Fluffy Cheesecake started as an excuse to use up some cream cheese. Plus, I was curious to see what would happen when folding whipped egg whites into a cheesecake. Little did I know this would become one of our favorite cheesecake recipes. It's only a fluffy cheesecake in comparison to dense, thick, New York style, but fluffy is the word people sometimes use to describe this texture so I'm sticking with it for now.
Only 2 packages of Cream Cheese vs 5!
Along with the light yet rich texture, what I love about this recipe is it only calls for 2 packs of cream cheese. Classic New York Style Cheesecake usually has 5 packs of cream cheese, but in Fluffy Cheesecake a good amount of sour cream along with the beaten egg whites makes up for the missing cream cheese. This makes the cheesecake slightly less expensive -- or at least when cream cheese is not on sale!
Fluffy Cheesecake Baking Time
The first time I made this cheesecake, I baked it at 300 for an hour then let it sit in the "off" oven for an hour. It did have a big crack which I had to cover with fruit topping. Even though it was delicious, I started experimenting with different bake times and came up with one that was practically crack-free. The new cheesecake bake time is 300 for 30 minutes, 250 for 30 minutes, 1 hour in the "off" oven with the door closed and 30 minutes in the oven with the door ajar.
Here's what the cheesecake should look like with the new bake times.
Fluffy Cheesecake Cherry Topping
While covering cracks shouldn't be a huge issue here, you may want a delicious cherry topping. My family likes canned cherry topping so I sometimes spoon a little of that over the top, but when I'm feeling more ambitious I make homemade cherry topping using Trader Joe's (or Aldi brand) Dark Morello Cherries. Update: I just posted an easy strawberry topping recipe as well.
More Recipe Notes
A reader notified me that her cheesecake did not cook through using the temps and times in the recipe. That is, 300 for 30 minutes, 250 for 30 minutes, door closed (oven off) for an hour and a final 30 minutes in the off-oven with the door open. I tested the cheesecake again in yet a new oven using those same times and temps and the cheesecake was fluffy and fully cooked. If this recipe doesn't work for you using 300 and 250 for the first hour, you could try using 300 for the first hour, as it may just have to do with different ovens and how they hold their heat.
Fluffy Cheesecake in Blue Star Oven Test 12/2022
We have a new oven (Blue Star gas), so I tested the recipe in it to make sure the times and temps were accurate. The cheesecake came out great. Pictured above. This was also a reminder of just how important it is to keep the door shut at all times. Do not peek or open the door to check progress. The only way to observe it is through the window with the oven light on (unless you have a fancy oven camera). Also, an oven thermometer like this one I purchased at Publix is helpful.
Recipe
Fluffy Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Filling:
- 2 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened (228 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 5 large egg yolks
- 2 cups sour cream, room temperature (16 oz volume package)
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
- 5 large egg whites
- Topping is optional -- We like canned cherry pie filling so I usually just throw that on. Plain sweetened whipped cream would be good too.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rub a 9 inch springform pan all over with butter.
- Mix together crust ingredients and press into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan. Set it on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Let cool.
- Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees F.
- With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
- Add yolks, sour cream, vanilla, and lemon juice; mix until smooth.
- Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry, and fold into mixture. Pour over crust and smooth the top.
- Set on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees F. Do not open the door!
- Reduce heat to 250 degrees F. and continue baking for another 30 minutes. Again, do not open the door.
- Turn off heat, and let cake remain 1 hr longer with door closed. Open door and let cake remain at least ½ hour longer. Alternatively, if you don't see any cracks and want to err on the side of it being more baked than keep the door closed for that last half hour.
- Let cool at room temperature, then chill overnight or for at least 8 hours. Top with pie filling if desired.
Anna says
Wow! Thanks for testing it with the light ingredients and reporting back. I'm so glad to hear that worked.
Keely Fkint says
I used light cream cheese and fat free Greek yoghurt instead of the sour cream. It was absolutely delicious.
Vicki Conroy says
This was just the recipe I was looking for. All my cheesecakes seem too heavy, I wanted something lighter. My only issue is that, as an Australian I had a bit of trouble with the measurements. Grams are fine but I think I converted 2 cups of sour cream to gram instead of the 16oz, so I suspect some of my measurements were off. Australian cups & spoons are different size to US so conversions can be a bit fraught. That being said our cream cheeses comes in 250g packets so the quantities probably balanced out although I did end up with too much filling, which I should have realised would happen. I just poured the extra into some cupcake liners and baked them at the same time and ate them with fresh berries and yoghurt.
