This is one of my favorite cheesecakes, and I've been making it for family and friends for many years. It's incredibly light and fluffy, with a thin homemade cake base, a creamy filling, and a delicious topping of fresh whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings.
At You Can Bake This, I show you every step, including my simple way of sealing a springform pan so the filling stays where it belongs. Even if you've never made a cheesecake before, you can follow along and bake with confidence.
Watch the full step-by-step video on YouTube
Light & Fluffy Cheesecake Recipe
Pan: 10-inch (26 cm) springform pan
Oven temperature: 350°F (175°C), conventional bake — no convection
Baking time: Approximately 80–90 minutes
Cooling: Approximately 1½ hours at room temperature, followed by at least 1½ hours in the refrigerator before decorating
🧁 Ingredients
For the most consistent results, I recommend weighing ingredients in grams whenever possible. US cup and spoon measurements are provided for convenience.
🧈 Cake Base — Makes Enough Dough for 2 Cakes
1 large egg, room temperature
Milk, room temperature — enough so the egg and milk together weigh 136 g (approximately ⅓ cup milk, depending on egg size)
100 g (7 tbsp) softened butter
120 g (½ cup + 1 tbsp + 2 tsp) sugar
330 g (approximately 2¾ cups) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
Important: This recipe makes enough cake base dough for two cheesecakes. Use approximately half (330 g) for one cheesecake and freeze the remaining dough for another time.
🥛 Cheesecake Filling
450–500 g (approximately 1¾–2 cups) sour cream, 14% milk fat
250 g (approximately 1 cup) buttermilk, 2% milk fat
4 large eggs
240 g (approximately 1 cup + 3 tbsp) sugar
1 package (approximately 37–40 g / 1.3–1.4 oz) unsweetened vanilla pudding powder
Note: I use European-style unsweetened vanilla pudding powder, intended for 500 ml of milk. This is different from most sweetened instant pudding mixes sold in the United States. If your pudding powder is already sweetened, reduce the sugar accordingly.
🍦 Whipped Cream Topping
250 g (approximately 1 cup) whipping cream
50 g (¼ cup) sugar
A splash of vanilla extract
Dark chocolate, freshly grated or shaved, for decorating
👩🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Prepare the Springform Pan
Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch (26 cm) springform pan.
Place a small piece of parchment paper over the slit in the springform pan to help create a seal. This is especially important because the cheesecake filling is quite liquid.
2. Make the Cake Base
Weigh your egg first. Add enough room-temperature milk so the egg and milk together weigh 136 g. For example, my egg weighed 58 g, so I added 78 g of milk.
Add the softened butter and sugar.
Using a stand mixer with the flat beater (paddle attachment), mix for approximately 1–2 minutes on medium to high speed.
Mix the baking powder into the flour.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed for another 1–2 minutes.
The dough should be soft and slightly moist but shouldn't stick heavily to your hands.
Tip: Room-temperature ingredients are important. Cold milk or eggs can cause the softened butter to form small pieces, making the dough harder to mix evenly.
3. Prepare the Cake Base in the Pan
Divide the dough into two equal portions.
Use approximately 330 g for this cheesecake.
Wrap and freeze the remaining dough for another cheesecake.
Place the dough in the center of your prepared springform pan.
Using your fingers, gently press the dough evenly toward the outside.
Carefully press the dough against the edge of the pan to create a good seal.
This thin homemade base is one of the things that makes this cheesecake special.
4. Make the Cheesecake Filling
Add the sour cream, buttermilk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla pudding powder to your mixing bowl.
Start mixing slowly to combine the ingredients.
Gradually increase the speed to high until everything is well combined.
Carefully pour the filling over the prepared cake base.
The filling will be quite liquid at this stage. That's normal!
🔥 5. Bake the Cheesecake
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) using regular bake — no convection.
Place the cheesecake in the oven.
Start checking after approximately 70 minutes.
Total baking time can be around 80–90 minutes.
My cheesecake took approximately 90 minutes.
The top should be lightly golden brown when finished.
Every oven is a little different, so keep an eye on the cake toward the end of baking.
❄️ 6. Cool the Cheesecake
When the cheesecake has finished baking, open the oven door just a little and leave the cake inside for approximately 10 minutes.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven.
Allow it to cool at room temperature for approximately 1½ hours.
Refrigerate for another 1½ hours before decorating.
🍫 7. Decorate with Whipped Cream and Chocolate
Pour the whipping cream into your mixing bowl.
Whip until you begin to see tracks from the whisk.
Gradually add the sugar and a splash of vanilla extract.
Continue whipping until the cream holds its shape.
If there is a little moisture on top of the chilled cheesecake, gently remove it with a paper towel.
Spread the whipped cream evenly over the cheesecake.
Finish with freshly grated or shaved dark chocolate.
Don't worry if the whipped cream isn't perfectly smooth. The chocolate shavings will cover little imperfections and make the cheesecake look beautiful!
❤️ Enjoy!
Cut yourself a nice piece and enjoy!
This cheesecake is wonderfully light and fluffy, with a creamy filling, a thin homemade base, and just the right amount of sweetness.
I've been making this recipe for family and friends for many years, and it's always been a favorite.
If you make this cheesecake, I'd love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment and let me know how you and your family enjoyed it.
You Can Bake This!
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