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Dense and Creamy Cheesecake Recipe

By 105 Comments

Do you watch “Friends”? Anyone? Remember that episode “The one with all the cheesecakes”? Briefly – a cheesecake was delivered by accident to Rachel’s apartment, and she and Chandler eat the whole thing. Then they order a replacement for the person it should have been delivered to.

When it arrives it again is delivered to their apartment by mistake, they eat it again… I forget how many they order, and then eat. The final one they argue over and end up splitting it in half. Then Rachel accidentally drops hers on the floor and tries to convince Chandler to share his half, when he laugh’s she hits his onto the ground as well. The episode ends when them eating it off the floor… IT WAS THAT GOOD…

i love cheesecake and this sour cream topped dense and creamy recipe is the best you'll ever have

Well THIS is that cheesecake. It’s THAT good, Promise. It’s rich and creamy and spectacular! There are so many styles of cheesecakes, some have cream, some have sour cream, some use different cheese’s like ricotta, etc… This is not light, or airy like some, and if you prefer that style then this isn’t for you, but for me this is perfection.

do you love cheesecake click over to check out an amazing recipe along with some incredible tips and tricks for getting the best cheesecake

It cooks low and slow, doesn’t get overly brown, and has a great texture all the way through. The sour cream topping is optional, some would say it doesn’t belong on this cheesecake, that it’s more for NY style, but I love that BIT of tang to go along with this cheesecake, but it’s amazing without it too. My husband loves berry topping, I love it plain but to each his own!

the most delicious new york cheesecake you'll ever try

Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Cheesecake with no cracking

  • Room temperate ingredients are key for a smooth texture.
  • Beat the cream cheese and sugar as much as you want, make it smooth, but once you add the eggs, do NOT overbeat, just mix on low until they are barely incorporated, beating after you add the eggs is what often leads to cracking.
  • Make sure your oven is the correct temperature (I love my oven thermometer)
  • TRY not to open the oven door, like ever, if you can help it.
  • That said if you run out of water in the pan on the bottom of the oven and you need to add more boil it first so it’s hot, then open the oven and pour it into the pan (I use a 9×13 so it holds more and I don’t have to refill it)
  • Cook your cheesecake until it’s still a bit jiggly in the center, like a loose jello jiggler, but not liquid, in the center 2-3 inches.  It will keep cooking afterwards a bit, and IMO better to be slightly under cooked than overcooked.
  • Turn off the oven and crack open the oven door to let it cool slowly, this will help it finish cooking but not cool TOO fast and crack
  • Do NOT eat it right away, cheesecake sets and gets BETTER with time in the fridge, at LEAST 8 hours, I prefer a full day or two for better flavor
3.88 from 49 votes
I have tried many cheescakes over the years, and this recipe is the best you will ever have, also a ton of amazing tips and tricks for how to get the perfect cheesecake
Print
Dense and Creamy Cheesecake Recipe
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
chill time
8 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs
 

this is the perfect New York style cheesecake - it's creamy and dense and delicious.  I also include a video tutorial and a ton of tips and tricks for getting the prefect cheesecake with no cracks

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cheesecake, new york cheesecake, perfect cheesecake recipe
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 483 kcal
Author: Ashlee Marie
Ingredients
Crust
  • 1 1/4 C Vanilla wafer crumbs or graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 6 Tbsp butter melted
Cake
  • 3 lbs full fat cream cheese softened
  • 1 ½ C granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 lrg eggs room temp
  • 2 lrg egg yolks room temp
Topping (optional)
  • 1 1/2 C full fat sour cream
  • 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
Crust
  1. Preheat the oven to 375
  2. mix all the crust ingredients and toss lightly with fork until well blended.
  3. Press firmly into the bottom of a 10 inch spring form pan.
  4. Bake on the bottom rack until crisp and golden, abut 15 min.
  5. Let cool.
  6. Reduce oven to 300 and place baking dish full of hot water on the bottom rack to create moisture (leave this in while baking).
Cake
  1. Beat cheese sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on med until light and fluffy, about 30-60 sec.
  2. Scrape the bowl, beat 45 sec more - make sure it's smooth with no chunks.

