Crack Proof Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

CRUST:
2 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 30 squares)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
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FILLING:
2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lemon, zest finely grated
1 pint sour cream

Preparation

Step 1

TO PREPARE CRUMB CRUST:

In a mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients together with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. Firmly press the mixture over the bottom and 1-inch up the sides on the pan, use your fingers or the smooth bottom of a glass. Refrigerate the crust while preparing the filling.

TO PREPARE FILLING:

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute just until smooth and free of any lumps. Gradually add the sugar and beat until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to slowly beat until combined. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest. Blend in the sour cream. The batter should be well mixed but not overbeaten. Overbeating incorporates too much air and will cause the cake to puff when baking, then fall and crack when cooling. Pour filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

TO PREPARE WATER BATH:

Set the pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides. This will prevent water from seeping into the seams of the springform pan. Carefully set the cake pan in a larger roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.

Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 45 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle, it will firm up after chilling. Be careful not to overcook! Do not do a toothpick test in the cake's center, this will make a crack. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours to set up. Demold and transfer to a cake plate. Slice the cheesecake with a thin, nonserrated knife that has been dipped in hot water and wiped dry after each cut.
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BLUEBERRY TOPPING:

2 tablespoons butter
2 pints blueberries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 lemon, juiced

Combine all ingredients in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring up to a slow boil and stir gently until the berries breakdown and release their natural juice. The consistency should remain a bit chunky. Cool to room temperature and serve on top of cheesecake. Yield: 2 1/2 cups

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REVIEWS: (72)

Overall the cheesecake was pretty good. The look was beautiful with no cracks. I would prefer the texture to be a little more dense. It came out more like the Jello instant cheesecake. Also, one whole lemon zest was a bit too much. My daughter asked me if it was lemon cheesecake. I really liked the crust look and taste. The cook time was off. I cooked an extra 20 min.

My sister is going through some hard times during this economic downturn, so she is a little stressed let's say. So I've decided to make her some comfort food. This weekend I searched online for an easy cheesecake recipe & found this one. Since my sis only likes simple, plain cheesecakes without the toppings and with a graham cracker crust, this one was an excellent choice. I made this one without making the topping and it was FABULOUS. Everyone that tried it, LOVED it! I forwarded the recipe so they can make it. A tip that may help if this is your first cheesecake... the cheesecake should rise to the top of the spring form pan and the outside edge should just start to turn brown for it to be completely done cooking. It will fall when you take it out of the oven so it is very important to take a thin knife to divide the edge of the cheesecake from the pan, which has been sprayed with the non-stick butter flavored spray with no flour. The cheesecake did not crack at all and presented beautifully with no topping. In my oven, the cooking time was 1 hour 30 minutes at 325 with the temperature increased to 350 for the last 10-15 minutes. The key is for the cheesecake to just start browning at the edge. For the graham cracker crust, I used the cinnamon & sugar graham crackers and I did not add the cinnamon. Yum! PERFECTLY DELICIOUS & SMOOTH CHEESECAKE!

Making this recipe for at least the 100th time. Fabulous! Make sure the cream cheese is completely soft, the sour cream and eggs are at room temperature, it prevents clumps. I mix the filling in a food processor to avoid bubbles. I use fresh raspberries, take some and puree in food processor, add sugar and the lemon juice from your zested lemon. Mix with whole berries. Delightful. I've varied it with cocoa powder, (needs extra sugar and either made a complete chocolate version, or did a plain/chocolate swirl. All three are beautiful with the raspberry topping.

Overall the cheesecake was pretty good. The look was beautiful with no cracks. I would prefer the texture to be a little more dense. It came out more like the Jello instant cheesecake. Also, one whole lemon zest was a bit too much. My daughter asked me if it was lemon cheesecake. I really liked the crust look and taste. The cook time was off. I cooked an extra 20 minutes.

Modified this recipe slightly: 3 blocks cream cheese, 4 eggs, 1-1/2 pt. sour cream, Zest of 1 ORANGE, (no lemon juice of zested orange, a few drops of orange extract. Also, not a fan of graham crackers -- used ground vanilla wafers, instead for crust. Baked for approx. 1 hr. Makes for a bigger cake. All other directions the same. ABSOLUTELY delicious!! Never any leftovers.

Truly delicious. My family, specially my son, loves it. It is always requested for family gatherings. I have made it without the water bath on an elevated dish for a crunchier texture to the crust. I also have used almond extract for a different flavor. And it is indeed crack proof if you follow the instructions and tips.

Hands down....Best cheesecake EVER! The topping was wonderful also, not too sweet. I've made this several times and it is always a hit!
Do NOT skip the water bath part, that makes it crack free, and evenly textured throughout!

I made this recipe last week and my family devoured it! I only got have one piece. I liked this recipe because there wasn't a lot og ingredients. Yes, it did take awhile to cook, but what cheesecake doesn't? Will make this again for sure!!!

I'm not a fan of cheesecake, but my boyfriend loves the stuff so I decided to surprise him with this recipe. I only used a 1 pint of blueberries, omitted the cornstarch, and simmered the blueberry liquid until it reached a more syrupy consistency. We both loved it!

I used this recipe for my first attempt at cheesecake and it came out PERFECTLY. I reccommend this for beginners wanting to take a chance. It is also the bare bones, and can easily be adapted to fit your family's preference.

This cheese cake is easy to make and crack-proof. The taste was guite possibly the best I ever had.

I have made this several times and I love it. Not to sweet and perfect results every time.

This recipe was perfect!!!! I do recommend refrigerating it over night. The first piece I ate was just after 4 hours of chilling and it was good, but the second piece the next day was even better!!! Creamy and flavorful and no cracks!!!

I bake a lot but this was the first cheesecake I've ever attempted. Not only was it easy to make but it came out delicious! Personally, I thought it a bit sweet for my taste but I loved the little zing of lemon. I didn't put a topping on it since it was a tester. However, my co-workers raved it was perfect the way it was.

I had dozens of people wanting this recipe. I just took email addresses and sent them this link.

This is a great recipe for cheesecake that looks perfect when done. Just be sure to follow the directions exactly and it works like a charm and has a really smooth yummy flavor.

This recipe is perfect!