Homemade Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping

5 from 5 vote

Homemade Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping

This Homemade Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping is rich, creamy, and perfectly dense, with a thick graham cracker crust. Whether topped with a blueberry topping, raspberry sauce or served plain, it’s a classic bakery-style dessert that’s simple to master and guaranteed to impress!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 35

Chill in refrigerator12

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cheesecake, graham cracker crust

Servings: slices

Calories: 408kcal

Author: Lora

Equipment

Ingredients

For the crust:

2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs or finely crushed Digestive Biscuits
1 Tablespoon granulated white sugar
½ cup melted unsalted butter

For the cheesecake filling:

1 Tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 cup granulated white sugar
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
32 ounces cream cheese room temperature (use full fat, not reduced or fat free cream cheese)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
5 large eggs at room temperature
⅓ cup heavy whipping cream at room temperature

For the topping:

Topping: optional
1 cup sour cream at room temperature (not low fat or fat free)
2 Tablespoons granulated white sugar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

For the blueberry topping (optional):

1 18 ounce blueberries fresh (rinsed, drained, any stems removed)
½ cup apricot jam
1 lemon juice

Instructions

For the crust:

In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until the crumbs are evenly moistened. You can also pulse everything together in a food processor. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of a springform pan to create the perfect crunchy base. Cover and chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

For the Cheesecake Filling:

In a small bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar—this helps release its natural oils for extra flavor. Stir in the flour.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the cream cheese, sugar mixture, and vanilla extract on medium-low speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure a creamy, lump-free batter.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Finally, mix in the whipping cream until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cheesecake dense and creamy.
Take the crust out of the fridge and pour in the filling, smoothing the top with a spatula. Place the springform pan on a larger baking sheet to catch any drips, then carefully transfer to the oven.
Bake at 325°F for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 250°F and continue baking for 60–70 minutes. The cheesecake is ready when the edges are set, but the center still has a slight jiggle. Remove cheesecake and place on a cooling rack.

For the topping:

Whisk together the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in a small bowl.
Spread the topping evenly over the warm surface and return to the oven for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack.
As soon as you remove the cheesecake, run a knife or spatula around the edges to loosen the cheesecake from the pan—this helps prevent cracks as it cools. Let it cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate uncovered for one hour. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours. Best to chill overnight for the best texture and flavor.

For the blueberry topping (optional):

In a small saucepan, heat the jam and stir. Remove from the heat. Add in juice of one lemon.
As soon as the jam glaze cools down a few minutes, spread the blueberries on top of sour cream topping.
Finally, drizzle the jam glaze all over the blueberries
Place the cheesecake on a serving plate. Carefully remove the cheesecake from the springform pan. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

Crust: Graham crackers make the best flavored crust. If you can't find any, you could make your own! Or, use digestive cookies or even Oreo cookies.
Filling: Full fat cream cheese is the best for this cheesecake filling!
Topping: Nonna used fresh blueberries and made a quick jam glaze. You could even cook the berries and make a sauce. Make sure they cool down completely before you spread on top.
Serving: You could get 12 slices, or even more thin slices. If you slice bigger slices, you could get less than 12 slices.

Nutrition