Description
This Easter Cheesecake is a creamy and smooth dessert featuring a buttery graham cracker crust, a luscious cream cheese filling enhanced with sour cream and lemon zest, and topped with vibrant fresh berries or colorful decorations perfect for a festive celebration.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 2 cups cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
Decoration (Optional)
- Food coloring (for decoration)
- Fresh fruit such as berries for topping
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) to prepare for baking the cheesecake.
- Make Crust: In a mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Mix until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Form Crust: Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of a springform pan using the back of a measuring cup to create an even crust layer.
- Beat Cream Cheese: In another bowl, beat softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, ensuring there are no lumps.
- Add Sugar: Gradually add granulated sugar to the cream cheese, mixing continuously until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Combine Remaining Ingredients: Add sour cream, eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon zest to the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth and well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Pour Batter: Pour the cheesecake batter evenly over the prepared crust in the springform pan.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or until the center is set but still slightly jiggly. Avoid overbaking for creamy texture.
- Cool in Oven: Turn off the oven, crack the oven door, and let the cheesecake cool inside for 1 hour to reduce the risk of cracking.
- Refrigerate: Remove the cheesecake from oven and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight to fully set and develop flavor.
- Decorate and Serve: Before serving, decorate the cheesecake with food coloring to create festive Easter designs or top with fresh berries for a beautiful finishing touch.
Notes
- Use room temperature cream cheese for a smoother filling without lumps.
- Cracking is minimized by baking at a low temperature and cooling gradually in the oven with the door slightly open.
- For best flavor and texture, refrigerate cheesecake overnight before serving.
- Customize decorations with your favorite spring or Easter-themed toppings.
- If you don’t have a springform pan, use a regular cake pan lined with parchment paper for easier removal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of cheesecake)
- Calories: 390 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 125 mg
Keywords: Easter cheesecake, creamy cheesecake, graham cracker crust, Easter dessert, berry topped cheesecake
