There’s hardly an occasion where a small celebratory cake isn’t welcome. This 6 inch cheesecake recipe makes 6 perfect slices of rich, dense (but not too thick) cheesecake. It has been the center of many parties and celebrations in my life, and I hope you bookmark it for yours! What makes this 6 inch cheesecake recipe better than any other one is that the rich, buttery crust goes all the way up the sides of the pan. I absolutely love the foil of buttery crust with creamy filling. My cheesecake filling also contains the perfect balance of vanilla and lemon zest, so that the flavor never falls flat. My cooking technique will make sure you’re rewarded with a creamy, perfectly sliceable cheesecake that is rich but not overly dense or gummy. You can also make the whole thing and freeze it (without the strawberry sauce) and store it until you need it. It defrosts overnight in the fridge or on the counter in a few hours. Yes, this is the exact same as my instant pot cheesecake recipe, but adapted for baking in a regular oven. It uses the same 6 inch springform pan, too.
What You’ll Need for 6 Inch Cheesecake Recipe
The most important thing for this recipe is to make sure all ingredients are at room temperature! Cold ingredients make for a lumpy cheesecake. And no, you absolutely cannot beat the lumps out. Furthermore, the lumps do not melt in the oven. Cold ingredients equal a ruined cheesecake, trust me! Please, plan ahead and place all of your ingredients on the counter to come to room temperature at least an hour before you plan to bake.
Graham Crackers. Seven whole graham cracker sheets from the box, or ¾ cup of already crushed graham cracker crumbs. Sugar. We need one tablespoon of sugar for the graham cracker crust, ⅔ of a cup for the actual 6 inch cheesecake recipe, and another tablespoon to make the sweet strawberry topping. Butter. I always bake with unsalted butter. We need 3 tablespoons melted for the crust. Cream Cheese. Two eight-ounce packages of full-fat regular plain cream cheese that you have let soften on the counter. The best way to soften cream cheese is to open the package, remove it, and dice it on a plate. Leave it at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, until it is fully soft and room temperature. Cold cream cheese will have lumps in your batter that will not melt when baking. Cold cream cheese will absolutely ruin your cheesecake. Eggs. Two large eggs that have been left out at room temperature alongside the cream cheese. If you forget this step, you can quickly bring them to room temperature by soaking the eggs in very hot water for 5 minutes. Vanilla Extract. You can use two teaspoons of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste for this recipe. Both are delicious and bring a subtle sweetness to the batter. Lemon. I never make cheesecake without a little lemon zest! Just the zest of one small lemon (about ½-3/4 teaspoon) brings so much tangy flavor that balances the cream cheese and sugar perfectly. Heavy Cream. One quarter cup of heavy cream is the secret ingredient in my recipe that makes for a silky smooth end result. This also needs to be at room temperature, otherwise it will chill the cream cheese and make it lumpy! Strawberries. One half cup of sliced fresh strawberries, if you like. You can also make a blueberry topping, like I did for my no bake blueberry cheesecake. Strawberry Jam. A small amount of jam is what makes any fruit topping thick and shiny. In our case, we use strawberry jam, but apricot jam will work, too.
Equipment
6 Inch Springform Pan - Absolutely imperative for getting your beautiful dessert out of the pan without making a mess. The springform lets the outside edge of the pan fall away, and the base becomes a sturdy bottom 8 Inch Cake Pan - This is for nesting the 6 inch pan inside to create a water bath for baking. Electric Hand Mixer - I have used this one for years and love it. I love that it comes with its own storage. Small Food Processor - This is optional; you can buy already crushed graham crackers and measure out ¾ cup for this recipe. Alternatively, you can crush them by hand in a plastic bag with a rolling pin. A small food processor just makes quick work of it.
How to Make this 6 Inch Cheesecake Recipe
Storage
Slice the cheesecake, and store it tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to 4 days. It stores best without the strawberry topping, because the sure in the topping will melt the cheesecake filling overtime. You can also freeze this cheesecake whole after allowing to cool. It will keep frozen for up to 3 months if double-wrapped and stored in freezer storage bags. Defrost overnight in the fridge and then several hours on the counter at room temperature. Again, do not add the strawberry topping until just before serving.
Other Cheesecake Recipes:
Mini Lemon Cheesecakes Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
*The most important thing for this recipe is to make sure all ingredients are at room temperature! Cold ingredients make for a lumpy cheesecake. And no, you absolutely cannot beat the lumps out. Furthermore, the lumps do not melt in the oven. Cold ingredients equal a ruined cheesecake, trust me! Please, plan ahead and place all of your ingredients on the counter to come to room temperature at least an hour before you plan to bake.