  3. Lightly whisk the eggs and yolks together and add to cream cheese mixture.

  4. Mix on low speed until they are incorporated and the batter is velvety, about 30 sec, scrape the bowl and mix 10 sec more - do NOT overbeat.
  5. Pour the filling over crust, bake on the center rack until golden, about 1 1/4 hours +.
  6. When you open the rack and shift the pan the center will jiggle a little, but not too much. This is the trick to learn, you might slightly undercook (not bad) or slightly overcook (okay) the first time as you get used to this style.

  7. Just the center 4-5 inches will jiggle and not like soup, like a loose jello jigglers.

  8. If you want the topping add it now.
  9. Turn the oven off and crack open the door and let the cake cool then refrigerate overnight, cheesecake tastes better after a day or two in the fridge.
Topping (optional)
  1. Mix all the ingredients
  2. Pour over the warm cake and lightly spread the topping
  3. Return to oven for 5 min cool completely and refrigerate.

Recipe Video

I’ve been asked about waterbaths, I use one for my flourless chocolate cake so why not this? Honestly I don’t trust them with springform pans! I’m always nervous that it will soak into the cake/crust, And I’ve found that having the water pan in the bottom is enough moisture for my recipe. THAT said changes in altitude and humidity will effect this a bit, mostly cooking time.

More Cheesecake recipes

everyone loves cheesecake, a full video tutorial with the tips and tricks to get the perfect cheesecake with no cracks EVERY TIME

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Mmmmm There are so many different cheesecake preferences that I know it’s not for everyone but it is my absolute FAVORITE I’ve ever EVER had!

      Reply

      • I watch the cheesecake video it got my attention it looks so yummy but I never sent the recipe for it can you please send me the recipe for the perfect cheesecake recipe.
        It was a plain cheesecake with faith in sour cream typing

        Reply

        • the recipe is right in the post – I’m not sure why you aren’t seeing it? are you on mobile? did you click the “read more” button (mobile only shows a short preview of the post until you click the read more button)

          Reply

          • The reason is because the ingredients in the video are not the ingredients in the post recipe Dense and Creamy Cheesecake. The video shows only 3 ingredients for the filling but the recipe shows add’l ingredients. The recipe shows vanilla wafers but the video shows graham crackers. So the recipe and video don’t match.

          • The video shows cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla just like the recipe calls for. And you can use graham crackers or nilla wafers, cookies or nuts in the crust. The best part about cooking from scratch is that you can personalize recipes to create anything you want! This is the base for all of my cheesecake recipes!

          • Is there lemon juice in the recipe? It says lemon juice in the recipe when adding the eggs to the cream cheese mixture. However there isn’t any lemon juice in the ingredient list

    • This is hands-down the best cheesecake recipe I’ve ever made. It will be my “go-to” one from now on. There was no sinking or cracking in the middle after cooling. Thanks so much for posting!

      Reply

  9. Great recipe – the ingredients are on my shopping list. I LOVE a dense cheesecake.

    Thank you.

    Sheila

    PS – you might want to check your instructions:
    1. Preheat the oven to 375
    2. Toss lightly with fork until well blended.
    3. Press firmly into the bottom of a 10 inch spring form pan.

    Reply

  10. Wowza!! That looks fantastic! I am such a sucker for a good cheesecake. It’s def in my top 5 favorites! I’ll have to give this one a try next time Im ready to indulge! Mmmm.
    ~Laura

    Reply

  11. I saw this recipe and at 10:23pm on a Saturday night I am baking this cheesecake for my step-mother’s birthday celebration tomorrow…I will let you know what the family says..so stay tuned ! I can;t wait to try this !!!

