This beauty come from one of my cousins who is known for her cheesecake. Literally, EVERYTIME she asks what she can bring to a party or get-together, this cheesecake is requested. Whether it was an after baseball game bar-b-que, or the Christmas feast, as we celebrated, this cheesecake was always a part of it.
Ingredients for Simple Cheesecake
- Cream Cheese: It goes without saying, but buy a better quality cream cheese for the best overall flavor.
- Sugar: This beautiful recipe calls for only 1 cup of sugar
- Eggs: Room temperature eggs
- Vanilla: Vanilla extract is fine; if you have some you’ve made, better!
- Sour Cream: Keep the sour cream cool
- Fresh Lemon: Juice of a fresh lemon is one of the things that sets this recipe apart.
- Graham Cracker Crust: See recipe below
Directions
Step One: Fluff Cream Cheese
Beat the softened cream cheese until fluffy.
Step Two: Mix
Add the sugar and mix really well.
Step Three: Stir
One at a time, stir in the room tempature eggs.
Step 4: Fold
Fold in the lemon and vanilla.
Fold in the sour cream
NOTE: Patience is a virtue with this recipe. I have a tendency to rush things… rushing come naturally to me haha… If you allow yourself the joy of folding in the ingredients above, the satisfaction of the taste and texture of this amazing simple cheesecake will not let you down.
Step 5: Pour into the Crust
Pour this amazing mixture into a graham cracker crust
Step 6: Bake
Bake the Simple Cheesecake at 350º for 30 minutes.
Cool the in its pan at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.
Recipe Variations
- Use pears for apples: Pears have a similar texture than apples, but have a different taste. The best pears for baking are Asian, Anjou, and Concorde.
- Baking spices: Use additional fall spices that would go well with cinnamon and apples (or cinnamon and pears). Cloves, ginger, pumpkin spice, cardamon, to name a few, would make this Apple Pull-Apart Bread even warmer and cozier.
- Consider a different topping: If you want to make this more of a dessert, consider topping with vanilla icecream. If you like things a bit sweeter, try salted caramel sauce.
How to Store Simple Cheesecake
The best way our family has found to store this cheesecake – well, it is usually completely eaten when served – is by covering it lightly with wax paper and placing it in the refridgerator.
Freezing Simple Cheesecake
This amazing dessert can be made ahead of time and kept in the freezer, if wrapped well, for up to six months. Best if used before four months from our experience.
Using Ready Made Crust
You can definitely use the ready made graham cracker crust if you choose. Just don’t let you family taste your homemade crust out the gate, or they will always be able to tell the difference!
Ingredient List
- 2 8 ounce cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 pint sour cream
- 1–2 Tbsp lemon juice
Directions
- Add sugar, mix well.
- Stir in eggs one at a time.
- Fold in lemon and vanilla.
- Fold in sour cream.
- Pour into crust.
- Bake at 375° for 30 minutes.
- Let set for 1 hour.
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 9 graham crackers (1 sleeve), finely crushed (about 1 1/4 cup)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 5 Tbsp. butter, melted
- Pinch of Kosher Salt
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a food processor, combine the graham crackers and sugar. Pulse until fine crumbs form.
- Pour in the butter and pulse until the crumbs are well coated and stick together when pinched.
- Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate or spring form pan using the bottom of a measuring cup or glass.
- Bake until just set, about 10 minutes.
- Let cool before filling.