This s’mores cheesecake perfectly captures the flavors of traditional s’mores but in cheesecake form. The buttery graham cracker crust serves as the perfect base to the creamy vanilla cheesecake filling. As a finishing touch, the cheesecake is topped with a rich layer of chocolate ganache and fluffy swiss meringue that toasted to perfection!
How to Make S’mores Cheesecake
This s’mores cheesecake consists of three main components – vanilla cheesecake, chocolate ganache, and toasted swiss meringue. Combined, these components make for the most scrumptious s’mores inspired cheesecake.
Easy Cheesecake Recipe
This creamy, vanilla infused cheesecake complements the graham cracker crust, chocolate ganache and toasted meringue topping so beautifully. It is likely to become your go-to cheesecake recipe as it pairs nicely with a diverse range of flavors from chocolate to fruity. To make cheesecake recipe, you will need:
Key Ingredients
- Graham Cracker Crumbs
- Unsalted Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Salt
- Full-Fat Cream Cheese
- Whole Milk Yogurt or Sour Cream
- Granulated Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
Tips for Making Perfect Cheesecake
- Double Wrap – to avoid ending up with a soggy crust as cheesecake bakes in a water bath, double wrap the baking pan up to the rim with heavy duty aluminum foil.
- Room Temperature Ingredients – it is very important to use room temperature ingredients, especially when it comes to the cream cheese. Using room temperature ingredients will allow cheesecake batter to mix up smoothly with any clumps of unmixed ingredients.
- Reduce Speed – on a mixer (stand or hand-held), reduce speed to low before mixing eggs into batter. I learned that at this point, mixing too much air into batter will cause the surface of the cheesecake to crack as it bakes.
- Water Bath – baking cheesecake in a water bath helps to ensure an even and consistent bake. It is best to first place the springform pan with cheesecake batter into a larger baking/roasting pan before transferring to the oven. Pour hot water into the larger pan about 1-2 inches (halfway) up the side of the springform pan.
- Slow Bake – baking cheesecake at a low oven temperature over a long period of time will help to prevent the formation of cracks. My go-to temperature and bake time is 300F(150C) for 60-75 minutes. Bake cheesecake just until the rim of the cake appears puffed but there is a slight jiggle in the center of the cake.
- Rest – once cheesecake is done baking, resist the urge to remove cake from the oven. Instead, turn off the oven and leave cheesecake inside with the door ajar. Allow cheesecake to rest in the oven for 1 hour before cooling to room temperature outside the oven. The purpose behind this is to avoid a sudden change in temperature which may shock cheesecake and cause the dreaded surface cracks.
- Release – as cheesecake cools, it will naturally pull away from the sides of the pan, running a knife around the edge of cheesecake will help prevent cracks from forming in cheesecake.
Swiss Meringue Topping
This swiss meringue topping is pillowy soft, fluffy, and not too sweet! It is the perfect final touch to this cheesecake and literally comes together within minutes. To make swiss meringue, you will need:
Key Ingredients
- Egg Whites
- Granulated Sugar
- Salt
- Vanilla Extract
Swiss meringue requires heating the egg whites and sugar together under indirect heat until all of the sugar is dissolved. Next, the heated egg white-sugar mixture is whisked until it doubles in size and looks pillowy soft and fluffy in appearance. At this point, I like to whisk in the vanilla extract into the whipped swiss meringue.
Assembly of Cheesecake
- Release and remove cheesecake from springform pan.
- Pour chocolate ganache into the center of cheesecake.
- Use an offset spatula to spread ganache into a even layer.
- Allow chocolate ganache to set before spooning swiss meringue over it.
- Use the back of a spoon to swoop and create small peaks in swiss meringue.
- Use a kitchen torch to toast meringue before serving cheesecake.
How to Store Cheesecake
- Slice, assembled s’mores cheesecake stored in an airtight container will last up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator and 1-3 months in the freezer. When ready to eat frozen cheesecake, thaw in the refrigerator overnight to restore its soft, creamy texture.
- Cheesecake without chocolate ganache and swiss meringue layers may be baked in advance, tightly wrapped in plastic/cling wrap and stored in the freezer for up to 1-3 months. When ready to serve, thaw cheesecake in the fridge overnight before topping with the chocolate ganache and swiss meringue layers.
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If you make this recipe, please make sure to let me know by tagging me @nourishedendeavors on Instagram or by leaving a comment in the comment section down below so I can find out how this recipe turned out for you! If you have any questions, ask away! I would love to answer your questions! Happy baking!
PrintS’mores Cheesecake
This s’mores cheesecake perfectly captures the flavors of traditional s’mores but in cheesecake form. The buttery graham cracker crust serves as the perfect base to the creamy vanilla cheesecake filling. As a finishing touch, the cheesecake is topped with a rich layer of chocolate ganache and fluffy swiss meringue which is toasted to perfection!