    Reply

  12. This looks AMAZING! thank you so much for sharing (and blogging!! I love all you bloggers!!) I am such a sucker for cheesecake. I am making this for Easter dessert. You have the topping listed as optional-does your cheesecake have this topping (in the pictures you have posted?) I would love for mine to look just as amazing as this!

    Reply

  13. Hi, I love a dense and tart cheesecake.
    Do you think adding sour cream to this recipe will ruin the baking time or consistency?

    Reply

    • I wouldn’t, you could add the optional lemon juice and use the sour cream topping. But once you start changing the ingredients, like adding sour cream, it changes the chemistry of the recipe and it won’t stand up quite the same. You could substitute out some for the cream cheese for greek yogurt or sour cream, but it would take some testing to figure out the amt’s it wouldn’t be a straight ratio

      Reply

  15. Hi Ashlee

    I’m pretty experienced with making cheesecakes. I recently moved to London, UK. In the States I’d use a gas oven and with water baths I never had issues with cracking. Here I have access to electric fan assisted ovens only. I lowered the temp 20 degrees (celsius.) Other than that I followed the instructions exactly. This was also my first time using a pan of water instead of water bath. I turned off the oven after an hour and let it cool for an hour. Unfortunately I got a deep “T” shaped crack right in the middle of it. I was apprehensive about the fan assisted oven from the get-go. Got any recommendations about using such an oven?

    Reply

    • okay, is there anyway to use the oven without the convection fan being on? most of the ovens here let you pick between conventional and convection. BUT if you can’t, convection ovens cook MUCH faster than conventional, like TWICE as fast (so 1/2 – 3/4’s of the time frame, or drop the temp by 25 -30 degrees), so your cheesecake would probably be done at about 45-50 mins rather than 1 hour 15 mins. But it will take a little testing to figure out. Also I’d def get an oven thermometer to check if it’s running too hot or on track. also because it cooks things more brown I’d consider covering the cheesecake for part of the time. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  16. What would your suggestion be if i only have an 8inch spring form pan? I have used the exact recipe before with it and the center is just always too soft.

    Reply

    • I’d do 2/3rds of the recipe in that case, or you could try lowering the temp and looking longer to try to get through that HEIGHT without over cooking the outside.

      Reply

  17. I made myself this cheesecake for my birthday. For the crust I only used the gingersnaps and I didn’t have sour cream so instead I sprinkled mini chocolate chips on top. But I followed the instructions for the cheesecake portion exactly and it came out amazing. The top was so perfectly golden and the cake so thick rich and gooey. Thanks so much!

    Reply

  18. Have you ever tried freezing this cheesecake? I want to make it ahead for Thanksgiving. It looks exactly like my husband is requesting. Thick and dense!

    Reply

    • yup, I slice it, freeze it then dip the slices in chocolate and eat it that way! mmmmm, I’ve never frozen the whole cheesecake, but I’d cool it , refrigerate it, then wrap it in plastic, then freeze it, let it thaw in the plastic so it condenses on the plastic, then unwrap and serve!

      Reply

    • I often slice it, add a stick and freeze it, then dip it in to chocolate for frozen cheesecake on a stick! I’ve never frozen the whole cheesecake befor but you totally could

      Reply

  20. Hi! I was wondering if I could use an oval pyrex dish and if yes, how long would it take to cook it in the oven? It’s about 25cm long and 6cm high. Thank you! And by the way, this looks really good! Can’t wait to try it! 🙂

    Reply

    • I wouldn’t, the reason you use a springform pan is so that you can take the outside off and then easily cut the cheesecake. if you don’t have one I’d suggest a pie pan (but cut the filling recipe in half). if you used a pyrex dish you wouldn’t be able to get nice slices out, you’d just destroy the cheesecake trying to get it out of the pan.

