The keys to making a great cheesecake are making sure the ingredients are at room temperature, that you don’t over-mix the batter, that you bake at a low temperature, and let cool completely. This recipe is a classic and easy enough for a beginner baker to make with success!

Ingredients

For the Cheesecake

  • 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese (room temperature)
  • ¼ cup cake flour
  • 1 ¼ cups sugar
  • 4 eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 egg yolk (room temperature)
  • 2 ½ cups heavy cream (room temperature)
  • 1 tablespoon Rodelle Vanilla Paste
  • Optional: garnish of fresh berries or homemade whipped cream.
Uses
Directions

To Make the Cheesecake

Note: you want the ingredients to be well mixed, but not over beaten. If too much air is beaten into the batter, the cake will puff like a souffle as it bakes, and then fall dramatically and crack as it cools. Overbeating can also result in a thin batter that doesn't rise.

  1. Heat oven to 300 F. Grease a 10-inch springform pan.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until creamy, about 30 seconds, on medium speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beater well.
  3. Gradually add the sugar and flour, until smooth creamy, about 1 – 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla paste. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, just until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl and beater after each addition.
  4. On low speed, beat in the cream until just incorporated.
  5. Scrape the batter into the pan and bake for 90 minutes, or until set.
  6. Let the cake cool in the pan before unmolding. Top with cooled compote, then cover and refrigerate at least six hours before serving.
  7. Garnish with fresh berries.

Photography by The Mindful Hapa.