Hey! I'm Des!
Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.
Cherry Cheesecake
This decadent, made from scratch Cherry Cheesecake is pure bliss. Follow my tips and tricks for making a perfect creamy cheesecake every time.
There is no doubt about it, cheesecake is a decadent dessert. It’s rich. It’s luscious. And it’s usually a dessert that I like to serve on special occasions. Whether it is a birthday, anniversary or holiday dinner, cheesecake is my go-to show stopper dessert.
Making it so many times over the years, I have come to discover a few tips and tricks to make sure that I bake a perfect cheesecake every time. I’m going to share those with you today so that you can too!
The first thing you need to know is that a cheesecake takes time so plan accordingly. It needs to cook four about 1 hour. Then it needs to cool in the oven for an hour another hour. Finally, it needs to be chilled overnight in the refrigerator.
But trust me it’ll be worth the wait!
First things first, let’s talk ingredients.
What ingredients do you need?
BUTTER: Unsalted and melted.
GINGERSNAPS: I love the gingery flavor that they add to the crust. If you prefer a more traditional crust, use graham cracker crumbs.
CREAM CHEESE: The cheese in the cheesecake!
SOUR CREAM: Adds to the creaminess. Also adds a little tang and helps soften the texture of the cake.
HEAVY CREAM: This also adds to the creaminess and texture of the cake.
EGGS: Help to hold the cake together.
SUGAR: To sweeten things up!
VANILLA EXTRACT
CHERRY PIE FILLING
Step by Step Instructions:
STEP #1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine gingersnap crumbs and melted butter in a bowl until crumbs are moistened.
STEP #2: Wrap a 9″ springform pan with two layers of aluminum foil. Press crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Bake 10 minutes and then cool.
STEP #3: Beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in vanilla extract, heavy cream and sour cream. Continue beating until smooth and glossy, about 3 minutes.
STEP #4: Pour cheesecake on top of crust. Place cheesecake in a roasting pan. Place in the oven and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan, quickly close the door. Bake for 45 – 55 minutes or until the cheesecake is set. The middle will still be jiggly. Turn off oven, keep oven door closed and allow cheesecake to cool 1 hour in oven. It will finish cooking during this time.
STEP #5: Remove the cheesecake from the oven and water bath. Remove the aluminum foil being careful of any water that may have worked its way in. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours.
STEP #6: Spoon cherry pie filling over the top. Slice and serve.
Tips for making the perfect cheesecake:
Tip #1: Make sure that your cream cheese is room temperature. This will help ensure you have a creamy, smooth cheesecake. If the cream cheese is too cold, you will end up with little lumps of cheese in your cake.
Tip #2: A water bath is a must. I know I avoided it for the longest time and felt like it was just an extra step that I didn’t need. But the truth is, it helps prevent cracks so it’s totally worth it.
Tip #3: Speaking of cracks, one of the things I have learned during my cheesecake trials is that the faster the cheesecake cools, the more likely it is to crack. So after it is done baking, I turn off the oven and let it cool for about 1 hour inside the oven. I’ve noticed cracks on the edges of my cheesecake that close up as the cheesecake cools. So don’t skip this part either!
Tip #4: You’ve got to let it chill. I know, I know, it’s hard to resist. But let the cheesecake chill overnight for the best results.
So there you have it! My tips and tricks to making the perfect cheesecake every time. For this Cherry Cheesecake Recipe, I top it with cherry pie filling, but you could really top it with any kind of topping you like. Fresh strawberries, blueberry sauce, chocolate sauce, caramel. You name it!
Love cheesecake? SAME. Here are some more delectable cheesecake recipes to try:
White Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake
Got a sweet tooth? Here are more dessert recipes to check out!
Pumpkin Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies from Crazy for Crust
Cherry Cheesecake
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
- 5 tablespoons butter melted
- 3 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 21 ounce can cherry pie filling
Instructions
- This cheesecake needs chilling overnight! Plan accordingly!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a kettle of water to boil for the water bath. Line a 9 inch springform pan with 2 layers of aluminum foil.
- Combine gingersnap crumbs and melted butter in a bowl until crumbs are moistened.
- Press crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Bake 10 minutes and then cool.
- Beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in vanilla extract, heavy cream and sour cream. Continue beating until smooth and silky, about 3 minutes.
- Pour cheesecake on top of crust. Place cheesecake in a roasting pan. Place in the oven and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan, quickly close the door. Bake for 45 - 55 minutes or until the cheesecake is set. The middle will still be jiggly. Turn off oven, keep oven door closed and allow cheesecake to cool 1 hour in oven. It will finish cooking during this time.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and water bath. Remove the aluminum foil being careful of any water that may have worked its way in. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours.
- Spoon cherry pie filling over the top. Slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Hey! I'm Des!
Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.