My wife loves cheesecake. I’ve been meaning to make one for her for weeks now, but what with one thing and another – first the holidays and family visits, then work, then a birthday trip to celebrate her recent birthday – I hadn’t gotten around to it. Today, however, is the day. Today I’m baking her a cheesecake.

I always use the same cheesecake recipe. It’s tried and true, and it’s not too difficult to execute. Come with me while I bake this cheesecake.

First: the crust. I pulverized two sleeves of graham crackers in my blender, then mixed with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup melted butter.

The crust is then applied to a springform pan. This crust was a little crumblier than usual, and the crust is not perfectly even or perfectly aesthetic, but it’ll do.

After baking the crust, I made the filling. It’s much easier than you’d expect. I put four bricks of cream cheese in the blender, then added 1 1/2 cups of sugar and 3 tablespoons of vanilla and had the mixer beat it for a while.

After the filling looked creamy, I slowly poured in four lightly whipped eggs.

Once the eggs are added it’s important to only mix until the eggs are mixed and no more. Don’t overwork your cheesecake filling. If everything is blended, stop the mixer and spoon the cheesecake into your prepared crust. The whole springform pan is then put into a water bath and baked, bath and all, for 55 minutes at 325. It should be golden when done:

The cheesecake needs to set up for a while. Let it cool, then cover with foil and refrigerate at least 12 hours, ideally 24.

This cheesecake will be ready to eat tomorrow evening, when we get back from our weekly bowling league. I plan to add a layer of cherry pie filling to the top before serving, but you could also use any other pie filling, fresh fruits, jam, compote, or pretty much whatever else suits your tastes. I’ll be sure to share an update tomorrow when we eat this beast.