Creamy Vanilla Cheesecake
A baked vanilla cheesecake with a crisp graham cracker base and smooth, creamy filling. Gentle mixing and a long chill give neat, satisfying slices.
Vanilla cheesecake is a dessert worth making ahead. A simple crumb base supports a smooth filling of cream cheese, sour cream and eggs, with vanilla and a little lemon juice to balance the sweetness. There is no sauce to prepare and no decoration needed to enjoy a good slice.
This version uses a 9-inch springform pan and a crust on the bottom only. The base gets a short bake before the filling goes in. After baking, gradual cooling and at least six hours in the refrigerator give the filling time to firm up. Plan on roughly nine hours from starting to serving, with most of that time spent cooling and chilling.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Softened block cream cheese blends smoothly without prolonged beating. Sour cream adds a gentle tang, while a little cornstarch helps the filling hold a clean slice. Mixing the eggs in gently avoids excess air. A prebaked crumb base and a full refrigerator chill give the creamy filling a firmer foundation.
Before you start · Equipment
9-inch (23 cm) springform pan; parchment paper; rimmed baking sheet; food processor or rolling pin and sturdy bag; hand mixer; mixing bowls; silicone spatula; measuring cup; wire rack; thin knife; kitchen scale.
Everything you’ll need.
Get your ingredients ready, then follow the quantities in the recipe below.
See ingredient amounts
This guide describes the original 12 slices. Use the recipe card for amounts adjusted to your chosen yield.
Make cheesecake a day ahead
The refrigerator rest is a working part of this recipe, rather than an optional serving suggestion. A warm cheesecake is fragile and its filling will not cut cleanly. Making it the afternoon or evening before serving gives you room to cool it safely and chill it thoroughly.
How to judge the center
Look at how the center moves, not just at the clock. A small section in the middle should tremble as one mass. A broad liquid ripple means it needs longer. The outer filling should hold still. Ovens differ, and a smaller or deeper pan will change the timing; use the specified 9-inch pan for this recipe.
Keeping the filling smooth
Scrape the bowl before and after adding the eggs. Lumps of firm cream cheese can survive a quick mix and remain in the baked filling. Use low speed and stop once the batter is uniform.
- Use softened cream cheese and eggs that are not fridge-cold.
- Keep ingredients out only as long as needed; avoid more than two hours at room temperature.
- A surface crack can happen with oven variation. It does not require covering the whole cake with icing.
Serve it simply
Serve chilled slices on their own so the vanilla and tangy cream cheese remain the focus. Fresh berries or a little fruit compote can be offered separately if you like. Those additions are not part of the ingredient list or nutrition estimate. For another make-ahead dessert, see Cinnamon-Ginger Apple Crisp.
Storage and freezing
Keep the cheesecake covered in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within 3–4 days. For longer storage, wrap chilled slices individually and freeze for up to 1 month for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. During serving, return it to refrigeration within two hours, or within one hour when the room is hotter than 90°F (32°C).
Common questions
Do I need a water bath? This version bakes directly on a rimmed baking sheet at a moderate temperature. Can I use a different pan? A springform pan lets you release the sides; a smaller pan changes depth and baking time. Can I use low-fat cream cheese? It is not a direct swap for the stated texture. Can I serve it after an hour in the fridge? Allow the full six-hour chill; the filling needs time to firm.
About the ingredients
- Block cream cheese
Full-fat block cream cheese gives a reliable consistency. Whipped cream cheese and spreadable tubs may contain more air or moisture and are not direct replacements. Cut the cheese into smaller pieces to soften, keeping the total time out of refrigeration within two hours.
- Graham crackers and butter
Grind or crush the crackers finely so the base compacts evenly. Plain digestive biscuits can replace graham crackers by weight, but absorb butter differently; the stated nutrition uses generic plain graham crackers. The butter should be melted, not browned.
- Sour cream
Use full-fat sour cream for richness and tang. Mix it smooth before adding. Reduced-fat sour cream or thick yogurt can alter the set, flavor and nutrition and have not been checked with this formula.
- Eggs and cornstarch
Three large eggs provide structure, and a small measured amount of cornstarch supports the chilled filling. Add eggs on low speed. More beating does not make cheesecake creamier and can create bubbles that expand in the oven.
