Maple Cheesecake Recipe: How to Make Maple Cheesecake
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: May 31, 2022 • 4 min read
This decadent maple cheesecake recipe brings fall flavors to a classic dessert. Read on to learn how to make maple cheesecake at home.
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What Is Maple Cheesecake?
Maple cheesecake is a baked dessert consisting of a cream cheese–based filling flavored with maple syrup and set inside of a thin graham cracker crust. To bake cheesecake, bakers use a bain-marie, or water bath, to gently cook the dessert in the oven. Once the cheesecake has firm edges with a slight jiggle, it gets placed in the refrigerator to chill and achieve its signature creamy consistency.
6 Tips for Making Maple Cheesecake
Follow these tips to craft a perfectly creamy cheesecake with plenty of maple flavor.
- 1. Use a springform pan. A springform pan—which features an interlocking base that fits into an expandable rim—allows you to neatly release the cheesecake after it sets. To remove a freshly baked cheesecake from the pan, run a butter knife or offset spatula along the cake’s edges before unlatching it. Learn more about essential baking tools.
- 2. Master the water bath. A bain-marie, or water bath, is the preferred method for baking cheesecakes because it helps them achieve the perfect creamy texture. As the cake cooks in the hot water bath, steam keeps its surface from drying out while gently cooking the eggs to velvety perfection, rather than a curdled texture.
- 3. Cool the cheesecake slowly to prevent cracks. A cheesecake can crack when overcooked or cooled too quickly. To prevent this from happening, allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven before chilling it in the fridge. Prop open the oven door and let the heat slowly escape, rather than cooling the dessert on a wire rack outside the oven. Avoid the urge to open the oven door during the baking process, which changes the temperature too quickly and leads to cracks. Your cheesecake is perfectly cooked when it has a puffed-up center, firm edges, and a slight overall jiggle.
- 4. Use room-temperature cream cheese. To prevent lumps from forming in your cheesecake, use room-temperature cream cheese, which will create a smoother batter. Failing to soften the cream cheese doesn’t affect the taste of the cake, but it makes a major difference in its texture.
- 5. Leave time to chill. Always leave ample time to chill your cheesecake before slicing into it. The custardy, creamy interior needs time to set in order to hold its shape when sliced.
- 6. Experiment with toppings. Garnish this classic cake with a variety of flavorful additions. Top the cake with a thick salted caramel sauce, pipe dollops of maple-infused whipped cream along its surface, or sprinkle cinnamon sugar atop it toward the end of baking to create a crispy, crème brûlée–like topping. For added crunch, sprinkle on chopped pecans or walnuts.
Sweet Maple Cheesecake Recipe
makes
1 cheesecakeprep time
20 mintotal time
1 hr 20 mincook time
1 hrIngredients
For the crust:
For the filling:
Note: The total time does not include at least 5 hours of inactive time.
Make the crust:
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and wrap the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan tightly with aluminum foil.
- 2
In a food processor, blitz the graham crackers until they reach the consistency of sand. Alternatively, seal the crackers in a plastic bag and pound them with a rolling pin.
- 3
In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and the melted butter. Transfer the mixture to the bottom of the pan.
- 4
Using a drinking glass and your fingers, press the graham cracker crumb mixture into an even layer along the interior bottom and sides of the pan.
- 5
Place the crust in the preheated oven and bake until it is firm, about 5–10 minutes. Let the crust cool completely before adding the cheesecake filling.
Make the filling and bake the cheesecake:
- 1
When the crust is almost cool, make the filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer), combine the cream cheese, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, and salt. Mix the ingredients on medium speed until they become smooth and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- 2
Add the vanilla extract and maple syrup to the batter and mix until incorporated.
- 3
With the mixer running on low, add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- 4
Inside the springform pan, pour the cheesecake batter over the cooled graham cracker crust. Using a spatula, smooth out the top.
- 5
Place the springform pan in a roasting pan filled with enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
- 6
Transfer the roasting pan to the 350-degree-Fahrenheit oven and bake until the cheesecake is just set and has a puffy, jiggly appearance, about 1 hour.
- 7
Turn off the heat, and crack the oven door, which will prevent cracking.
- 8
Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 5 hours.
- 9
Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and drizzle caramel sauce over the top before slicing and serving.
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