This cheesecake is a real panty-dropper. It’s moist, flavorful, and hard to stop eating. Best of all, it’s surprisingly easy to make!

NOTE: This recipe needs to cool overnight, so build in plenty of time when baking it. Bake it the night before you want to eat it.

Ingredients

Cheesecake:

• 32 ounces cream cheese (4 8-ounce packets), softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs, gently beaten, at room temperature

Graham cracker crust:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup sugar

equipment

• Springform pan

Process

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Wrap the bottom of your springform pan in aluminum foil. This will prevent leaks when it goes into the water bath later.
3. Spray the pan with a good coating of non-stick spray.
4. Take the ingredients for the graham cracker crust and mix them all together. Then, using the bottom of a measuring cup, pack the mixture into the bottom of the springform pan. The mixture should fill the bottom of the pan and create a crust going about a half inch up the side of the springform pan.
5. Bake the crust for about ten minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
6. Beat the cream cheese and sugar together in a stand mixer until the mixture is smooth. Mix in the salt and vanilla, and then add the eggs.
   NOTE: mix just until the eggs are beaten in. Overmixing can cause your cheesecake to crack.
7. Pour the batter into the crust.
8. Make your water bath: place the pan into a high-sided roasting pan. Fill the bottom with about an inch of nearly boiling water.
9. Place into the oven and bake for about 55 minutes. The middle of the cheesecake should be slightly wobbly when the side is tapped with a spoon; if it jiggles, it needs a little more time.
10. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let cool.
11. After about ten minutes, run a knife around the edge to separate the cheesecake from the pan. Let cool for another hour, then place into the refrigerator overnight.
12. Serve! For best results, serve with a big dollop of fruit compote or raspberry sauce.