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!
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 589kcal
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 589kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 187mg | Sodium: 369mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 1431IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 1mg
