This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy.

It’s hard to beat a classic! Vanilla Cheesecake is creamy and delicious whether you serve it plain or finish it with your favorite fruit, caramel or ganache topping.

If you’ve been following along for the last couple of posts, you know I’ve been promising you my favorite recipe for vanilla cheesecake.

You guys know I’m totally obsessed with all things cheesecake, but I’ve never just shared a classic recipe for vanilla cheesecake with a simple graham cracker crust, so here we are.

I’ve mentioned a few times that cheesecake is a family tradition. Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, or job promotion, when it comes to celebratory baked goods, we stick to cheesecake every time.

There are many foods that bring back memories of my childhood, but if you asked me to pick one that encompasses all the best memories, this is the dessert. It’s hard to beat creamy, tangy filling with that buttery crust.

I will fully admit to eating this with toppings and without, and loving it just the same no matter what.

CLASSIC CHEESECAKE RECIPE

Classics are classics for a reason. I mean, you really can’t mess with the best.

Sure, I have made dozens of various cheesecake recipes throughout the years. Flavors like Lemon Cheesecake, Hot Cocoa Cheesecake and Samoa Cheesecake have certainly become favorites.

But sometimes I just crave a slice of rich, creamy Vanilla Cheesecake. (And usually on a whim, which is why it is useful to know how to soften cream cheese quickly and to have the ingredients for graham cracker crust on hand.)

When I am craving the classic, this is the recipe I reach for. The tanginess of the cream cheese shines through and is complemented by the vanilla. It is really just so good.

This recipe is baked in a water bath. Intimidated? Don’t be. I have everything you need to know about how to bake cheesecake in a water bath!

I usually use vanilla extract in this cheesecake recipe, but you could certainly substitute vanilla bean paste or a vanilla bean instead. The flecks of vanilla bean would look beautiful against the cheesecake filling!

But just because this recipe makes a vanilla cheesecake, don’t assume that it is “plain” or that you can’t top it with any variety of toppings to make it your own.

TOPPING IDEAS FOR VANILLA CHEESECAKE

My all-time favorite way to top this Vanilla Cheesecake is with my Homemade Blueberry Sauce. That is the ultimate combination that can’t be beat, ok? A close second is my homemade cherry pie filling.

But if blueberries aren’t your thing, that’s ok. For a citrusy kick, try topping it with my Microwave Lemon Curd or with grapefruit curd.

Salted caramel sauce is also a fan favorite, as is chocolate ganache.

It would also be hard to go wrong with sliced fresh fruit or homemade cherry pie filling. Honestly, as long as you’re making cheesecake, you really can’t go wrong at all!

Vanilla Cheesecake

By: Jamie

4.49 from 118 ratings

Prep: 10

Cook: 1 5

Chilling Time: 10

Total: 11 15

Servings:

Slice of vanilla cheesecake topped with blueberry sauce

Save Pin Print

It’s hard to beat a classic! Vanilla Cheesecake is creamy and delicious whether you serve it plain or finish it with your favorite topping.

Equipment

Ingredients

▢ 1 9-inch graham cracker crust
▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
▢ 32 ounces cream cheese room temperature (4 8-ounce packages)
▢ 4 large eggs room temperature
▢ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
▢ ⅓ cup heavy cream

For the Topping

▢ Homemade Blueberry Sauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring a kettle of water to boil for the water bath.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar for about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for an additional 30 seconds. Add in eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after adding the second and fourth egg. After adding the final egg and scraping the sides of the bowl, mix again for 30 seconds. The mixture should be smooth and creamy. Add in the vanilla and heavy cream and mix for an additional 30 seconds.
Pour the cheesecake filling over the prepared crust.
Place pan into a larger pan (I use a roasting pan) and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan. Gently lay a piece of foil over the pan – do not tighten the foil as we want to allow the air to still circulate.
Bake 55-65 minutes, the edges will appear to be set, but the center will still have some jiggle to it. At this point, turn off the oven, and leave the oven door cracked. Allow the cheesecake to rest in the cooling oven for one hour.
After one hour has passed, carefully remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Once the cake is completely cooled, place it into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
Just before serving, top the cheesecake with homemade blueberry sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice (without toppings), Calories: 445kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 18g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 138mg, Sodium: 327mg, Potassium: 144mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 22g, Vitamin A: 1192IU, Vitamin C: 0.04mg, Calcium: 90mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Graham Cracker Crust

By: Jamie

4.50 from 56 ratings

Prep: 5

Cook: 10

Total: 15

Servings:

Measuring cup pressing mixture for graham cracker crust into a springform pan

Save Pin Print

Graham Cracker Crust is everyone’s favorite classic cheesecake base. This sweet, buttery crust is easy to make and the perfect complement to so many fillings!