11 best cheesecake recipes: from classics to experiments

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Classic, liqueur, banana and even cucumber. Whichever cheesecake you choose, Lifehacker's tips will make it delicious.

Find out more about which cheese to choose, how to mix ingredients, bake and even cut the perfect cheesecake at the end of the article.

Learn all secrets →

1. Classic cheesecake "New York"

Ingredients

• 150 g shortbread cookies;
• 75 g butter;
• 900 g of Philadelphia cheese;
• 200 g icing sugar;
• 200 g sour cream 20% fat;
• 3 tablespoons flour;
• 3 eggs;
• 1 egg yolk;
• a pinch of vanillin.

Preparation

Grind the cookies in a blender, add melted butter to it and mix well. Spread the mixture in an even thin layer over the bottom of a 23 cm mold and tamp. Bake in an oven preheated to 180 ° C for 10 minutes. Then remove and let the base cool.

In the meantime, combine cheese and powdered sugar. Add sour cream and flour and stir again. Add one egg, yolk and vanillin one at a time, stirring after each ingredient until smooth.

Spread the filling evenly over the base and bake for 45 minutes at 160 ° C.

2. Chocolate cheesecake

Ingredients

For the basics:

• 125 g shortbread cookies;
• 60 g butter;
• 1 tablespoon cocoa

For filling:

• 175 g dark chocolate;
• 500 g cream cheese;
• 150 g icing sugar;
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch or custard mix
• 3 eggs;
• 3 egg yolks;
• 150 g sour cream 20% fat;
• ½ teaspoon of cocoa;
• 1 tablespoon of hot water.

For glaze:

• 75 g dark chocolate;
• 125 ml heavy cream;
• 1 teaspoon of liquid honey.

Preparation

Grind the cookies in a blender. Add melted butter and cocoa and chop again. Place on the bottom of a mold with a diameter of 23 cm, tamp and place in the freezer.

Melt the chocolate in a water bath or microwave and cool. Combine cheese, powder, and cream mix or starch. Add eggs and yolks, stir, add sour cream and stir again.

Dissolve the cocoa in hot water and add to the filling along with the melted chocolate. Stir until smooth.

Spread the filling over the chilled base and place in the oven preheated to 180 ° C for 50 minutes.

Melt the chocolate, cream and honey, cool slightly and pour over the cold cheesecake.

3. Lemon-curd cheesecake without baking

Ingredients

• 80 g of shortbread cookies;
• 50 g butter;
• 200 g cream cheese;
• 500 g of cottage cheese;
• 200 g icing sugar;
• 3 lemons;
• 4 sheets of gelatin.

Preparation

Grind the cookies and mix with melted butter. Place in a dense layer on the bottom of a 20 cm dish and refrigerate for half an hour.

Combine cheese, cottage cheese, icing sugar and the zest of two lemons. Soak gelatin in cold water according to the instructions, then heat it over low heat and mix with the juice of all three lemons. Add to the curd mixture and mix well.

Spread the filling over the base and refrigerate for 6-8 hours.

4. Banana cheesecake

Ingredients

• 120 g shortbread cookies;
• 60 g butter;
• 200 g icing sugar;
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 450 g cream cheese;
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 4 eggs;
• 230 g sour cream 20% fat;
• 3 ripe bananas.

Preparation

Combine crushed cookies, melted butter, 50 g of powder and cinnamon. Spread over the bottom of a 23 cm pan and bake at 180 ° C for 10 minutes.

Combine the cheese, remaining powdered sugar, and lemon juice. While stirring, beat in the eggs one at a time. Then add sour cream and mashed bananas. Place the filling on the cooled base and bake at 160 ° C for an hour.

5. Cheesecake "Tiramisu"

Ingredients

For the basics:

• 150 g shortbread cookies;
• 50 g sugar;
• 1 tablespoon cocoa
• 70 g butter.

For filling:

• 900 g cream cheese;
• 300 g sugar;
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 eggs;
• 80 ml rum;
• 80 ml espresso;
• a pinch of vanillin;
• 10-12 savoyardi cookies.

For decoration:

• 30 g cocoa;
• whipped cream;
• several slices of chocolate.

