There are lots of ways to make a great cheesecake — not all recipes require the dreaded water bath or other fussy steps!
We’ve rounded up three of our favorite ways to make cheesecake: classic (with a water bath!), no-bake, and a pressure cooker version. They’re all accessible, they all work, and none of them will make you cry.
No need for fearful tears here. Cheesecake should make you smile.
1 Perfect Cheesecake: The name says it all. This classic New York-style beauty manages to be dense, airy, and rich, all at the same time. Graham crackers provide a thick and sturdy bottom, while a thin sour cream layer gently covers the top. A little drizzle of raspberry sauce on top doesn’t hurt, either.
If you’re looking for a quintessential cheesecake, the one you see at diners and in other classic dessert-dominant scenarios, this is it.
2 No-Bake Cheesecake: A cheesecake that doesn’t need to be baked? No water baths, no worrying about it cracking across the top? That’s right! When you’re pressed for time and want the fridge to do the work, the no-bake is what you make.
This is a simple assembly job: cream cheese, powdered sugar, and whipped cream, held together by gelatin. Give it some time to chill in the fridge. Top it however you like. There’s something very appealing about the feeling of cheating the system—the gelatin, and along with the chill of the fridge, are the unsung heroes here.
3 Pressure Cooker Cheesecake: The pressure cooker proves its mettle here. It seems like an unlikely scenario – cooking a whole cheesecake in a pressure cooker — but this recipe passes the test with flying colors.
Yes, you can cook nearly anything in a pressure cooker, and yes, that includes cheesecake. The entire cheesecake gets nestled into the pressure cooker for about a half-an-hour to bake.
The big bonus? A velvety smooth texture and no risk of cracks.
BONUS CHEESECAKE RECIPES!
Want to stretch your creative muscles and try something a little different? Take a look at these recipes!
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Raspberry Cheesecake in a Mason Jar
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
