat spatula under the crust to loosen the cake, then transfer onto a cake stand.
- Garnish the top of the cake with whipped cream and berries, if desired. You can also serve with additional whipped cream on the side and a few spoonful’s of raspberry sauce.
Easy Whipped Cream:
- Pour the chilled cream into a large mixing bowl. Add the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract.
- Begin whisking the cream on low speed, gradually increasing to high speed. Whisk for a 2 to 4 minutes until stiff peaks form.
- Transfer the whipped cream into a pastry bag tipped with a star tip. Keep the whipped cream refrigerated until ready to use.
Raspberry Sauce:
- Place the raspberries and sugar into a small saucepan and mash the berries.
- Heat the berries over medium heat to a simmer. Simmer for 6 to 10 minutes, until a thick jam forms. Stir often.
- Pour the sauce into a fine mesh sieve and use a rubber spatula to press the juices through the sieve, leaving behind the seeds.
- Whisk the resulting raspberry sauce and spoon over each serving of cheesecake.
Notes:
- Recipe updated 05/30/2023 and varies slightly from original YouTube recipe.
- Nutritional facts calculated for cheesecake with berries only. Add an additional 50 calories per tablespoon of whipped cream and about 15 calories per tablespoon of raspberry sauce.
[…] Link To View Recipe […]
Hi. I’m making cheesecake. I really want to make raspberry coulee, but can’t find it on your page. Can you tell me where I can find it please ?
Thank you
Hi! 🙂 For the raspberry sauce, combine together about 2-3 cups of fresh or frozen raspberries with 1/4-1/3 cup sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove then strain through fine mesh strainer to get rid of the seeds 🙂 it’s very easy!
Love this recipe. Made it a couple of time and always turns out perfect, it turns out to be a tall cheesecake. Will try to make a strawberry sauce for this time. Thank you Tatyana for sharing this with us.
I’m so glad you enjoy my recipe! 🙂 Strawberry sauce would work great, too!
This came out so creamy and smooth! I will definitely be making this again:) Thanks Tanya.!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
I love this recipe! My cheesecake was perfection. I also added a 1/4 cup of sour cream and tbsp vanilla. So good! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed my recipe! Thank you for the feedback! 🙂
Hi,Tara. I love your recipe,but I don’t understand how much for 32 ounces whipped cream cheese. It is whipping cream mix together with cream cheese amount is 32 ounces? And 32 ounces in ml or gram will it be how much? Sorry,cause I cannot understand calculation for ounces. Please advice, Thank you .
Hi! Sorry for the confusion. It’s 32 ounces of cream cheese. If you can’t find whipped cream cheese, you can use 4, 8-ounce bricks of cream cheese and just whip the cheese with your mixer before using it for the recipe 🙂
Hello Tatyana. I noticed you said to have all the ingredients at room temperature. Does the heavy cream also have to be at room temperature?
– Thank you.
Yes, I had all the ingredients at room temperature. Just remove them from the refrigerator about an hour before starting the recipe 🙂
This recipe is by far the best cheesecake I’ve ever had and I love how easy it is to make! Your tips are awesome, my cake turned out perfectly without any flaws! Only thing I add is a pinch of salt and a fresh squeeze of lemon juice just to cut sweetness a little and add a “zing” …New York style:) thanks Tatyana!
I’m so glad you enjoyed my recipe! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review 🙂 And I like the lemon idea!
Awesome recipe! I am having a problem with the top browning up though. I even lowered the temp to 250 on my second try and put it on the lowest rack. Any advice to work around it?
Hmm, 250F is pretty low! Definitely shouldn’t be browning at that temperature. In most ovens, the heating element is on the bottom, so try to get the cake away from the element. I recommend getting an oven thermometer to check the actual temperature of your oven.
Hello Tatyana,
I want to thank you for sharing this recipe with us. I baked this cheesecake for my son’s birthday party with strawberry coulee and it was a success. Everyone loved it. Your instructions were on point. I, surely, will be making this again.
Awesome! So glad it was a hit with everyone 🙂
Hello? Do I need to wait for the graham crackers to cool before adding the cream cheese mixture to it?
No, not necessarily. By the time I get the filling done, it’s usually cooled 🙂
I just want to thank you for this recipe!
I’ve made this cheesecake many times and it always comes out perfect!
The flavor is delicious but the consistency is more than perfect, smooth and velvety, without a doubt the best recipe for a cheesecake!
You’re very welcome, it’s my pleasure! I’m so glad you’re enjoying this cheesecake! 🙂
Amazing cheesecake! It’s very delicious and very pretty too. Thanks for such a detailed recipe. I followed the recipe exactly and my cheesecake didn’t crack.
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂 You’re very welcome! Thanks for leaving a review!
Would the measurements be the same if I used two 6 inch springform pans?
Yes, you could use the same recipe for two, 6-inch pans. The cakes will be just slightly shorter. You’ll bake them for about 20 minutes less; the center should be just set and have a little bit of wobble. Enjoy!
I have made 2 other cheese cakes from your recipes(pumpkin caramel and apple caramel) and everyone loved them. People are amazed at the homemade whipped cream on top. LOL it is sooo easy. Thank you!
Jonie
I’m so happy to hear that the cakes were a hit! It really is so easy and tastes amazing! 🙂
My cheesecake started to turn brown 25 minutes before the time was supposed to be up. I have a oven thermometer so I’m not sure exactly what happened here. I baked 325 for 15 minutes and then turn the temperature down to 270
Hi Mary! Sorry to hear that happened! Next time, simply place a sheet of foil over the top of your cheesecake to prevent it from browning further. I would also reduce the temperature another 10 degrees. Every oven bakes a little bit differently. Hope you still enjoyed the cake!
The recipe calls for an 8’ spring pan and video she calls for 9’ spring pan. What is it. I bought an 8’ pan, when I went to pour the mixture I had leftover. Big day tomorrow my daughter’s birthday.
Hi Raquel! I’m so sorry about the mistake! I must have missed this. I’ll get it updated asap! Happy birthday to your daughter and I hope you enjoy the cheesecake! 🙂
I love this cheesecake recipe I’ve made it over a dozen times it’s delicious!
Hi Victoria! I’m so glad you’re loving the recipe! A classic cheesecake never gets old. Thank you for leaving a review!