Preparation

Grind shortbread cookies and mix with sugar, cocoa and melted butter. Spread this mixture over the bottom of a 20 or 23 cm mold and tamp.

Combine cheese and sugar. Add starch and stir. Then add eggs, rum, coffee and vanillin and stir again. Place half of the cheese mixture on the base, spread the savoyards on top and cover with the remaining filling. Bake in an oven preheated to 160 ° C for 1.5 hours.

Sprinkle the cooked and chilled cheesecake with cocoa, garnish with whipped cream and grated chocolate.

6. Apple cheesecake

Ingredients

For the basics:

• 120 g shortbread cookies;
• 70 g oatmeal;
• 100 g butter;
• 50 g brown sugar.

For filling:

• 450 g cream cheese;
• 2 eggs;
• 50 g brown sugar;
• 50 g white sugar;
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon of ground ginger;
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• a pinch of vanillin;
• 2 apples.

For the top layer:

• 4 tablespoons flour;
• 4 tablespoons of oatmeal;
• 50 g sugar;
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons of butter.

Preparation

Combine the crushed cookies, oatmeal, melted butter and sugar. Place the mixture in a dense layer on the bottom of a 23 cm dish. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 180 ° C.

Whisk cheese and eggs until smooth. Add sugar, spices, starch and vanillin to them and mix well. Transfer the filling to the cooled base, and spread the slices of peeled apples on top.

Combine flour, oatmeal, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Place this mixture on the apple layer and place the cheesecake in the oven for 45 minutes.

7. Jamie Oliver's No-Bake Berry Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 300 g oatmeal cookies;
• 100 g butter;
• 500 g cream cheese;
• a pinch of vanillin;
• 300 ml heavy cream;
• 500 g black currant jam;
• 4 sheets of gelatin;
• 100 ml of water;
• 200 g black currant (other berries can be added).

Preparation

Grind cookies in a blender and mix with melted butter. Spread the mixture over the bottom of a 23 cm mold, tamp and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Mix cheese with vanilla. Whisk the cream in a separate bowl and add to the cheese along with 1 ½ teaspoon of jam. Stir well and place in a 1cm layer on a chilled base. Add 1 ½ tablespoon of jam to the remaining filling, mix and place on the previous 1 cm layer.

Repeat these steps until 1 cm is left to the end of the edge of the shape. Thus, you will achieve the ombre effect - a smooth transition of color from light to darker.

Refrigerate the cheesecake for a few hours.

Meanwhile, soak the gelatin in cold water as directed. Boil the remaining jam for 3 minutes (you will have about ⅓ of the original amount) over low heat along with water and 50 g of berries. Add gelatin, stir and refrigerate for half an hour.

Then carefully spread the resulting jelly over the cheesecake and set to cool. Garnish the finished dessert with fresh berries.

8. Coffee and liqueur cheesecake without baking

Ingredients

For the base and filling:

• 175 g of shortbread cookies;
• 85 g butter;
• 15 g of powdered gelatin;
• 5 tablespoons of cold water;
• 250 g of cottage cheese;
• 250 g mascarpone cheese;
• 150 ml Baileys liqueur;
• 140 ml heavy cream;
• 2 eggs;
• 140 g icing sugar.

For the top layer:

• 1 heaping teaspoon of powdered gelatin;
• 150 ml of strong black coffee;
• 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar.

Preparation

Combine the crushed cookies with melted butter. Place in a dense layer on the bottom of a 20 cm dish and refrigerate for half an hour.

Cover the gelatin with water and let sit for 5 minutes. Then place the bowl of gelatin in a water bath and stir until the lumps disappear. Combine curd, mascarpone and liqueur. Add gelatin and lightly whipped cream and stir. Whisk eggs and powder in a separate bowl. Pour the egg mixture into the filling and stir until smooth. Place on a base and refrigerate for a few hours.

Pour the gelatin into the coffee, place in a water bath and stir until the gelatin dissolves. Add powdered sugar, mix well and cool. Then carefully spread the coffee jelly over the cheesecake and refrigerate for half an hour.

