Cheesecake slice with strawberry sauce — This cheesecake with strawberry sauce is the best cheesecake you’ll ever eat.

A perfect cheesecake recipe

My former mother-in-law, Carolyn, is an amazing cook. Everything I ever tasted that she made was absolutely delicious. But one of her best creations is this cheesecake recipe. It truly is the perfect flavor and the perfect texture.

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Carolyn told me she developed this perfect cheesecake recipe one summer as a young mother living near San Francisco. I can imagine her experimenting over and over again with slight variations of ingredients until she created perfection. And believe me when I say this is perfect!

Typewritten cheesecake recipe — This cheesecake recipe has been well-loved, as you can see from this old paper copy.

What you’ll need for this perfect cheesecake recipe

Equipment:
- 10-inch springform pan. You really need a springform pan to get the best result. I like the stainless steel models, like this one here.
- Hand mixer. You can use a stand mixer, of course, but I prefer a hand mixer for this recipe.
- Food processor (if you’re making the strawberry sauce).
Ingredients:
- Graham cracker crumbs. I prefer to buy the crumbs already crumbled. However, you can buy graham crackers and crumble them yourself in a food processor, or even put them in a large plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.
- Sugar. Plain white granulated sugar is best.
- Butter. I use salted butter.
- Cream cheese at room temperature. You really need to leave the cream cheese out on the counter for a couple of hours, until it gets to room temperature.
- Vanilla
- Almond extract. Don’t leave this out! It really makes a big difference in the taste.
- Eggs. I use large eggs.
- Sour cream. Use the regular sour cream, not the light sour cream.

Graham cracker crust in springform pan — When preparing the graham cracker crust, don’t put the crumbs all the way to the top. Only put them up a little over halfway.

Tips for preparing the crust

When you put the crumb mixture in the pan, only press it up about halfway in the pan. The cheesecake won’t fill the pan, and you don’t want the crust to be much higher than the cheesecake itself.
Don’t bake the crust ahead of time. In lots of recipes, you bake the crust first. Not for this cheesecake.
And, if you like desserts with graham cracker crusts, you should try this fabulous and nostalgic lemon ice box pie.

Sour cream layer on top of cheesecake — Don’t omit the sour cream layer on top of the cheesecake. It adds to the flavor and also creates a smooth, attractive finish.

Why you need the sour cream layer

Adding the sour cream layer on top of the cheesecake is an extra step. It is possible to skip it — but don’t! This layer does add to the flavor and, even more importantly, creates a smooth finish for the most attractive presentation.

Extra points: Strawberry sauce

You can serve the cheesecake plain, and it is absolutely delicious. But if you want to bump it up a notch, top it with this super delicious strawberry sauce (recipe below).

As an aside: If you like desserts with strawberries, you really should try this old-fashioned strawberry ice box pie.