- Prep Time: 2 Hours (Not Including Refrigeration Time)
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 Minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 Cheesecake 1x
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 1/2 (216 g) Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
- 6 Tablespoons (85 g) Unsalted Butter. Melted
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Dark or Light Brown Sugar
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
Vanilla Cheesecake
- 24 oz (678 g) Full-Fat Cream Cheese, Softened
- 6 oz (170 g) Whole Milk Yogurt, Plain
- 3/4 Cup (150 g) Granulated Sugar
- 3 Large Eggs, Room Temperature
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
Chocolate Ganache Layer
- 2 oz (57 g) Semi-Sweet Chocolate, Finely Chopped
- 1/4 (60 ml) Heavy Cream
Swiss Meringue Topping
- 4 Large Egg Whites
- 1 Cup (200 g) Granulated Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325F(165C). Double wrap an 8 or 9 inch springform pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Lightly grease the sides and base of the pan.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and salt. Use a fork to mix ingredients together to combine.
- Pour melted, cooled butter over graham cracker mixture and mix until mixture appears completely moisten.
- Transfer graham cracker mixture to prepared springform pan. Use the back of a measuring cup or hands to evenly press mixture into the base of the pan.
- Bake graham cracker crust for 10-12 minutes or until the crust becomes fragrant and takes on a rich golden brown color.
- Set aside the crust to cool as the cheesecake batter is prepared. Reduce oven temperature to 300F (150C).
Vanilla Cheesecake
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with a hand-held electric mixer, add the cream cheese, yogurt, sugar and cornstarch.
- Cream ingredients together at medium speed until batter appears smooth without any lumps, about 3-4 minutes. Stop the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and base of the mixing bowl.
- Mix in the vanilla extract into the cheesecake batter at medium speed, about 1 minute.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the eggs into the cheesecake batter one at a time.
- Stop the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and base of the mixing bowl. Mix batter for an additional minute at low speed.
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the cooled graham cracker crust.
- Transfer cheesecake filled springform pan into a larger baking/roasting pan and place in the oven. Carefully pour hot water into the larger pan about 1-2 inches (halfway) up the sides of the springform pan.
- Bake the vanilla cheesecake for 60-75 minutes. Cheesecake is ready when the edges appear slightly puffed and the center jiggles a little when the springform pan is gently shaken.
- Cool the cheesecake in the oven with the door ajar for one hour.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and run an offset/angled spatula along the sides to help separate cheesecake from the sides of the pan.
- Cool the cheesecake at room temperature, about 2-3 hours before refrigerating to set for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.
Swiss Meringue Topping
- Thoroughly clean all kitchen tools (mixing bowl, whisk attachment of stand mixer and digital kitchen thermometer) that will be used for making the meringue ensuring there is no presence of residual grease.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites, sugar and salt. Whisk ingredients together to combine.
- Place egg white mixture over a double boiler/pot of simmering water and whisk constantly for 8-10 minutes or until the mixture registers 160 F (71C) on a digital kitchen thermometer. There should be no presence of sugar granules in the egg white-sugar mixture.
- In the absence of a digital kitchen thermometer, you can tell when egg whites are properly heated by rubbing some of the mixture between your fingertips. If the mixture is free of sugar granules, egg whites are ready to be whisked.
- Whisk warm egg white mixture at high speed until the base of the mixing bowl is cool to touch and the meringue has reached stiff peak stage, about 8-10 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium low and whisk in the vanilla extract into the meringue. Stop mixer once vanilla extract has been fully incorporated into the meringue.
Assembly
- Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and transfer to a serving platter or large plate.
- Pour the chocolate ganache into the center of the cheesecake. Use an offset/angled spatula to smooth out the ganache into an even layer.
- Refrigerate cheesecake for 10-15 allowing the chocolate to set slightly before topping with swiss meringue.
- Spoon the swiss meringue into the center of the cheesecake. Slightly spread out the meringue over the chocolate layer.
- Use the back of a spoon to create swoops and small peaks in the meringue.
- Use a kitchen torch to toast the entire surface of the meringue to your liking before serving.
Notes
- Slice, assembled s’mores cheesecake stored in an airtight container will last up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator and 1-3 months in the freezer. When ready to eat frozen cheesecake, thaw in the refrigerator overnight to restore its soft, creamy texture.
- Cheesecake may be baked in advance, tightly wrapped in plastic/cling wrap and stored in the freezer for up to 1-3 months. When ready to serve, thaw cheesecake in the fridge overnight before finishing with the chocolate ganache and swiss meringue layers.
- I used whole milk yogurt in this recipe but sour cream will work as well.
- In place of cornstarch, you may use 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour in cheesecake batter.
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