Best Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

This Vanilla Bean Cheesecake is the perfect canvas for your favorite pie fillings or toppings. It's also an awesome base recipe for so many different flavor combos.

So today we are talking all things cheesecake again.  It's book release week, so I'm going to go a little bonkers in sharing cheesecake recipes with you.  Lots to share...and to eat. Yum!!!

You would think after making an entire book about cheesecake, that we would be totally over the creamy goodness.

Nope.  You see when you write a book, it actually takes forever for it to be edited,  printed, and published.  We are talking like a year and a half.  Yup, I turned the manuscript in last April. So I had plenty of time to recover from eating all things cheesecake.

Now I'm ready to make and eat my weight in more cheesecake! Who's with me??? Because I didn't even put a dent in my list of cheesecake ideas...

I thought today we would start off simple by sharing an easy full sized cheesecake from my cookbook Cheesecake Love.  Ok, saying "my book" is never going to get old!!!! Ha! Love it!

(If full-sized cheesecakes still scare you after all my tips, go ahead and make these Rainbow Vanilla Cheesecake Bars instead.)

This Vanilla Bean Cheesecake is such a simple and easy recipe to put together.  For this crust, I used Nilla Wafers because it is vanilla cheesecake.  But you could totally use any other cookie or even graham crackers.

That's the beauty of this cheesecake cookbook.  There are so many options and choices that you can use to make the perfect cheesecake.  Don't feel like you have to make the exact combos that I did.  Change it up and use your favorite cookies!

Let's talk about cheesecake and cracks.  At some point in your cheesecake baking career you will experience a crack or too.  No, I'm not talking about those cracks.

Although, eating lots of cheesecake and not having the right fit of pants when you bend over could generate a few undesirable cracks.  Moving on...

How to keep your Cheesecake from cracking:

TIP 1: Do not beat your cheesecake batter very much!!!!

• Make sure you beat your softened cream cheese and sugar before you add anything else.  This is when you can beat it extra good.
• Once you add the rest of your ingredients like heavy cream, eggs, and chocolate, you do not want to beat it more than necessary.
• Beating those extra liquids creates air bubbles that expand and push the batter out when it is baking. This is one reason a cheesecake might crack.

TIP 2: Steam bath a cheesecake because it's easier and less work.

• Ok, this one is going to create some discussion.  Most people will tell you have to use a water bath when you make a cheesecake.
• I'm here to tell you that's NOT true.  You can just add place a pan of water on the very bottom rack of your oven instead.
• This creates a steam bath effect which creates a creamy delicious even layer of cheesecake.
• Plus, who wants to mess with wrapping your pan with foil and placing it in water? I mean what if it leaks?!?!?  Then all that time and those ingredients are ruined.

Trust me on this tip!  I wrote an entire book of cheesecakes using the steam method!!! Just make sure you let the steam out before you reach in because that's not the kind of steam facial you want.

TIP 3: Remove the cheesecake from the oven when the timer goes off.

• Another tip that is will bring about more debates is whether to take it out or leave it the oven after the timer goes off.
• A cheesecake that is left in a hot or warm oven will continue to bake.
• Over baking a cheesecake is another reason your cheesecakes could crack. Pull it out right away and place the cheesecake on a wire rack too cool.

TIP 4: Loosen the edges of the cheesecake from the pan within 5 minutes.

• Let the cheesecake cool for 5 minutes and then run a knife around the edges.  This will loosen the cheesecake from the springform pan because as a cheesecake coolest, it also shrinks.
• When a cheesecake shrinks and it is attached to the pan, you will end up with big ole crack right down the center!

TIP 5: If your cheesecake cracks, cover it with some type of topping.

• After all those tips, you know what?  A crack may or may not happen.
• If it does, just cover it up with your favorite pie filling or whipped topping. One of my favorite toppings is this Homemade Apple Pie Filling.
• Swirls of vanilla bean whipped topping or Cool Whip is a great way to cover cracks.
• A chocolate ganache covering the top of the best cheesecake will hide any cracks or flaws.

TIP 5: Share this Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with your friends.

And then get ready for the phone calls asking for more cheesecake. True story!

More cheesecake recipes you need to try:

• Banana Pudding Cheesecake
• White Chocolate Cheesecake
• Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake
• Banana Split Cheesecake
• Strawberry Brownie Cheesecake
• Best Apple Crisp Cheesecake
• Caramel Cashew Cheesecake
• More CHEESECAKE recipes

Continue to Content

Recipe

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

Yield: 1 - 10 inch cheesecake (14 slices)

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

This Vanilla Bean Cheesecake is the perfect canvas for your favorite pie filling or topping. Change out the toppings based on the party or the season.

Print

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 50 regular-sized Nilla Wafers
• ¼ cup sugar
• 6 Tablespoons butter, melted

For the Cheesecake

• 4 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste
• 4 large eggs

For the Topping

• 1 cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• Apple Pie Filling
• extra Nilla Wafers, cut in half, if desired

Instructions

1. Place a large baking sheet on the very bottom rack of your oven and fill it halfway with water. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 10-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
2. Pulse the cookies in a food processor until they are crushed. Mix together the crumbs, sugar, and butter until it resembles coarse sand. Press the crumbs evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
3. Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until smooth.
4. Add the heavy cream and vanilla bean paste and beat until creamy.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Make sure the eggs are fully incorporated, but do not over beat the batter.
6. Pour the batter onto the prepared crust. Place the pan on the oven rack right above the tray of water. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
7. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let it cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake to loosen it from the pan.
8. Let the cheesecake cool for 1 hour, then refrigerate it for 4-6 hours, or until completely chilled.
9. Detach the springform pan and remove the cheesecake. Peel off the parchment paper and place on a plate.
10. Chill a metal bowl and mixer whisk attachment in the freezer for 30 minutes.
11. Beat the heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla bean paste on high speed until stiff peaks form.
12. Pipe the whipped cream around the edges using a piping bag and frosting tip 1M. Place the Nilla Wafer halves in between the swirls.
13. Spoon the pie filling into the center of the cheesecake.

Notes

Excerpted and adapted from Cheesecake Love: Inventive, Irresistible, and Super-Easy Cheesecake Desserts for Every Day by Jocelyn Brubaker. Copyright © 2017. Reprinted with permission from St. Martin's Press. All rights reserved.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Wilton Springform Cake Pan Set, 3-Piece
• 
  Gourmet Pure Vanilla Bean Paste - Organically Grown, Contains Whole Vanilla Seeds from Hand Picked Heilala Vanilla Pods, All Natural, Superior to Tahitian, Mexican or Madagascar Paste
• 
  Wilton 402-2110 1M Open Star Piping Tip

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 560Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 161mgSodium: 331mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 0gSugar: 37gProtein: 7g

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