Cherry Cheesecake
This cherry cheesecake has a smooth, silky, and creamy base topped with a sweet and sour cherry topping! It's truly the best homemade cherry cheesecake recipe that will a favorite all year round!
Servings: 8
Calories: 256kcal
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs See Note 1
- 2½ Tablespoons butter melted
- 1 ½ Tablespoons sugar
- pinch of salt
Cheesecake Batter
- 2 8oz packages cream cheese softened, see Note 2
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ⅔ cup sour cream see Note 3
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cherry Topping
- 1 lb pitted cherries fresh or frozen; about 3½ cups
- 3 to 6 Tablespoons sugar start with less and adjust
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 to 4 Tablespoons water start with less and adjust
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of your springform pan with a parchment paper round for easy removal. Then, double wrap the pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
Crust
- Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter, sugar, and salt. It should resemble wet sand and hold its shape when pressed. Add the crumbs to the pan and firmly pat down to get an even layer on the bottom and sides. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.1 cup graham cracker crumbs, 2½ Tablespoons butter, 1 ½ Tablespoons sugar, pinch of salt
Cheesecake Filling
- Make the batter: Reduce the oven to 325°F. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese, eggs, sugar, sour cream, vanilla, and salt until smooth and creamy on medium-high speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom halfway through. Lastly, remove large air bubbles by reducing the speed to the lowest setting for 1 to 2 minutes.2 8oz packages cream cheese, 2 eggs, ⅔ cup sugar, ⅔ cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Water bath: Pour the batter into the springform pan and remove any air bubbles by banging the pan onto the kitchen counter lined with a kitchen towel. Put the springform pan into a larger roasting pan and add hot water halfway up the side to create a water bath.
- Bake: Bake at 325°F for 75 minutes. Turn off the oven and use a wooden spoon to crack open the oven door. Let the cheesecake slowly reduce in temperature for one hour then remove it from the oven.
- Chill: Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and remove the foil. Once it reaches room temperature, loosely cover and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours to overnight.
Cherry Topping
- Mix the cornstarch with water to make a cornstarch slurry (if using frozen cherries, use less water). Add the cherries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch slurry to a pot and heat over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to avoid burning.1 lb pitted cherries, 3 to 6 Tablespoons sugar, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, 2 to 4 Tablespoons water, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- Once the sauce thickens, reduce the heat and taste. As cherries naturally vary in sweetness, adjust with more lemon juice, sugar, or water as needed. Sour cherries may need more sugar and sweet cherries may need more lemon juice. For a thinner sauce, add a ½ tablespoon of water at a time. Note: the sauce will thicken as it cools.
Serve
- Carefully remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and add as much or as little of the cherry topping. Cut slices using a thin knife that's been dipped in hot water and wiped dry after each slice. Enjoy!
Notes
Makes one 7-inch cheesecake, which is approximately 8 servings.
Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. I don't recommend freezing the cherry topping as it gets watery when thawed.
Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving and serve with cherry topping.
- Graham cracker crust - Reduce the amount by half if you just want a bottom crust with no sides.
- Cream cheese - Use full-fat cream cheese for best results. To soften, leave at room temperature or microwave for 20 seconds at a time until soft (my preferred method).
- Sour cream - Sour cream helps give the cheesecake a creamy, soft texture. For an even softer and silkier texture, replace half the sour cream with heavy cream. This will give you a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth cheesecake that's velvety soft. I highly recommend this for those who prefer soft cheesecakes over dense ones.
Tips:
- Crust: Use a flat-bottomed measuring cup with straight sides to easily press down the graham cracker crumbs.
- Crack-free cheesecake: Cracks can form in cheesecakes due to air bubbles, over-mixing, and improper temperature. Once the batter is smooth and creamy, mix the batter on the lowest speed for 2 minutes to push out any large air bubbles. Slowly pour the batter from a height of 8 inches to pop more air bubbles and bang the pan on the kitchen counter several times. Avoid opening the oven during baking to keep the temperature consistent.
- Once it's finished baking, allow the cheesecake to rest in the oven with the door cracked for an hour to let the temperature decrease slowly. This prevents the cheesecake from collapsing and cracking.
- Once the cheesecake comes to room temperature, cover it loosely to prevent any condensation from dripping onto the cheesecake.
- Chill overnight for best results.
- Add the cherry topping once it's at room temperature. Warm cherry sauce will melt the cheesecake.
- Make-ahead for the holidays - Cherry cheesecake can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge.
Nutrition
Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 187mg | Potassium: 188mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 306IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg