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The BEST Cherry Cheesecake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 32 reviews
  • Author: Lily Ernst
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 15 min
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 10-12
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: bake
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This is a silky smooth cheesecake topped sky-high with gorgeous plump red cherries.


Ingredients

Cheesecake

  • 1&1/4 cup (145g) honey graham cracker crumbs
  • 3 tbsp (45g) melted butter
  • 28oz pkgs cream cheese, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 cups (750ml) sour cream (full-fat or light, not fat-free)
  • 2 tsp (10ml) vanilla extract

Cherry Topping

  • 5 cups (1&1/2 lbs) fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) pitted cherries
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 (60ml) cup water
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) cornstarch
  • 1 tsp (5mL) almond extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325F and grease the sides of a 9″ springform pan.
  2. Mix the cracker crumbs and melted butter together in a small bowl. Press into the bottom of the springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes and set aside to cool.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until combined.
  4. Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well in between on low speed.
  5. Blend in the sour cream and vanilla until smooth. Gently pour the batter over the crust.
  6. Bake for 60-75 minutes or until the edges are set and 2-3″ of the center is still wobbly.
  7. Turn off oven and run a thin knife along the edge to loosen the cake from the sides. Let cool in the oven for an hour with the door ajar. Then cool to room temperature before refrigerating for a minimum of 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Cherry Topping

  1. In a medium saucepan, heat the cherries, sugar and 3 tbsp of the water until heated through. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining 1 tbsp of water. Stir in the cornstarch and almond extract and continue to cook until sauce thickens (about 1-2 minutes). Let cool completely. Spoon over cheesecake before serving.

Notes

This cheesecake is best made a day in advance. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Expert tips:

  • Use good-quality cream cheese like Philadelphia brand. I’ve used no-name brands in the past and the results aren’t the same, so stick with the good stuff.
  • Use full-fat sour cream for the creamiest cheesecake. You could also get away with low-fat sour cream in this recipe, but it won’t be as creamy as using full-fat. Do not use fat-free.
  • How to tell when the cheesecake is done – Because there is a large amount of sour cream in this cheesecake it will jiggle more and have a larger soft spot in the center when done. Once the edges are lightly browned AND there is about 2-3 inches of the center still wobbly, the cheesecake is done.

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