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The Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake is like the king of cheesecake desserts! That perfectly smooth and creamy baked dessert is not impossible to recreate. Find out how to make the perfect classic cheesecake from scratch, EASILY!
With over 30 cheesecake flavors it’s the Original Cheesecake that started it ALL! A recipe from the local newspaper was what inspired someone from one of the most successful cheesecake chains known as The Cheesecake Factory. I like to believe the Cheesecake recipe must of been an easy one because complicated recipes or water baths would of been too much labor in running a small business at the time.
This Cheesecake recipe was also an inspired recipe that I discovered in a basic cookbook. It was called “Classic Cheesecake” and seemed easy. I made it even more easier by omitting some things and sticking to a very simple ingredient list. This is one of the best Cheesecake recipes that I plan to use over and over! Once you get down to perfecting the basic recipe it is then easy to add flavors to the crust and fillings, but a classic cheesecake recipe is essential just like the Original cheesecake that started it all.
Why is this the best cheesecake recipe?
This is one of the easiest cheesecakes recipes because you don’t need a water bath, fancy ingredients, or pre-bake anything. And yet still achieve a velvety silky cheesecake with the perfect crust.
Tips for making a Cheesecake Recipe:
- To make a sucessful cheesecake, you must always start with room tempature or softened cream cheese. That is KEY for a lump free batter.
- Graham cracker crumbs must be moistened enough with butter to achieve the perfect crust. Not enough butter will cause loose crumbs and too much butter can make for a greasy crust. Perfectly moistened crumbs keep the structure of the cheesecake in place without falling apart on you.
- To ensure a sucessful cheesecake batter see that you batter looks silky smooth without any curds. The texture is likely to be a farmers cheese consistany if you over bake or have the wrong batter consistency.
- Do not over bake. A perfectly baked cheesecake will still be very jiggly in the middle. Over baking can cause cracks and a curd like cheesecake consistency.
How to make a perfect cheesecake crust-
To make the perfect graham cracker crust you need to figure out the perfect butter to cracker ratio. TOO MUCH BUTTER = Greasy. TOO LITTLE BUTTER = Loose and fall apart kind of crust. The perfect way to figure out if you have the right amount of butter is to squeeze a handful of buttered crumbs in your hand, if your crumbs don’t stick together you need more butter if your crumbs remained glued together you got a perfectly moistened crust!
Is a water bath needed for baking a cheesecake?
No! I’ve had my times of better results without one. Perhaps certain recipes need them especially if the oven temperature is elevated (which I wouldn’t recommend baking at an oven temperature over 300°F anyways) but it’s really unnecessary if your oven temperature bakes the cheesecake nice and slow. Some reasons in experiencing cracking can be a result of high oven temperature or the wrong cheesecake batter constancy, so water isn’t really essential.
How can I achieve the tall bakery-style cheesecake?
Bakery-style cheesecakes are nice and tall because their made up from lots of cream cheese, a couple packs aren’t going to cut it unless you’re using a very small springform pan. However, 32 oz (which is equivalent to 4 8-oz packages of cream cheese) is an ideal amount to get that tall classic cheesecake from a standard 9-inch springform pan.
How to make a cheesecake:
- Pre-heat the oven to 300°F.
- Combine the crumbs, sugar and melted butter directly on the bottom of the springform pan until crumbs looks moistened. Press firmly up the sides and bottom of the pan. Set aside.
- Beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Beat in sugar then add the vanilla and eggs one at a time, scrapping down the sides.
- Mix in the milk just until incorperated. Batter should be smooth and silky.
- Pour into the crust and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and completly chill before serving.
How long do you have to chill a cheesecake?
Chilling a cheesecake overnight is the way to go but at least 4 hours is ideal.
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Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 15 graham crackers , 2 cups crushed crumbs
- 9 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
FILLING
- 32 oz softened cream cheese
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 300°F.
- Combine the crumbs, sugar and melted butter directly on the bottom of the springform pan until crumbs look moistened. Press firmly up the sides and bottom of the pan. Set aside.
- Beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Beat in sugar then add the vanilla and eggs one at a time, scrapping down the sides.
- Mix in the milk just until incorporated. Batter should be smooth and silky.
- Pour into the crust and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and completely chill before serving.
Notes
Nutrition (per serving)
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