- Vanilla and lemon juice
Vanilla is the main flavor; lemon juice adds a gentle balance without turning this into lemon cheesecake. Use plain extract and fresh juice. Extra flavoring or liquid can change the filling consistency.
How to make Creamy Vanilla Cheesecake
Press and prebake a bottom-only graham cracker crust, then gently mix the cream cheese filling. Bake at a lower temperature until the edges set and the middle retains a slight wobble. Cool briefly in the oven and on a rack, then chill at least six hours before slicing.
1. Prepare and prebake the crumb base
2. Mix a smooth vanilla filling
3. Fill the pan and bake gently
4. Cool, chill and sliceWatch How To Make It
chefzelish.com
Creamy Vanilla Cheesecake
A baked vanilla cheesecake with a crisp graham cracker base and smooth, creamy filling. Gentle mixing and a long chill give neat, satisfying slices.
Ingredients
0 / 11 readyIngredient amounts for 12 slices
Graham cracker base
Vanilla filling
Let’s make it.
Prepare and prebake the crumb base
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) conventional or 320°F (160°C) fan. Line the base of a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan with parchment. Mix the fine graham cracker crumbs with 20 g sugar and the melted butter until evenly damp. Press firmly over the bottom of the pan using a flat-bottomed measuring cup; do not build a crust up the sides. Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside while making the filling, and reduce the oven to 325°F (160°C) conventional or 300°F (150°C) fan.
Mix a smooth vanilla filling
Beat the softened cream cheese on low speed until smooth, scraping the bowl thoroughly. Mix the 180 g sugar with the cornstarch and salt, then beat into the cheese just until combined. Add the sour cream, vanilla and lemon juice and mix gently. Add the eggs one at a time on low speed, stopping as soon as each is incorporated. Scrape and fold the batter with a spatula to catch any unmixed cream cheese at the bottom. Avoid whipping air into the filling.
Fill the pan and bake gently
Pour the filling over the prebaked base and smooth the top. Keep the springform pan on its rimmed baking sheet and bake on the middle rack for 60–70 minutes. The outside should be set, while a roughly 2-inch (5 cm) circle in the middle still moves gently together when you nudge the pan. The center should not slosh like liquid. If it is still loose, bake a little longer and check again. No water bath is used. A lightly colored top is expected; stop before the whole cake becomes rigid or deeply browned.
Cool, chill and slice
Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside with the door ajar for 30 minutes. Move it to a wire rack for a further 45 minutes, then refrigerate in its pan at 40°F (4°C) or below for at least 6 hours, or overnight. Do not extend the room-temperature cooling period. Loosely cover once it is no longer giving off heat. Run a thin knife around the inside of the pan before unclipping the ring. Leave the cake on its base if that is easiest, or carefully slide it with the parchment onto a platter. Cut into 12 slices with a knife dipped in warm water and wiped clean between cuts.
Nutrition per serving
1 slice, 1/12 of the whole cheesecake including crust. Estimates may vary with ingredients and brands.
- Calories
- 436 kcal
- Protein
- 6.6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 34.7 g
- Fat
- 30.8 g
- Saturated fat
- 17 g
- Fiber
- 0.6 g
- Sugar
- 23.6 g
- Sodium
- 311 mg
Checked 10/2/2026. Values are per the serving described above, regardless of recipe yield.
Notes from the kitchen.
Helpful tips
Use a 9-inch (23 cm) pan and low mixer speed. The 80-minute cook time includes the 10-minute crust bake plus up to 70 minutes for the filling. Cooling and the six-hour chill are included in the total time.
Make it your own
Plain digestive biscuits may replace graham crackers by weight, with a different crumb texture and nutrition. Whipped or reduced-fat cream cheese is not an equivalent replacement for full-fat block cream cheese.
Storage & freezing
Refrigerate after the 30-minute oven rest and 45-minute rack cooling. Keep at or below 40°F (4°C), use within 3–4 days and limit serving time outside the fridge to two hours, or one hour above 90°F (32°C).
At the table
Makes 12 slices. Nutrition is for 1/12 of the whole cheesecake, including the crust and excluding berries, compote or other toppings.
A little something delicious.
Keep this recipe close for the next time the craving strikes.
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