9. Avocado Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients

For the basics:

• 120 g shortbread cookies;
• 70 g sugar;
• 90 g butter;
• a pinch of salt.

For filling:

• 450 g cream cheese;
• 200 g sugar;
• a pinch of salt;
• 2 ripe avocados;
• 120 ml lime juice;
• zest of 1 lime;
• 180 heavy cream;
• 1 lime - for decoration.

Preparation

Combine crushed cookies, sugar, melted butter and salt. Place in a dense layer on the bottom of a round shape (you do not need to use a split one). Bake for 8-10 minutes at 180 ° C.

Combine cheese, sugar and salt. Add the avocado pulp and lime juice and stir. Then add the zest and cream and mix well again. Place the filling on the base, garnish with zest and lime wedges and refrigerate for a few hours.

10. German cottage cheese cheesecake

Ingredients

• 240 g flour;
• ¼ teaspoon of salt;
• 4 tablespoons of sugar;
• 130 g butter;
• 1 egg yolk;
• 1-2 tablespoons of cold water;
• 750 g of cottage cheese with a fat content of 20%;
• 200 g sugar;
• 80 ml of vegetable oil;
• 3 eggs;
• a pinch of vanillin;
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 120 ml of milk.

Preparation

Combine flour, salt and sugar. Add softened butter and stir. Then add the yolk and water, knead the dough, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Roll ⅔ of the dough into a 25 cm circle and place on the bottom of the tin. Form a long sausage from the remaining dough, roll it out and press it against the walls of the mold. Connect both parts of the dough firmly.

Combine cottage cheese and sugar. Add butter and 3 egg yolks and mix well. Then add vanillin, starch and milk. Toss, add the remaining egg whites and stir again. Place the filling on the dough and bake in an oven preheated to 180 ° C for about an hour.

11. Cheesecake with pickles

Ingredients

• 120 g pretzels (salted pretzels);
• 70 g butter;
• 450 g cream cheese;
• 280 g goat cheese;
• 170 g sour cream, 20% fat;
• 1 tablespoon of brine;
• 3 eggs;
• 50 g grated parmesan;
• a few pickles;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• a few sprigs of dill;
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 teaspoon ground red pepper or paprika
• a pinch of ground black pepper;

Preparation

Grind the pretzels and mix with the melted butter. Place on the bottom of a mold with a diameter of 20 or 23 cm.

Combine cream and goat cheese, sour cream and brine. Add eggs and stir. Add the parmesan, small diced cucumber, chopped garlic and dill, salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Place half of the filling on the base, sprinkle with the remaining cucumber cubes and cover with the other half of the filling. Bake at 160 ° C for about an hour. The finished cheesecake can be garnished with pickles and chopped dill.

9 secrets of perfect cheesecake

1. For the preparation of a classic cheesecake, cream cheese is used, for example, "Philadelphia": it is with it that the cheesecake acquires a creamy consistency. Cream cheese can be substituted with similar cottage cheese or homemade cream cheese. You can take cottage cheese as a basis, best of all - grated. This will simply make the cheesecake thicker.

2. All ingredients should be at room temperature. Lumps may appear due to temperature differences in food.

3. Beat the ingredients by hand or with a mixer on low speed, but very gently. If there is a lot of air in the filling, the cheesecake may crack when baked.

4. It is better to take a mold with a removable bottom. You can easily remove the cheesecake from it, especially if you grease the bottom and sides with butter.

5. The best way to bake the cheesecake is in a water bath. Steam makes the dessert more tender, smooth and airy. Wrap the bottom and sides of the mold tightly with foil to prevent water from getting inside. Then place the dish on a fairly high baking sheet and fill it with water.

6. Bake the dessert on the lower levels of the oven at a temperature of 160 ° C (maximum 180 ° C). This will prevent the cheesecake from cracking.

7. A sharp temperature drop after cooking can also lead to cracks in the filling. After turning off the oven, slightly open the door and leave the cheesecake inside for at least another half hour. Then let it cool down the same amount at room temperature.

8. Ready cheesecake must be chilled. It should stand in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or better - all night. This way the filling will surely grab and the dessert will not disintegrate when slicing.

9. A wet knife will help you cut the chilled cheesecake evenly.