Classic Baked Cheesecake
A rich, creamy, and perfectly balanced Classic Baked Cheesecake with a buttery biscuit crust and a silky smooth filling. Lightly tangy from sour cream and lemon zest, it’s baked to golden perfection and topped with fresh berries for an elegant finish.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American / Australian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Biscuit Base:
200 g Plain biscuits (Marie, Graham crackers, or digestives)
120 g Unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
500 g Cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp Plain flour
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 cup Sour cream (full fat)
1 1/2 cups Caster sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
3 Large eggs, at room temperature
Toppings:
Fresh strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries
Icing sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F) or 140°C fan. Grease and line a 20cm (8-inch) springform tin, ensuring both base and sides are lined.
- Make the Base: Crush biscuits into fine crumbs using a food processor. Add melted butter and mix until evenly combined. Press firmly into the base and sides of the prepared tin. Set aside.
- Make the Filling: Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth (about 30 seconds). Add flour and mix briefly. Add vanilla, sour cream, sugar, and lemon zest, beating until just smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing gently after each until combined — don’t overmix.
- Pour filling into the prepared crust and smooth the top.
- Bake: Bake for 55 minutes, until the top is pale golden and the center slightly wobbly when gently shaken.
- Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside with the door ajar for 1 hour to cool gradually.
- Refrigerate in the tin for at least 4 hours or overnight to set completely.
- Serve: Remove from the tin, peel away baking paper, and transfer to a serving plate. Top with fresh berries and dust with icing sugar.
Notes
Cool gradually in the oven to prevent cracks.
No water bath needed — low and slow baking gives a smooth texture.
For clean slices, use a warm, dry knife for each cut.
Swap lemon zest for orange zest for a citrus twist.
Store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Not suitable for freezing.
For a marbled effect, swirl in raspberry coulis or melted chocolate before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of cheesecake)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 260 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg
Find it online: https://chocolatecoveredamy.com/classic-baked-cheesecake/