      Reply

    • oh no! that’s too bad. it can be hard to gauge at first, I say not to check too often, but when your getting used to how your oven cooks cheesecakes you might need to check more often (and an oven thermometer will help as well). you want the center 2-3 inches to still jiggle when you move the pan, not liquid like soup jiggle but move like a jello jiggler

      Reply

  22. Hi Ashlee,
    I am about to make this cheescake so first thank you!!!! Second could I press the crust along the sides as well becauseI like the outer crust on my cakes. So press the crust along the sides of the pan as well in an upward motion if that makes sense? Thx hun, looking forward to your respond so I can make.

    Reply

  23. First thing I noticed was how you keep your kitchen, very organized, neat and clean, second was not using too much wares in prepping ( a +), and your vid presentation is excellently executed ( another +), I definitely want to try it coz I luv cheesecakes. Before I would just go to Cheesecake Factory buy a slice or two with nuts on it and yes, I bought a whole cake, a huge one and its frozen. Looking forward to bake one, hoping it will be heavenly and to die for, Thanks Ashlee Marie!

    Reply

    • you are so welcome! I hope you try many of my cheesecake variations I’ll add a few more flavors this year too! I’m completely obsessed with cheesecakes!

      Reply

  25. Made this cheesecake like 2 weeks ago and I will never buy store bought or restaurant cheesecake again, absolutely no comparison. This is the most rich,thick and delicious cheesecake I ever tasted. Patience is key with the cooling process. Let it cool in the oven after baked with the door slightly opened for an hour, then on the counter for like 2 hrs, then in the fridge overnight. I added the optional lemon juice with gave it the right kick!

    Reply

  27. HI AshLee!:):)
    I made this cheesecake with a raspberry sauce and it was a total hit!!! I loved how easy it was to prepare with the minimum amount of ingredients:) Thank you so much!:)

    Reply

  30. Dear Ashlee i love to watch all of your video.So awesome and i going to try making cheesecake next week.If follow your instruction sure be great.Thank for nice recipe and good tip too.
    Can’t wait to make it.Thank again yea dear Ashlee

    Reply

  31. I made this cheesecake & it was great!!! I used 6 packs of 8oz. creamcheese(3 pounds) and wondered if this would still turn out if I used 5 of the 8oz. creamcheese packs because the 3 pounds of creamcheese was hard to get mixed well in my Kitchen Aid mixer(I do not have the largest mixer)

    Reply

  33. I’m Making this cheesecake right now. I am so excited for it to be done! I’ve been searching for the best recipe! This might be it! I’m making it for my husband’s camping trip with his guy friends! It looked so thick and rich when making it! Thank you so much for the recipe!

    Reply

  34. Hi Ashlee,

    I love this recipe. It’s amazing. I love the dense creaminess. I want to make a pumpkin cheesecake that is the exact same density and creaminess as this. Any suggestions how I can make this recipe a Pumpkin Cheesecake?

    Reply

    • are you going for a really strong pumpkin flavor or lighter? depending on the flavor your looking for 1/2 to 1 C pumpkin – some cinnamon, nutmeg and I like to use brown sugar for a warmer flavor

      Reply

  35. Hi! First I would like to say that this recipe is what I’ve been searching for! I can’t wait to try it! Second, what kind of mixer are you using in the video? I have never seen one like that and it looks pretty neat. Thank you!

    Reply

  36. Can I make little mini cheesecakes using a muffin tin, using this recipe? If so, how can I adjust the cooking time/temperature?

    Thanks!

