20 Cheesecake Recipes to Make it Perfect

Cheesecake is a dessert of Greek origin, which then spread a lot in Anglo-Saxon countries, becoming the cake par excellence of American pastry. Some ancient sources trace the origins of cheesecake back to the first Olympics in history, held in Delos in 776 BC, when athletes would be served a dessert filled with sheep's cheese and honey.

The cheesecake then evolved over the centuries to become what we know, but still today there are different variations and recipes to prepare it. The original recipe is that of the New York cheesecake, with a cake that has a base of dry biscuits and a very high and slightly sour cheese filling, covered with a berry glaze. The classic cheesecake is baked in the oven, but the no-baked versions are also very good, very popular in Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

Making cheesecake at home is very simple. Here are some quick and easy recipes to try right away!

New York-style cheesecake

The New York-style cheesecake is a typical dessert of the American tradition, made with a base of dry biscuits, a filling of cream cheese and a topping of sour cream and berries, which gives it the characteristic sour taste. Preparing it is very simple. To make the base, chop some dry biscuits with a stand mixer, add melted butter, brown sugar and bake everything in the oven. Then prepare the cream for the filling by combining eggs, vanillin, sugar, lemon juice, corn starch, a pinch of salt, fresh spreadable cheese (such as Philadelphia) and fresh liquid cream. At this point pour the cream on the base and bake the cheesecake in the oven. When baked, add the sour cream topping, put the cake back in the oven for a few minutes and finally decorate it with berries.

No-bake strawberry cheesecake

The no-bake strawberry cheesecake is a quick, cold dessert made with a crunchy biscuit base and creamy filling, made with fresh cheese, cream and sugar. For the topping, you can make a strawberry gelée, good and impressive, but you can also simply decorate it with fresh strawberries. In any case, the result will be a very fresh, tasty and beautiful cake to look at!

Nutella cheesecake

The Nutella cheesecake is the perfect cake for lovers of hazelnut spreadable cream. This version is also prepared without baking. Just make the base with the dry biscuits, add the filling made with fresh cheese (like Philadelphia cheese), Nutella and powdered sugar and let the cake rest in the refrigerator for at least six hours. When it has solidified, transfer the cheesecake to a plate, decorate it as you like and serve it cold to your guests.

Blueberry cheesecake

The blueberry cheesecake is a cold dessert, which unlike the New York cheesecake, is prepared without baking. The biscuit base, in this case, should not be cooked, but simply placed in the refrigerator for an hour. For the filling, prepare a mousse with jelly, whipped cream and fresh cheese. Pour it into the mold with the base, leave everything in the refrigerator for an hour, then add some blueberries puree to the center of the cake and put it back in the refrigerator for at least six hours. Once ready, decorate it with berries to taste.

Yogurt cheesecake

The yogurt cheesecake is a cold, no-bake cake made with a biscuit base and soft yogurt cream. The preparation is the same as for other cheesecakes, with the difference that yogurt is used for the cream instead of fresh cheese. Again, the first thing you need to do is prepare the base with the shredded dry biscuits, butter and sugar. Put the mixture in a pan, press it well and let it rest in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, make the cream with jelly, yogurt, milk, cream and sugar. Whip the cream slowly with a whisk, pour it into the base and let it rest in the refrigerator for about three hours. Decorate it as you like with fresh fruit or chocolate.

Chocolate cheesecake

The chocolate cheesecake is the tastiest variant of the classic cheesecake, baked in the oven and made up of a base of biscuits and a cream of mascarpone cheese and dark chocolate. The preparation of the base is the same as that of the New York cheesecake, while for the cream you have to combine the beaten eggs, mascarpone cheese, Philadelphia cheese, melted dark chocolate and cream. You can serve the cake hot, just out from the oven, or cold, after putting it in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Blackberry cheesecake

The blackberry cheesecake is a no-bake, simple and tasty dessert. To prepare the base, blend the dry biscuits, butter and sugar in a mixer. Put the mixture in a cake pan, forming a layer about 2 cm thick, and let it rest in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, prepare the cream with jelly, Greek yogurt, cream cheese, sugar and pureed blackberries. Pour the mixture into the base, leave the cake in the refrigerator until it has solidified and serve it cold.

Jam cheesecake

The jam cheesecake is the no-bake version of the classic cheesecake. For the base, chop the dry biscuits, add the butter and sugar, pour the mixture into a pan, press it well and let it rest in the refrigerator for an hour. For the cream, mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, cream and jelly. Put the cream on the base, level it well and cover it with a layer of jam of your choice. Leave the cake in the refrigerator for at least three hours, until it has solidified.

Melon cheesecake

The melon cheesecake is a fresh, easy-to-make, no-bake dessert perfect for summer! Also in this variant, the base is made with dry biscuits, butter and sugar, while the filling is made with yogurt, cream, powdered sugar, jelly and smoothie melon. After pouring the cream onto the base, add some pieces of melon, let the cheesecake rest in the refrigerator for three hours and, once solidified, decorate it with slices of melon.

Ricotta cheesecake

The ricotta cheesecake is the Italian version of the classic American cheesecake, made with sweet ricotta cheese instead of spreadable cheese. The recipe of the base is always the same, while to prepare the cream you have to mix the ricotta cheese, sugar, liquid cream, eggs, grated lemon zest and the pulp of a vanilla bean. Pour the mixture on the base, level it well and let the cake bake in the oven for about 40 minutes. It is excellent both hot, fresh from the oven, and cold.

