Everybody loves cheesecakes! It’s a decadent dessert that is easy to make and with these cheesecake recipes, you’ll bake the best cheesecakes with easy step-by-step full-proof recipes!
Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake
Serves 8–12 | Prep time 20 minutes | Cooking time 1 hour
Ingredients
Crust
- 24 Oreo cookies, finely crushed
- ⅜ cup butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons sugar
Filling
- 1½ pounds cream cheese softened
- 3 ounces dark chocolate, melted
- 1¼ cups sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Chocolate Ganache
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and adjust the oven rack in the lower-middle position.
- To make the crust, in a large mixing bowl, mix the crushed Oreos, sugar, and melted butter until combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a 12-inch springform pan and press down to make it even.
- Bake in the oven for 7 minutes.
- To make the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sugar, melted dark chocolate, vanilla, and eggs.
- In a separate bowl, whip the whipping cream with the powdered sugar. Fold it into the cream cheese mixture and mix until combined.
- Pour the filling on top of the baked crust and smooth it out with a spatula.
- Wrap the whole springform pan with two pieces of aluminum foil and place it in a larger, deeper baking pan.
- Fill the deeper pan with boiling water halfway up the springform pan.
- Bake in the oven for about 1 hour or until the top is just set. If it starts to get golden brown but still jiggles on top, cover with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
- Let cool completely.
- With a knife, loosen the sides of the cheesecake from the pan and release the spring to remove the ring.
- Warm the heavy cream (but don’t allow it to boil) and pour it over the chocolate chips.
- Mix until creamy and pour over the cooled cheesecake. Let set slightly before serving with some fresh raspberries on top.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories 833, fat 56.3 g, carbs 74.1 g, sugar 61 g, Protein 12.1 g, sodium 503 mg
Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake
Serves 8-12 | Prep. time 2 hours ӏ Resting time 6 hours + | Cooking time 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
Cheesecake
- 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 eggs
- 8 Chocolate Peanut Butter cups, chopped
- 1 (14-ounce) can dulce de leche
Chocolate Cake
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, room temp
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup black coffee, hot
Peanut Butter Buttercream
- ¾ cup butter
- ¾ cup shortening
- ¾ cup peanut butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
Ganache
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 475°F (246ºC) and grease a 9-inch springform pan.
- To make the cheesecake, fill a large baking pan (your springform pan will have to fit in it) with half an inch of water and place it in the oven while it preheats.
- Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until it is fluffy. Gradually incorporate the sugar, sour cream, and vanilla, and mix well.
- Add the eggs one at a time and beat until just combined. Fold in the peanut butter cups and pour the batter into the springform pan. Bake at 475°F (246ºC) for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F (177ºC) and bake for 60 minutes, or until the center is completely set.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 60 minutes before taking off the sides of the springform pan. When it is completely cool, refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 6 hours, but 8 hours to overnight would be better. When it is completely cold, cut the cheesecake in half to make two layers.
- Meanwhile, make the chocolate cake by mixing the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix in the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla, and beat until it is smooth. Slowly incorporate the coffee.
- Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Pour the batter evenly into each pan and bake for 30–35 minutes. When fully cooked, remove the cakes from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before taking them out of the pans. When fully cooled, wrap each cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to assemble the cake.
- Make the buttercream frosting by beating together the butter and shortening, then add the peanut butter and vanilla. Mix in the powdered sugar one cup at a time until you achieve the desired sweetness and consistency.
- To assemble, put one layer of chocolate cake on a cake plate. Drizzle half of the dulce de leche over the top of the cake. Top that with a layer of cheesecake, and spread peanut butter frosting over the top of the cheesecake. Repeat to make a second layer. When assembled, place the whole cake in the freezer for about an hour to fully set.
- Make the ganache by melting chocolate chips with heavy cream and vanilla in a small saucepan. When the cake is completely set, pour ganache over the top. Refrigerate until ganache the sets.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories 1125, fat 76.4 g, carbs 102.1 g, sugar 71.3 g, Protein 19 g, sodium 719 mg
White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake
Serves 8-12 | Prep. time 45 minutes ӏ Resting time 5 hours | Cooking time 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups chocolate cookie crumbs, such as crumbled Oreo® cookies
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
Filling
- 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup raspberry preserves (or raspberry pie filling)
- ¼ cup water
- 5 eggs
- 4 ounces white chocolate, chopped into chunks
Garnish
- 2 ounces shaved white chocolate (optional)
- Fresh raspberries
- Fresh whipped cream
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 475°F (246ºC) and place the oven rack in the lower-middle position.
- In a food processor, crumble the cookies and add the melted butter. Press the mixture into a greased 9-inch springform pan, and place in the freezer while you make the filling.
- Pour half an inch of water into a large baking pan (it needs to fit your springform pan) and place it in the oven.
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla. Scrape the sides of the bowl after the ingredients have been well combined.
- Beat the eggs in a small bowl then add them slowly to the cream cheese mixture.
- In another small dish, mix the raspberry preserves and water. Microwave for 1 minute. If you want to remove the raspberry seeds you can run the hot liquid through a mesh strainer.
- Remove the crust from the freezer and cover the outside bottom of the pan with aluminum foil. Sprinkle the white chocolate over the crust, then pour half of the cheesecake batter into the springform pan. Next, drizzle half of the raspberry preserves over the top of the batter. Then add the rest of the batter with the rest of the drizzle.
- Place the springform pan into the water bath and bake for 15 minutes at 475°F, then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake about 60 more minutes more, or until the center of the cake is set and cake is cooked through.
- Remove from oven and cool it completely before moving it to the refrigerator for at least 5 hours.
- With a knife, loosen the sides of the cheesecake from the pan and release the spring to remove the ring.
- Serve with shaved white chocolate, fresh whipped cream, and fresh raspberries as desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories 1021, fat 77 g, carbs 69 g, sugar 54 g, Protein 13 g, sodium 618 mg
Lemon Cheesecake
Serves 10–14 | Prep time 30 minutes | Cooking time 1 hour | Resting time 4-6 hours
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Zest of ½ lemon
Filling
- 2 ½ pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 ⅔ cups white sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Zest of ½ lemon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
Topping
- Whipped cream
- Thin slices of lemon for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and adjust the oven rack in the lower-middle position.
- Lightly grease the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan.
- To make the crust, in a large mixing bowl, mix the ground graham cracker crumbs, sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon, and melted butter until combined.
- Transfer the mixture to the pan.
- Press down to make it even and bake in the oven for 7 minutes.
- To make the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sugar, salt, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and eggs.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sugar, salt, vanilla, and eggs.
- To make the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, icing sugar, and vanilla.
- Pour the filling on top of the baked crust and smooth it out with a spatula.
- Wrap the whole springform pan with two pieces of aluminum foil and place it in a larger, deeper baking pan.
- Fill the deeper pan with boiling water halfway up the springform pan.
- Bake in the oven for about 1 hour or until the top is just set. If it starts to get golden brown but still jiggles on top, cover with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator 4 to 6 hours before serving.
- With a knife, loosen the sides of the cheesecake from the pan and release the spring and remove the ring.
- Just before serving, pipe out decorations with whipped cream and garnish with lemon slices.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories 329, fat 17.9 g, carbs 34.7 g, sugar 12.8 g, Protein 6.4 g, sodium 546 mg
**These recipes and more can be found in Louise Davidson’s Wicked Good Cheesecakes: Insanely Delicious and Easy Cheesecake Recipes. To get your copy, click on the cover or here.