Anna says
Hello Irene, I just sent you an email to see if we can figure this out. We can update this when we figure out why it rose so high. As mentioned, it will sink as it sets and should be just fine, but I suspect it might be the eggs.
Irene says
I am baking this now, oven is off, and it has risen about an inch above my springform pan, 9 inch only size I had, and it was full right to the top! Is this normal for it to rise? I’ve never had a baked cheesecake rise. I would definitely use a larger pan next time. Hope it will taste!
Julie Gatewood says
This is one of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever made. Topped it with blueberries last week and am making it for a dinner this week to be topped with in-season strawberries. It tastes so rich and deliciously decadent, but it’s the texture—light and creamy—that got raves from everyone who ate it. Thank you for this recipe! It’s a keeper.
Anna says
I've only made this one with the cream cheese. You might want to just do a search for some yogurt based cheesecakes because they'll probably be quite different. I'd like to try a no-bake yogurt cheesecake too at some point.
Atara Dahan says
Any tips for replacing cream cheese with yogurt or a softer cheese?
Anna says
So glad to hear that, Grace!
Grace says
This was SO good! Followed the recipe for filling, but made Oreo crust instead. My mom said it was the best cheesecake she’s ever had. I much prefer this texture to the really dense cheesecakes I’ve been making. This will definitely be my go to recipe from now on!
Anna says
Thanks for the review!! Also, thanks for including the tip about using 2 1/2 crusts. I'm going to have to try that.
Persiasbloom says
This has been my go to cheesecake recipe for the past few years. Everyone that I make it for absolutely loves it! I usually buy the 9 inch premade Graham cracker crusts (I can get about 2 1/2 out of the filling) but this time I'm actually using Passover approved Sugar Free biscuits for the handmade crust and baking it in a spring form pan that my mom bought for me recently.
Anna says
Glad to hear you loved it!
Rebecca says
This cheesecake turned out amazing! I love the texture. I overbeat my egg whites, so that affected the texture a bit, but it is still great. Next time I will just beat them until stiff, so they fold into the batter properly.
Evan says
Put a round cake pan with water in the rack underneath your cheesecake to prevent it from cracking. I just got done making this recipe as I type lol
Anna says
Hi R! It's 2 cups of sour cream which is equal to a 16 oz. Thanks for letting me know that the way the combo is written is throwing you off so I can clarify. But definitely only 2 cups. Feel free to leave comments and questions here in case you run into issues. I just baked this a few days ago and the key is to make sure the oven temp is accurate and do not open the door for any reason. And do make sure you start with room temperature ingredients because if the cheesecake batter is really cold, that would make it take longer.
Robin says
Hi! I can’t wait to try this. A little confused about the quantity of sour cream:
2 cups 16 oz sour cream
Is this 2 cups plus 16 oz sour cream? Or 2 containers of 16 oz? I think the combo of volume and weight is throwing me off.
Thanks!
-R
Anna says
Test December 2022: All ingredients were brought to room temperature. Brands used were Philadelphia cream cheese and Daisy sour cream. Nothing was light or reduced fat. No substitutions made.
I used an oven thermometer to double-check that the temperatures were accurate.
First 30 Minutes at 300F – After baking the crust at 350 F, I opened the door to bring the temperature down to 300F. and put the cheesecake in when the temperature registered 300 degrees F.. The temperature stayed steady at 300 for the first 30 minutes.
Second 30 Minutes – With the door still closed, I reduced the heat to 250 degrees F. It took 20 minutes for the heat to fall to 275 and after another10 it had fallen to 255, so the cheesecake is baking as the temperature falls, not at a steady 250. Opening the oven at any point earlier is going to cause significant heat loss – same as if you open a slow cooker.
Third Round – Oven thermometer registered 255 at this point. I turned off the oven, keeping the door closed. It was so tempting to open it, but I did not. Over the next hour with the heat turned off, the oven temperature dropped from 255 to 155.
Fourth Round, Door (Supposed to be) Ajar – After the hour in the off-oven and the door still closed, I was 100% sure the cheesecake would not be overcooked if I just kept the door shut for that last 30 minute period where the door is supposed to be ajar. So I kept it shut and the temperature dropped from 155 to 100 in that period of time.
