• 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.