    Reply

  38. Ashlee, first off, your videos are wonderful!! Because of your amazing personality and “personability”, unlike so many of the “fake” feeling TV food stars. 😉

    Question: My ultimate cheesecake texture is that of what you get when you go to an Italian restaurant, or any quality restaurant for that matter, and its texture is like running the fork through actual cheese (not rock hard or hard hard cheese); like those perfectly smooth, somewhat melt in your mouth chocolate truffles that are just chocolate and cocoa on the outside. And it’s decently similar to this when eaten. Neither dry nor chalky, but smooth and moist as your mouth begins to melt it, enjoying each bite.
    It’s firm, dense and consistent from top to bottom; none of this smoother ‘good dry’ dense at the top only to be met with that gooey, fluffy, or sticky in the middle – business. *blech* I’ll still eat it though. 😉
    It doesn’t crumble, or flake; nor does it look like that moist, grainy style, softer, but not super airy, baked cheesecake that most people make and call a New York Cheesecake.
    It’s ‘not’ slightly gelatinous, ‘not’ custardy.
    When sliced it’s smooth at the exposed edge, like a smooth medium-hard cheese – with no visible texture to the slice; or very little (think flaky knife drags, like sliced parmesan), depending on knife skills and the use of a wet, slightly warmed knife.

    I always thought it was that, a NY style, but I’m not so sure in looking at countless recipes.

    Does any of this sound like a cheesecake you have eaten, or ring true to a cheesecake enthusiast such as yourself? Everyone says their recipe is dense, or dense and creamy, etc.. but they always look like what I “don’t want”.
    Is that this recipe, or maybe another you have?

    PS. The only thing I’d like to see in your videos (some almost have this); is a good, solid, high focus lingering “drool” shot of the final product, texture of crumb, slice, etc.. Showing that “jiggle” in your video…. PERFECTION!! 🙂
    Oh, and the music playing through the whole video, I find it detracts from your sunny, viewer grabbing personality. Maybe just selective spots where it’s played, and more variance, longer loops?
    Super good videos though, the best are like this one where they’re interactively narrated as you’re doing it almost live, as opposed to the ones where you stand and talk, then show the shots like the Hawaiian Rolls video. Both good, this one’s nicer to watch, feels like a personal: in-the-kitchen tutor. LOVE THAT!! You’re good at that. Shine!!

    Blessings to you!! 😀

    Reply

  39. Ashlee,
    I have made this recipe at least 4 times now and it is absolutely the BEST cheesecake I’ve ever had. Thank you so much for posting… it gets rave reviews every. single. time.

    It is awesome! Just thought I’d let you know. Thanks again!

    Reply

      • Hey, sorry I’m just seeing this. I used the sour cream topping she suggested in the recipe. It is perfect! I’m actually coming back to the recipe, as I’ve been commissioned to make it for a wedding. I’m thinking I’ll garnish it with some violets and/or pansies and possibly fresh berries 🙂

        Reply

  40. I’ll give it a try. A co-worker once brought a cheesecake to work to share around the Holidays. It had been presliced into about 3/4″ slices. I was thinking is that all we’re suppose to get. But, after enjoying that very small slice of cheesecake I was completely satisfied. It was so rich, creamy and dense and did I mention delicious that you just didn’t want anymore. I asked about the recipe and was told it was a handed down family secret. Well 20+ years later I’m still looking.

    Reply

    • People feel that way about my flourless chocolate cake too – it’s SO RICH and so dense that when I cut little slices people think I’m being stingy… until they try it and get full. let me know what you think when you try it!

      Reply

  42. I am curious what brand your mixer is, I have never seen one like it. I love my Kitchen Aid. but yours looks like something I would like to use. I am also interested in the gadget you used to lightly mix the eggs and where you got it. Your cheesecake looks wonderful. Next time I want or need a cheesecake, I am making this one. Thank you for all the tips and posting.

    Reply

  43. The cheesecake looks incredible!! I’m definitely going to make this one. It’s close to my recipe, but just different enough that I HAVE to try it.

    Plus! I want your kitchen tools! Where can I get that mixer?

    Reply

    • yeeeeessssss, but… I’m not a fan of coconut flavoring to try to create a coconut cheesecake – I’d use coconut milk and unsweetened coconut, and maybe a little flavoring, but not the only thing

      Reply

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