Vanilla Cheesecake with Butterscotch Sauce

This classic vanilla cheesecake is rich and creamy, with a buttery graham cracker crust that complements the velvety texture. What makes it heavenly, though, is the smooth butterscotch sauce. Drizzled generously over each slice, it adds a burst of caramelized flavor. You’ll make the butterscotch sauce with only two ingredients!

Vanilla Cheesecake

In this post, I will share some tips to make your cheesecake rise nicely, have no cracks, and the crust will not only taste good but will hold better.

In this Vanilla Cheesecake recipe, I kept the sweetness balanced in both the crust and the filling; also you will be making a homemade butterscotch sauce that tastes delicious when you serve it warm or cold.

Unlike what many think, baking cheesecake is easier than baking a cake. It comes together faster with real simple and available ingredients. Other mouth-watering cheesecakes you must try are pumpkin cheesecake and Burnt cheesecake, also so known as Basque cheesecake, and it is an interesting dessert to make.

Why You’ll Love Vanilla Cheesecake

• Long-Lasting Freshness: Vanilla cheesecake has a longer shelf life than other desserts, so you can enjoy it for days without sacrificing quality.
• Creamy Texture: Vanilla cheesecake has a smooth and velvety texture that’s incredibly satisfying, making it one of the most luxurious desserts.
• Looks elegant: This Cheesecake looks good after drizzling it with butterscotch sauce and toasted walnuts.
• Versatile Flavor: Vanilla flavor pairs well with different toppings, from fruits to chocolate sauce, to caramel sauce and whipped cream.

Ingredients

You will find the list of ingredients and details in the recipe card below.

For the Vanilla Cheesecake Filling

• Cream cheese – There are different types of cream cheese in the market, but when making cheesecake make sure you get the one with more fat to hold better. Do not use whipped cream cheese. It has more moisture and won’t work in this recipe.

• Eggs – Use large eggs at room temperature, it will help the vanilla cheesecake come out light and creamy.

• Vanilla – Use the best quality vanilla extract to add an amazing flavor to this cheesecake recipe.

• All-purpose flour: The flour, along with the eggs and milk, will give this dessert body and prevent it from collapsing while baking.

• Milk – I have actually skipped the sour cream and replaced it with milk, for a lighter texture.

For the Butterscotch sauce recipe

• Butterscotch chips – Use the one for baking, it tastes better. I have used it in making my Butterscotch Chip Cookies.

• Evaporated milk – Don’t go for low-fat or skim; we need full-fat evaporated milk, which has more fat, making the sauce richer and silky smooth.

How To Make Vanilla Cheesecake

The steps below are a summary for making the vanilla cheesecake filling, for the crust and butterscotch sauce, please refer to the recipe card. I didn’t mention it here, since making the crust and sauce hardly take two or three steps.

Step 1

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the sugar, milk, vanilla, and flour, and beat until the sugar dissolves.

Step 2

Lightly beat the eggs. Add to the cream cheese mixture, and mix until combined.

Step 3

Pour the batter into the baking pan over the crust. Place the baking pan over a water bath. Bake for 1 hour and ten minutes.

Step 4

Turn off the oven. Open the oven door (just a little.) for five seconds then shut it and let the cheesecake continue cooking for 50 minutes.

Step 5

Remove the aluminum foil and place the vanilla cheesecake on a cooling rack. Refrigerate overnight

Tips for Crack Free Vanilla Cheesecake

• To prevent the crust from crumbling while slicing, pre-bake the crust for 8 minutes. When it cools complelty pour the cheesecake batter, this will help the crust to hold the filling better too.
• The key to crack free and perfectly risen cheesecake is to bring all ingredients to room temperature before mixing. It makes a lot of difference and I am saying this from experience if you beat the cream cheese while cold, it will have lumps.
• The other contributing factor to forming cracks in cheesecakes is over beating the eggs. Always beat the eggs lightly without adding air into it.
• Do not open the oven door while baking the cheesecake. The first 70 minutes are crucial. Use the oven light to see the progress of the baking but never open the door.
• After the 70 minutes are over, open the oven door ajar to allow some heat to depart the oven, but just for 5 seconds. Shut the oven door gently and let the cheesecake continue baking for another 50 minutes while the oven is off. The gradual decrease in temperature will help in thoroughly cook the cheesecake and will prevent it from having crack or sinking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Variations

• Different crust: Instead Graham crackers, use chocolate cookies, or gingersnap cookies as a crust.
• Add nuts to the crust: You can add toasted and crushed pecans, almond, or pistachios to the crust mixture.
• Chocolate chips: This is a forgiving recipe for vanilla cheesecake, so if you love chocolate add some chocolate chips in the batter.

Storing

If you wish to store the cheesecake be it in the fridge or freezer, please make sure to store it separetly from the butterscotch sauce.

Store the cheesecake in the fridge. Cut it into slices and wrap each slice with plastic wrap, then place the slices in a container and refrigerate for up to a week.

To freeze the vanilla cheesecake, follow the same steps as when refrigerating it, and it will be good to consume for upto 5 months.

To thaw the cheesecake, place it in the fridge overnight.

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