I took the cheesecake out and the internal temperature was 150 degrees F. I let the cheesecake cool to room temperature for 5 hours, then covered it and refrigerated it overnight.
The final verdict – soft and fluffy! It’s definitely not underbaked or soupy. So the only thing I’d suggest is to use an oven thermometer to make sure your heat is steady or falling steadily and to definitely NOT open the door. And it probably doesn’t matter whether or not the door is closed or ajar during that last 30 minutes.
Anna says
Lisa, I'm sorry that happened. The two things I can think of are that the ingredients were colder than usual or the oven wasn't as hot as usual and that it was underbaked or that one of the ingredients was "light", which meant there would be added water replacing the fat. Another thing that could have happened is if you switched brands of ingredients, either the cream cheese or sour cream could be at fault. That sounds crazy, but I was having issues with another recipe calling for cream cheese and realized the brand of cream cheese I was using (a store brand) was not working the same as Philadelphia. So it's possible it's something like that.
My daughter and I will make the cheesecake this week and report back. We have a new oven, so this should be an adventure. I will also note the internal temperature using a digital probe thermometer.
Lisa says
I made this last year and it was great! A little bit wet in the middle, but not bad. This year, I made it the exact same way, same oven, same ingredients and it's very liquidy 🙁 I can't even slice it. I don't know what's wrong
Anna says
Awesome! So glad to hear it worked for you :).
JohnDougherty says
fab.
Anna says
Glad it worked for you, Patrick! With all the weird times and temps, I'm always concerned about the variables in oven behavior.
Patrick McClave says
What a wonderful cheesecake. I’ve been bored with my go to Philadelphia New York recipe. In search of a lighter affair I’m so happy to have found your recipe.
No cracks, great flavor, excellent crust. Thanks so much for indulging my sweet tooth.
Anna says
Melissa, thanks!! I'm glad you can make this one without any cracks.
Melissa says
This has become my go to cheesecake recipe. My family loves it and so dies my husband. I always have to make two to satisfy the multitudes and its delicious with or without topping. If the baking instictions are provided it should work out perfectly. Mine have had no cracks at all. Problems might come from anything like your own to the oven youre using ( my baby is a gas stove so it cooks and bakes heavenly) also I think John is looking for a not fluffy cake. So I think he's looking at the wrong recipe
Anna says
Hi Angela,
I think the mango pulp would make the cheesecake gritty and would ruin the consistency. Your best best would probably be to make the cheesecake as directed but make a topping with mango pulp.
Angela says
If I want to add mango pulp to this recipe do I need to make any alterations to other ingredients?
Anna says
I'm going to count this as a good review ;).
Christopher L Jones says
I varied slightly substituting sour cream for a product I bake with regularly since finding it last year called Marscopone made by Vermont Creamery. I'm not sure if this changed the outcome but I followed everything else to the letter and had no crack when the cake was finished. it was fluffier than my normal recipe but didnt rise as much as i hoped it would was completely devoured (less a slice left for the old man) by the heathan savages I call my family before I even arrived home from work this evening. After completing a full interrogation of all the usual suspects involved only two solid facts were gathered. FACT 1. This was by far my best cheesecake to date. And Fact 2. The wworld renound masterminds that go by the name of I don't know and wasn't me led yet another full on ghost assault of our kitchen and before anyone could see what happened disappeared into the night prompting everyone in their wake to become out of control cheesecake felons.
John says
Anna,
It wasn't THAT bad..lol. The 10-inch pan would have made the diff between good and great. I'll make your recipe again.
Anna says
John, I'm really sorry it didn't work out for you. Maybe you should try the New York Style Cheesecake -- the one with 5 packs of cream cheese and extra egg yolks. Let me know when you find one you love!
John says
Well, all worked out. It was good, not great, but certainly not a disaster either. It was well enjoyed. I'm putting it down to using a new recipe for the first time..lol. It was very fluffy, tasted great, but just a little tricky slicing. Too tall and too light can be a problem. A 10 inch pan would have helped greatly. But all in all, a very yummy cheesecake.
John says
I was happy with it when I put in the fridge. Will see what the morrow brings. It's a lot of cake for a 9 inch pan.
