Birthday cheesecake, with billowy whipped cream and a confetti of sprinkles, is as delicious as a layered birthday cake, but easier to make.
Birthday Cheesecake
Published on Oct. 15, 2024
Maybe your birthday girl or boy isn’t a fan of overly sweet cake. Maybe you don’t love fussing with a layered birthday cake and frosting, but you still want something homemade. Birthday cheesecake to the rescue: It has all the fun and festive feel of a traditional birthday cake, but it’s a snap to make.
A simple cheesecake with a rich, tangy filling is bedazzled with a shower of rainbow sprinkles and clouds of whipped cream. Serve it by itself, with fruit or with scoops of strawberry ice cream. And if you want to make it extra-luxe, see our instructions below to top it with a silky white chocolate ganache.
Ingredients for Birthday Cheesecake
- Graham crackers: Crushed graham crackers are the main ingredient in this classic cheesecake crust.
- Sugar and butter: Sugar and melted butter are mixed with the graham cracker crumbs and pressed into the pan.
Filling:
- Cream cheese: Softened cream cheese is beaten to form a smooth batter. Make sure you use the bricks and not tubs of whipped cream cheese, as those yield a different texture.
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar is an ideal fit for a sweet cheesecake.
- Eggs: Eggs help bind the batter together so it sets when it bakes. You’ll want to start with room-temperature eggs here.
- Sour cream: A bit of sour cream adds extra richness and tang to the batter.
- Vanilla and almond extract: Combining vanilla and almond extract lends the cheesecake that traditional birthday cake flavor.
- Sprinkles: You’ll fold colorful sprinkles right into the batter. When the cheesecake is sliced, colorful dots will be embedded in each piece.
Topping:
- Whipped cream: You can use whipped cream in a can (which makes it easy to decorate with pretty rosettes that hold their shape), or swirl the top with homemade whipped cream.
- More sprinkles: Finish the cake with more sprinkles, because they’re fun!
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the springform pan
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Carefully wrap the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with three layers of aluminum foil; this will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake during baking. Set the pan aside.
Step 2: Make and bake the graham cracker crust
In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press the mixture into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet, and bake the crust until it’s lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let the crust cool completely before filling.
Step 3: Make the cheesecake batter
Increase the oven temperature to 450°. In a large bowl, use a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium speed to beat the cream cheese until smooth, four to five minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low, add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until they’re completely incorporated, about five minutes. Add the sour cream and extracts, beating until smooth and fluffy, one to two minutes. Fold in the sprinkles.
Editor’s Tip: Using all room-temperature ingredients will help the batter aerate for the best light, airy texture.
Step 4: Prep the cheesecake for baking
Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Rest the springform pan in a larger baking pan, then add 1 inch of hot water to the larger pan; this helps the cheesecake bake gently and evenly to prevent cracking.
Step 5: Bake the cheesecake
Bake the cheesecake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 225°. Continue baking until the cheesecake is just set, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the oven door and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 30 minutes, till the center sets completely. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and refrigerate it overnight, covering it when it’s completely cooled.
Step 6: Decorate and serve
Use a knife to loosen the sides of the pan, then remove the rim. Top the cheesecake with whipped cream and sprinkles before serving.
Birthday Cheesecake Variations
- Go chocolate: While we love fun, rainbow sprinkles, your birthday guests may be more into chocolate. If that’s the case, swap the colorful sprinkles for chocolate jimmies, and serve each slice with a generous drizzle of chocolate sauce. And consider an Oreo cookie crust (see below).
- Upgrade the crust: Graham cracker crusts are classic, but if you love chocolate, try an Oreo cookie crust. Or buy a tube of sugar cookie dough and press that in the pan, then bake it before filling. Or crush up vanilla wafers instead of graham crackers.
- Top with white chocolate ganache: Before a finishing flourish of whipped cream and sprinkles, spread a layer of white chocolate ganache over the cooled cake. It will harden and provide a deluxe layer between the cheesecake and fun toppings.
How to Store Birthday Cheesecake
Store leftover birthday cheesecake, covered, in the refrigerator for three to four days.
Can you freeze birthday cheesecake?
Yes, this cheesecake birthday cake can be wrapped well and frozen, undecorated, for about a month. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then decorate it before serving.
Birthday Cheesecake Tips
How do you know when a cheesecake is done?
A cheesecake takes a long time to bake, but keep your eye on it during the last 30 minutes of baking. Keep that oven light on, and look for a filling that is set on the edges and just barely set in the middle.
How do you prevent cheesecake from cracking?
This recipe sets you up for successful membership in the Uncracked Cheesecake Club, but don’t skip any steps! The keys are the water bath, the temperature changes and letting the cheesecake finish setting in the oven with the temperature off. Baking at too high a temperature, overbaking or the sudden change in temperature from oven to counter are what can make a cheesecake crack. And if it cracks anyway? That’s what whipped cream is for!
What if you don’t have a springform pan?
Birthday Cheesecake
Prep Time
40 min
Cook Time
1 hour 30 min
Yield
1 cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- FILLING:
- 3 blocks (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 3/4 cup sprinkles
- TOPPING:
- 1 cup whipped cream in a can
- 1/4 cup sprinkles
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Wrap the bottom half of a 9-in. springform pan with 3 layers of aluminum foil, set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine graham crackers, sugar and melted butter. Press crumbs into the bottom of prepared pan and about 1 inch up the sides. Place on baking sheet, bake until lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Cool completely.
- Increase oven temperature to 450°. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, 4-5 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to medium-low; add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, about 5 minutes. Beat in sour cream and extracts until smooth and fluffy, 1-2 minutes; fold in sprinkles. Pour filling over cooled crust. Place springform pan in a larger baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.
- Bake 15 minutes. Decrease oven temperature to 225°; bake until just set, about 1-1/4 hours. Turn oven off and open the oven door; let cheesecake sit 30 minutes, or until center is completely set. Remove from oven, refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled.
- Loosen sides from pan with a knife. Remove rim from pan. Top with whipped cream and sprinkles before serving.
Nutrition Facts
16 pieces: 404 calories, 27g fat (14g saturated fat), 102mg cholesterol, 231mg sodium, 36g carbohydrate (28g sugars, 0 fiber), 5g protein.
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Combining vanilla and almond extract in the filling gives this cheesecake that traditional birthday cake flavor; folding sprinkles right into the batter creates colorful confetti in each piece. Top with clouds of whipped cream and a shower of extra sprinkles. —Dan Ware, Milton, West Virginia
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