Cherry Cheesecake

Featuring a creamy cheesecake topped with an easy homemade cherry sauce, a slice of this Cherry Cheesecake makes for a delicious dessert. It’s a classic for a reason!

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This cheesecake is amazing! From the buttery graham cracker base to the creamy cheesecake filling to the delicious cherry topping, this cheesecake has it all! This dessert is made entirely from scratch, and it always gets rave reviews.

When it comes to ‘fancy desserts,’ a good Cherry Cheesecake will always rise to the top of the list. After all, there’s a reason why this is considered a classic! Sure, you can buy a can of cherry pie filling and dump it on top of a cheesecake, but this homemade cherry sauce is so easy to make…and it tastes SO much better than the canned stuff.

Types of Cheesecakes

Before jumping into the recipe for this Cherry Cheesecake, let’s chat for a minute about types of cheesecakes. There are dozens of variations on this classic dessert, and many countries have their own version. Let’s look at 4 of the more common types of cheesecake:

• New York Style Cheesecake. This is certainly one of the most popular styles, but what exactly is a New York Style Cheesecake? A New York Style Cheesecake uses cream cheese along with heavy cream or sour cream. The result is a cheesecake that is dense, but also smooth and creamy.
• Chicago Style Cheesecake. The primary difference with a Chicago Cheesecake is the amount of cream cheese used in the base. While a traditional New York cheesecake uses (4) 8-oz. packages of cream cheese, a Chicago Cheesecake uses (5) 8-oz. packages of cream cheese. Once baked, the result is a cheesecake with a firm outside and a soft and creamy inside.
• No Bake Cheesecake. As the name suggests, a No Bake Cheesecake recipe is one that sets up in the refrigerator without the need to be baked. No Bake Cheesecakes do not use eggs. While a baked cheesecake has a silky, firm texture, no-bake cheesecakes are often lighter and fluffier. The texture sometimes resembles mousse or pudding.
• Ricotta Cheesecake. As the name suggests, a Ricotta Cheesecake uses ricotta cheese rather than cream cheese. This style is more common in Italy, but it is still seen on occasion in the U.S. Ricotta Cheesecakes are creamy, but slightly drier than cheesecakes made with cream cheese. While most ricotta cheesecakes are still sweet, occasionally this version will fall on the savory side as seen with this Truffle and Herb Ricotta Cheesecake.

There are certainly other styles of cheesecake out there, but these are 4 of the more common versions. Let’s jump into the recipe for this Cherry Cheesecake!

Cherry Cheesecake Ingredients

• Cream Cheese. Cream cheese is the primary ingredient in cheesecakes, and it’s best to use a full-fat cream cheese. Low-fat cream cheeses will still work in this recipe, though.
• Sour Cream. As seen with New York Style Cheesecakes, the addition of sour cream leads to a smoother and creamier cheesecake filling.
• Eggs. In addition to the whole eggs, this recipe calls for two extra egg yolks. This produces a richer filling.
• Graham Crackers. A sweeter graham cracker base balances the tartness of the cheesecake. This base uses brown sugar and bakes for 10 minutes before the cheesecake batter gets poured on top.
• Cherries. Fresh or frozen cherries can be used in this recipe. I used sweet cherries but if you are looking for extra tartness, feel free to use sour cherries instead. The cherry sauce is incredibly easy to make, and it’s so much better than the goopy canned sauces. If you’re going to the effort of making a cheesecake, spend the extra few minutes and make the homemade cherry pie filling from scratch!