Anna says
It should be pretty wobbly, so let it cool and report back! You probably won't really know until it's been in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
John says
Hey Anna
How firm should the cake be at the end of baking? I'm used to the center being wobbly at the end, but this one seems especially so. Does it firm up during cooling? Am I just being impatient?..lol
Anna says
Good luck, John!! Don't worry about the egg whites because even if they deflate a bit they'll still add some bulk to the cake. They won't dry it out. The best tip I can give you is to make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. My biggest downfall is I forget to let the cream cheese soften up enough and if any of the other ingredients are the least bit cold, it lumps up. Lumps usually smooth out as the cake bakes, but I think seeing little lumps of cream cheese motivates me to beat the batter too much and beating the batter definitely contributes to cracks.
John says
I've been scouring cheesecake recipes for the last few days. Yours is the one I'm going with. I'll be doing a key lime version.
I saw that cornstarch is good for preventing cracks too, but I'm a little leery of trying it given the egg whites.
I'll let you know how I how it goes...lol
Anna says
Hello John,
I use water baths all the time for other recipes, but for this one I purposely avoid it because I want more fluff and less creaminess. Then again, a water bath might help. I think the baking times and temps would have to be completely re-jiggered. Honestly, the crack doesn't bother me much because I always cover it up with fruit.
John says
Have you tried baking your cheesecake in a water bath? Or just set a pan of hot water on the rack below? This usually defeats the cracking issue for me.
Anna says
Hi Kristen,
I'm glad it worked for you! After all the cheesecakes I've tried over the years I feel like I should put this one on the top of the list since it's so reliable. The other thing I like about it is it's a little less expensive (or I perceive it to be!) since it only calls for 2 packs of cream cheese and sour cream is always on sale.
Kristen Daugherty says
This cheesecake is amazing! I followed the recipe and it is very fluffy, creamy, and I didn't have any cracks at all! It looked beautiful and tastes amazing as well! I would definitely recommend this if you are even thinking about making it because it was pretty easy and turned out great! The great thing about this cheesecake is that it isn't dense like most other baked cheesecakes. Love it!!!
Anna says
Thanks for posting the review! I'm so happy this cheesecake is working out for everyone.
Folee says
Dont like heavy cheesecake. This was nice & fluffy. The way my family likes it. Will only make this one from now on.
Anna says
Hooray! Mercedes, that's great news. This has also become one of my favorites even though the last time I had a small crack.
Mercedes says
Turned out so good with no cracks!!!!! We were making dinner also, so ended up leaving it in a closed oven for about an hour and a half and not ONE SIGN OF A CRACK ANYWHERE!!! Now for the taste test!!!! Best one I've ever made so far!!! I'm mad you can't leave a picture comment!!!
Annette says
I made this the other day. It was awesome. Since what I had was the smallest ready cookie graham, I made half recipe but added a little bit more sugar. It was super fluffy, super easy to cut. Maybe a little messy because of the fluffiness but let me tell you it is really good. This recipe is a keeper.
Anna says
Katrina, mine cracked too. Glad you tried it! It will probably be even better on Day 2.
Katrina says
Well, darn (but it's not that big of deal), the cheesecake baked, no splitting, during the last little bit of the hour in the oven it split. Strange. Oh well, this one will be covered with cherries, too. It does seem "fluffier"/not as dense.
Katrina says
I'm going to make this for my son's 18th birthday tomorrow. I have a huge thing of sour cream to use, so that sold me. 😉
Sonya says
Yummy!!! I just made a bunch of cheesecakes this past weekend - first comparing my recipes for New York Cheesecake (I made 2) to an Icebox Cheesecake, and then comparing pumpkin cheesecakes (2 cakes, 1 bar recipe, and a pie/cheesecake recipe). The funny thing is that I don't think I could ever get tired of cheesecake! PS Our personal favorites from the recipes I tested were the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook's New York Cheesecake and the Cook's Illustrated Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake.
Anna says
Fluffy is probably not the best descriptor, but that's the classification I kept running across in my searches. Maybe "airy" would be a better way to describe it? Or maybe just "lighter? My favorite is still the New York style, but the family really liked this one. There are just so many ways to make cheesecake.
Sue says
The cheesecake looks wonderful but I'm not sure how I feel about fluffy cheesecake. I love your New York style cheesecake.