Best Classic Cheesecake

Cheesecake is one of those desserts that’s perfectly classic… and gets a bad rap for being impossibly difficult to make. We get it—from making a graham cracker crust from scratch to setting up a water bath, it can seem pretty involved and confusing. But we’re here to tell you: Involved doesn’t have to mean difficult! Here, we’re laying out all the tips and tricks you’ll need to become a cheesecake expert—your birthday parties and holiday dessert spreads won’t know what hit 'em.

The graham cracker crust:
The crust is everyone’s favorite part, and it’s super-simple to make—just finely crushed cookies, melted butter, a little sugar, and salt mixed together and pressed into a springform pan, then baked for 12 to 15 minutes. That's it!

Want to swap out the grahams for something else? Go for it. Try Nilla wafers, shortbread cookies, gingersnaps, Oreos... you’ll need about 2 cups crushed of whatever cookie you want to use.

How to prevent your cheesecake from cracking: 
—Don't overmix. Beating your filling 'til just combined makes sure it won’t fluff up and then fall in the oven while baking.
—Cooking your cheesecake too long. You're looking for the center to still be slightly jiggly before you turn your oven off and prop it open to cool.
—Let it cool slowly. Speaking of propping your oven door open, it’s the best way to guarantee your cheesecake will cool gradually, thus avoiding any cracks.
—Don't skip the water bath. The main, unavoidable trick to avoiding all the cheesecake pitfalls is a water bath. It provides moisture and temperature control to the oven, which guarantees no dark spots on top, a light and creamy texture, and best of all, no cracking. Here’s how you do it: Wrap the bottom and sides of your springform pan in two layers of foil, place it into a larger roasting pan, then put the whole thing into your oven. With the pan in the oven, carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan (use a gooseneck kettle if you’ve got one).

Cheesecake toppings: 
Even if you do everything correctly, there’s still a chance of cracking. Don’t fret! It happens to the best of us. Your cheesecake will still be delicious, and now you’ve got a great excuse to have some fun with it. Top it with your favorite jam, fresh berries, or a lemon curd for a bright citrusy topping, or go a little sexier with a chocolate ganache or caramel. The sky’s the limit, so get creative.

Cheesecake variations:
Once you've mastered this classic cheesecake, you can get creative with countless variations and takes. Our pecan pie cheesecake and brownie bottom pumpkin cheesecake are perfect for holidays, our peach cobbler cheesecake and lemon-blueberry cheesecake are warm-weather dreams, and our vegan cheesecake will win over any guest.   

How do I store my cheesecake?
After your cheesecake has cooled down in the oven with the door propped open for about an hour, take it out of the roasting pan and unwrap the foil. Let it sit at room temperature for another hour to cool down further to room temp, then refrigerate it (uncovered, and still in the springform pan) for at least 5 hours. Serve right away, or wrap the top in plastic wrap and keep it refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Made this? Let us know how it went (and what you topped it with!) in the comments below.