Lemon cheesecake

The lemon cheesecake is another fresh, easy-to-make, no-bake dessert. The base is always made with dry biscuits, butter and sugar, while the cream is made with ricotta cheese, fresh cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon juice. To make it even more beautiful (and good) we suggest you decorate it with berries or fresh fruit of your choice.

Apple cheesecake

The apple cheesecake is a delicious dessert, similar to the classic apple pie, made up of a crunchy biscuit base, a soft cheese and ricotta cheese filling and a layer of apples with caramelized cane sugar. To prepare the cream, add the ricotta cheese, vanilla and sugar to the fresh spreadable cheese. Work the mixture with the whisk and then add the eggs, until you get a homogeneous mixture. Pour everything on the biscuit base, add some fresh apple slices, a sprinkle of brown sugar and cinnamon and bake in the oven for about an hour. Before serving, let it cool.

Pumpkin cheesecake

The pumpkin cheesecake is a variation of New York cheesecake, usually made to celebrate Halloween, but great all year round! The base is made with dry biscuits, while the cream is with pumpkin and fresh cheese. To prepare it, boil the pumpkin and add some Philadelphia cheese, sugar, fresh cream, lemon juice, ginger and cinnamon. Pour the mixture into the pan with the biscuit base, bake everything and let it cook for about 50 minutes. When baked, decorate the cheesecake as you like and let it cool before serving.

Orange cheesecake

The orange cheesecake is a fresh and quick dessert that is prepared without cooking. To make the base, chop the dry biscuits and add the butter and sugar to the mixer. Put the mixture thus obtained in a cake pan, let it solidify in the refrigerator for about an hour and, meanwhile, prepare the filling by mixing fresh Philadelphia cheese, powdered sugar, whipped cream, jelly sheets and orange essence. Pour the mixture into the pan with the base, level it well and put the cake in the refrigerator for a few hours. Finally, cover it with a layer of orange jelly.

Lemon and blueberry cheesecake

The lemon and blueberry cheesecake is another delicious and fresh variation of the classic American cheesecake. Preparing it is very simple; for the base you just need to chop the dry biscuits, butter and sugar in the mixer, while for the filling you have to mix the Philadelphia cheese, ricotta cheese, eggs, sugar and lemon juice. Bake the cheesecake in the oven for about an hour and in the meantime prepare the blueberry topping, preparing a syrup in a saucepan with the powdered sugar for about four minutes. When the cake is baked, let it cool, cover it with the blueberries and finally put it in the refrigerator for two or three hours before serving.

Chocolate and cereals cheesecake

The chocolate and cereal cheesecake is a variant of the chocolate cheesecake, without baking, even more crunchy and delicious! To make the base, add the puffed rice to the melted chocolate and mix. Put the mixture thus obtained in a cake pan and let it harden in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Meanwhile, prepare the cream by combining mascarpone cheese, whipped cream and white chocolate. Pour the cream onto the base, level it well and add some crushed chocolate cereal bars. Cover with another layer of mascarpone cheese cream, decorate the cheesecake with melted chocolate and let it solidify in the refrigerator for about three/four hours.

Banana cheesecake

The banana cheesecake is a simple and tasty dessert, which is prepared with few ingredients and without baking. For the base you must, once again, chop the dry biscuits and mix them with the butter and sugar. For the filling, cut ripe bananas into chunks, cook them in a pan over low heat for five minutes with sugar and lemon juice, then mash them with a fork and add the banana puree to the fresh cheese and sugar. Mix everything well with a whisk, add the cream and jelly, mix again until the mixture is homogeneous and finally pour everything into the mold with the base. Let the cheesecake rest in the refrigerator for at least two hours and decorate it with banana slices before serving.

Kiwi mini-cheesecake

The kiwi mini-cheesecakes are quick and easy desserts to prepare, without baking, ideal in summer as a snack or dessert at the end of a meal. To make the bases, grind the dry biscuits and blend them with melted butter. Put some pastry rings on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and pour the shredded biscuits to form the base of the mini cheesecakes. Let them rest in the refrigerator and in the meantime prepare the cream by combining yogurt, kiwi, powdered sugar and jelly. Put the stuffing on the bases, filling the pastry rings up to the edge, and put the mini-cakes in the refrigerator for at least three hours. Decorate with slices of kiwi before serving.

Japanese cheesecake

The Japanese cheesecake, also called cotton soft cheesecake, is a delicate and soft dessert, like a cotton ball. Unlike American cheesecake, it does not have a crunchy biscuit base, it is very high and soft. The classic recipe is based on fresh creamy cheese, eggs, sugar, flour, cornstarch, milk, melted butter and cream of tartar. There are also other variants, one of which is very simple, based on only three ingredients; creamy chocolate, eggs and white chocolate.

Pistachio cheesecake

The pistachio cheesecake is a truly irresistible dessert! The base is made with liquid cream, mascarpone cheese, pistachio cream. You can also add simple cocoa biscuits or substitute mascarpone cheese with Philadelphia spreadable cheese to make the cheesecake even tastier.