Tips for Baking Cheesecake

Do you break out in a cold sweat whenever you think about baking a cheesecake at home? Don’t! Sure, the process for baking cheesecakes is a bit different than that of a traditional cake, but homemade cheesecakes are not difficult. Here are some tips for baking cheesecakes:

• Use full fat cream cheese and sour cream. The extra fat will produce a creamier cheesecake with more flavor.
• Make it the day before. A cheesecake will need to chill for 6-7 hours before it can be sliced. In fact, I like to freeze cheesecakes overnight. Then the next day, I let them thaw a bit before slicing. Sure, it takes more time, but by slicing the cheesecake while it’s still partly frozen, you get nice clean slices. The cherry topping can also be made the day before.
• Use a water bath. A water bath sounds like a fancy term. In reality, you just pour water into a rimmed sheet pan and put it into the oven with the cheesecake. The water creates humidity in the oven which slows down the baking process. In turn this leads to a creamier cheesecake that is less likely to crack. One easy tip is to place the pan with the water on a rack directly below the cheesecake. That way you don’t have to mess with wrapping the springform pan with foil and setting the pan in the water.
• 2″ of jiggle. Nope, this was not my nickname in college. Instead, as the cheesecake bakes, the top will set starting with the edges and working towards the center. Keep a close eye on it, and pull that cheesecake out of the oven when there’s still ~2″ of jiggly soft filling in the center. (Yes, “jiggly soft filling” is a technical term!) If you overbake the cheesecake, it will be dry and more likely to crack.

How to Store Leftovers

Leftover slices of cheesecake should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The cherry sauce should be stored in a separate airtight container. To reheat cherry sauce, just microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring after each round. This cheesecake can also be frozen. Just wrap each slice in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 4 months. Let slices thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

If you’re looking for a fantastic, show-stopper dessert recipe, then this Cherry Cheesecake is the one! This is always a favorite in our house, and I like using any leftover cherry topping with a bowl of vanilla ice cream. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do – Happy Baking!

Did you make this Cherry Cheesecake recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!

Cherry Cheesecake

Featuring a creamy cheesecake base topping with an easy homemade cherry sauce, a slice of this Cherry Cheesecake makes for a delicious dessert. It's a classic for a reason!

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 589kcal

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Ingredients

For the Crust

• 2¼ cups graham cracker crumbs ~11 full-sized graham crackers
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 7 Tbsp unsalted butter melted

For the Cheesecake

• 32 oz. cream cheese room temperature
• 1¼ cups granulated sugar
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Cherry Sauce

• ¼ cup water
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 4 cups pitted cherries fresh or frozen
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar

Instructions

For the Crust

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease and flour a 9” springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; set pan aside.
• Using a medium bowl, add graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and melted butter; stir until well combined.
• Transfer mixture into prepared pan; press crumbs into bottom and sides of pan. (Tip: A flat bottomed glass is helpful for this step.)
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven and let cool.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

For the Cheesecake

• Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until completely smooth (~3 minutes).
• Add sugar and flour; mix on medium speed until well combined.
• Using a separate bowl, whisk eggs and additional egg yolks together. Add this egg mixture to the mixing bowl in 2 additions, mixing fully after each addition.
• Add the sour cream and vanilla; mix on medium speed until well combined. (Tip: Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure the filling is fully mixed.)
• Pour batter on top of the cooled graham cracker crust.
• Bake at 325°F until center of cake is just barely set (~80-85 minutes). Pull the cheesecake out of the oven when there is about 1" ring of "looser" filling left in the center of the cake. (Tip: Place a rimmed sheet pan underneath the rack with the cheesecake. Fill with ~½" of water. This is an easy way to create a water bath without having to wrap the springform pan in foil.)
• Remove cake from oven and let cool in pan for 1 hour.
• Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (Note: Go ahead and make the cherry sauce and let it chill overnight, too. That way you are ready to serve the cheesecake the next day with little effort!)
• The next day, release pan and slice cheesecake.

For the Cherry Sauce

• Using a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch until well combined.
• Pour cornstarch slurry into a medium saucepan. Add cherries, lemon juice and sugar; stir until well combined.
• Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring often.
• Once boiling, cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly.
• Let cherry sauce cool to room temperature before placing in refrigerator until chilled.
• Spoon sauce on top of cheesecake slices before serving.
• Notes: I used sweet cherries for this sauce, but you can use frozen sour cherries instead. Just increase the sugar slightly to balance the tartness of the cherries.
• The cherry topping can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. To reheat, microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring after each round, or place in a small saucepan and reheat over medium heat.

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