This classic cheesecake with fresh fruit is a creamy vanilla cheesecake with a sweet graham cracker crumb crust. It's decorated with whipping cream and a mound of fresh berries.
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🍰A classic cheesecake
This classic cheesecake with fresh fruit is the most perfect cheesecake ever - classic does not mean plain! I have a lot of cheesecake and other cake recipes on here, but no vanilla cheesecake!
This cheesecake is soft, tangy, and has the perfect amount of vanilla. I chose a graham cracker crust, and this goes so well with the berries. The sweetened whipping cream has just the right amount of lightness to tie it all together.
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Cream cheese - use the block cream cheese which is meant to be used for baking.
- Berries - Use whichever kind of fruit you like. They don't have to be berries - kiwi, oranges, blackberries are some fruits that would work. Make sure you use fresh fruit.
🔪Instructions
Crust
First, make the crust. Grease and line a 9 inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. I like to allow some parchment paper to extend out the sides of the pan. This helps to remove the cheesecake.
Combine graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar together in a medium sized bowl. Add melted butter and stir until combined. Press that into the bottom and partially up the sides of the prepared pan.
Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F (160°C). Remove pan from oven and let cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.
Cheesecake Filling
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Mix until combined, and then add flour, sour cream, and vanilla, and mix. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix after each addition. Pour the cheesecake filling into the crust.
Now we are going to bake the cheesecake in a water bath. This is a very important step because a water bath helps the cheesecake bake evenly and helps against cracking.
Cover the outside of the pan with aluminum foil then tie a crockpot liner bag or chicken bag around the springform pan. Make sure the bag goes up the sides of the pan. This will stop water from seeping into the cheesecake.
Place the springform pan into a larger pan, and fill the outside pan with water until it goes half way up the sides of the springform pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Slowly cool the cheesecake by turning the oven off and leaving the cheesecake in the oven with the oven door closed for 30 minutes. Crack the oven door open and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 30 minutes. This helps prevent the cheesecake from cracking.
Take the cheesecake out of the oven and take the springform pan out of the water bath. Cover the top of the springform pan and cool in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight. When it has cooled, take the cheesecake out of the springform pan, and place it on a cake stand to decorate.
🍓How to decorate a cheesecake with fresh fruit
To decorate a cheesecake with fresh fruit, I like to first pile a big mound of sweetened whipping cream in the middle of the cheesecake. Don't extend it to the edges of the cheesecake. It looks nicer when about an inch or so of the cheesecake perimeter is left uncovered.
I chose sliced strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries for the fruit, but any fruit can be used. Pile the berries on top of the whipping cream, varying them so that they are well scattered. I used more blueberries then the other berries, because I wanted the blueberries to break up all the red berries.
For more step-by-step pictures, view the web story for this classic cheesecake recipe!
✔️Expert tips
- Line your parchment paper so that it hangs outside of your springform pan. It is way easier to lift out the cheesecake this way.
- Make sure you use brick style cream cheese, not the spreadable version.
- Bring all your ingredients to room temperature before beginning. Room temperature ingredients will mix together quicker so you don't risk over mixing. Also mixing cold ingredients together would result in a chunky cheesecake batter. We want a smooth cheesecake.
- Do not overmix the cheesecake filling. Mix until ingredients are just combined.
- Do not skip the water bath!
💭FAQs
The main difference is a New York cheesecake is more dense and rich than a classic cheesecake. The reason it is more dense, is because more cream cheese is used.
Classic cheesecake is tart, sweet, creamy, and tangy. It is a perfect base for adding whatever kind of topping you like on it!
There are so many fruits you can use -berries, kiwi, oranges...use whichever your favourite's are!
🔖Related recipes
📋 Recipe
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Classic Cheesecake with Fresh Fruit
Equipment
- one 9 inch Springform pan
- one larger pan to fit springform pan in
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar either light or dark
- 6 tablespoons salted butter melted
Cheesecake
- 24 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs room temperature
Whipped Topping
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups assorted fruit
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease and line a 9 inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. Allow the parchment paper to extend out from the springform pan, for easier removal of the cheesecake.
- Combine graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar together in a medium sized bowl. Add melted butter and stir until combined.
- Press into the bottom and partially up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
Cheesecake
- Reduce oven temperature to 300°F (150°C). In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Mix until combined, and then add flour, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix until just combined.
- Add eggs, one at a time, and mix after each addition. Pour the cheesecake filling into the crust. Cover the outside of the pan with aluminum foil then tie a crockpot liner bag or chicken bag around the springform pan. Make sure the bag goes up the sides of the pan. This will stop water from seeping into the cheesecake.
- Place springform pan into a larger pan, and fill the outside pan with water. Fill until it goes half way up the sides of the springform pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the cheesecake is still slightly jiggly in the very center.
- Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the oven door closed for 30 minutes. Crack the oven door open and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 30 minutes. Slowly cooling the cheesecake like this will help keep the cheesecake from cracking.
- Take the cheesecake out of the oven and take the springform pan out of the water bath. Cover the top of the springform pan and cool in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Whipped Topping
- Combine heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip until stiff peaks form.
- Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and place on a cake stand. Spoon whipped topping in the center of the cake, leaving a 1 inch border so some of the cheesecake can be seen.
- Pile fruit on the whipped topping. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Line your parchment paper so that it hangs outside of your springform pan. It is way easier to lift out the cheesecake this way.
- Make sure you use brick style cream cheese, not the spreadable version.
- Bring all your ingredients to room temperature before beginning. Room temperature ingredients will mix together quicker so you don't risk over mixing. Also mixing cold ingredients together would result in a chunky cheesecake batter. We want a smooth cheesecake.
- Do not overmix the cheesecake filling. Mix until ingredients are just combined.
- Do not skip the water bath!
Did you try this recipe? Comment below to let me know ☺️