Traditional Baked Cherry Cheesecake

This Traditional Baked Cherry Cheesecake is a delicious and creamy vanilla cheesecake with a tart cherry pie topping.

Any way you slice it, cheesecake is a favorite dessert of many. Some of my favorites are Chocolate Chip S'mores Cheesecake, Malted Milk Ball Cheesecake, and this Dutch Apple Cheesecake. You'd better go grab your fork...I'll wait!

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This recipe was originally shared in 2013. This post has been updated with additional information, including a recipe card complete with nutritional information, but the recipe itself has remained unchanged.

Jump to:

• The ingredient list:
• Kitchen tools and equipment needed:
• Why this recipe works:
• Can other toppings be added to this cheesecake?
• How this recipe came to be:
• Can cheesecake be frozen?
• A meal fit for a king or queen:
• Alternate method for crushing graham crackers:
• How to make a cherry cheesecake:
• How to cleanly slice a cheesecake:
• Additional cheesecake recipes:
• Printable Recipe Card

The ingredient list:

• cream cheese
• graham cracker crumbs
• butter
• sugar
• sour cream
• eggs
• pure vanilla extract
• lemon zest
• milk
• flour
• cherry pie filling

Kitchen tools and equipment needed:

• hand mixer and a large bowl or stand mixer
• measuring cups and spoons
• spatula
• 9" round springform pan
• baking sheet
• parchment paper
• cooling rack
• baking spray
• citrus zester
• offset spatula
• kitchen timer

Why this recipe works:

If you're looking for a cheesecake that's picture-perfect, then this recipe for traditional vanilla cheesecake with an easy cherry topping is just what you've been looking for!

It has that yummy traditional cheesecake flavor and consistency.

The lemon zest adds a brightness of unexpected flavor but doesn't overwhelm the overall flavor of the vanilla cheesecake.

It's super simple to make, and because who doesn't love a cherry cheesecake?

Can other toppings be added to this cheesecake?

Yes!

Feel free to make your own fruit compote or citrus curd (like this homemade orange curd).

Or, top it with your favorite flavor of canned pie filling.

You can even go crazy-for-chocolate and top it with chocolate ganache (find the recipe for chocolate ganache within this recipe for S'mores Cheesecake) if the mood fits.

How this recipe came to be:

My husband's favorite dessert is cherry cheesecake. He always orders it when we're out at a restaurant on the rare occasion he even has room for dessert.

We're the type of people who fill up on the breadbasket even before the entrees arrive and then we're hardly even hungry for what we ordered.

Sound familiar to anyone out there?

For my husband Mark's recent birthday, instead of going out to a restaurant to celebrate, I cooked him a meal fit for a king (see below).

I'm not saying that anyone had room for dessert, but afterward I served up this Traditional Baked Cherry Cheesecake and everyone had a slice. Just don't ask me where we all put it! LOL!

Can cheesecake be frozen?

It can, but I suggest freezing it without the topping (if possible) for the sake of neatness.

You can either freeze the entire cheesecake whole or freeze individual slices. The choice is yours.

If freezing the entire cake, pre-freeze (unwrapped) on a baking sheet for 2 hours. Once set, wrap the cake well in several layers of plastic wrap and return it to the freezer for up to 3 months.

A meal fit for a king or queen:

Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Bourbon Gravy

Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Candied Bacon

Beer Bread Biscuits with Herbs

Cherry Topped Cheesecake (recipe below)

Alternate method for crushing graham crackers:

A large zip-top bag with a rolling pin works great, and you'll have less dishes to wash up afterwards.

You can additionally purchase store-bought graham cracker crumbs which make very fast work of the entire graham cracker crumb crust process.

How to make a cherry cheesecake:

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
• If making homemade graham cracker crust, pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form.
• Add melted butter and sugar and pulse again until the mixture resembles wet sand.
• Pour into the bottom of a 9" round springform baking pan that has been sprayed with baking spray.
• Press the crumbs evenly into the pan to form a uniform layer and bake the crust for 10 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven.
• Place the pan onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Remove and cool while making the cheesecake filling.

• Add softened cream cheese to a large bowl, along with sugar, vanilla extract, milk, sour cream, lemon zest, and flour.
• Blend until creamy.
• Add eggs (one at a time) to the cream cheese mixture, blending well after each addition.
• Pour the cream cheese mixture into the prepared springform pan and use an offset spatula to spread the mixture evenly in the pan.
• Place the cheesecake into the 350-degree preheated oven and bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the cheesecake is only very slightly jiggly in the center.
• Turn off the oven and open the door so the cheesecake cools down slowly for at least 30 minutes.
• Remove the cheesecake from the oven and run a knife or offset spatula around the sides of the springform pan to loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan.
• Allow the cheesecake to cool completely on a wire rack (at least two hours) before carefully removing the collar.
• Spoon the cherry pie filling on top of the cheesecake and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• For best flavor, allow the cheesecake to sit at room temperature for at least 60 minutes before slicing and seving.

How to cleanly slice a cheesecake:

Additional cheesecake recipes:

*Lemon Drop Cheesecake with Lemon Curd Topping (shown below and featured in the video)

*Chocolate Chip S'mores Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache Topping

*Reese's Pieces Pumpkin Cheesecake

Printable Recipe Card

I sincerely hope you'll enjoy today's classic dessert recipe for baked cherry topped cheesecake as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you!