Cheesecake with Sour Cream Topping
Super simple cheesecake with a sour cream topping! You will absolutely love this cheesecake, the only recipe you'll ever need! PS the gift of a cheesecake is like...not a bad gift.
Ingredients
CRUST
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
FILLING
- 3 packages cream cheese full fat, very soft
- 5 eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
TOPPING
- 1 ½ cups sour cream full fat
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F. Prepare a springform pan with cooking spray and/or parchment, see note below.
- In a small bowl, combine the crust ingredients: melted butter, sugar, and graham crackers crumbs. Press the crust mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan, pushing a little bit of the crust up the sides if you’d like (this is a personal aesthetic choice, go where the spirit leads you).
- Separately, mix the filling ingredients (cream cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt) with a mixer on medium speed until combined and very smooth. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust.
- Bake the cheesecake for 55-70 minutes (see note on timing) until just barely jiggly in the center.
- While the cheesecake bakes, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla for the topping.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes (leave the oven on). This is an important step to let the cheesecake naturally deflate.
- After 10 minutes, spread the sour cream topping evenly on the cheesecake. Return to the oven and bake the cheesecake for 10 minutes more, then carefully remove from the oven.
- Let the cheesecake cool on the counter in the pan (do not remove the pan ring until ready to serve to allow the cheesecake to set properly) for at least 2 hours, and then move to the fridge for at least 4. Preferably, cool on the counter for several hours and then in the fridge overnight.
- Remove the outer ring from the springform pan before serving. Slice, serve, devour. You did it!
Notes
How To Tell When Cheesecake is Done: Depending on how wide your springform pan is, your cheesecake may need more or less time to cook. The cheesecake will be done when it is slightly jiggly in the center, but not rippling or very liquid-appearing. For 9-inch springform pans, the initial bake time will be 60-70 minutes. For wider pans, check the cheesecake beginning at the 50-minute mark. (I have had someone ask me before how to know how large your personal springform pan is and, I, um, well, measure it.)
Springform Pan Size: I love a tall cheesecake, and usually make this recipe in a 9-inch pan. However, the 10-inch size can be a bit more manageable and the cheesecake will cook faster in that size.
Parchment Paper: I place a piece of parchment paper on the inside of the springform pan, between the bottom and top sections, then clip the top (round) section over the bottom of the pan AND the parchment paper. This allows for the removal of the pan ring, and the cheesecake can slide (with the parchment paper) onto any platter you like for easy serving.
Room Temperature Ingredients: Having the eggs and cream cheese at room temperature will ensure a very smooth, creamy filling. I get them out first thing in the morning if I know I’m going to make this cheesecake, then let them sit out for at least 3 hours to warm up and soften.
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!