Foolproof Cheesecake with Pecan Crust: The One Dessert That’ll Never Fail You

When it comes to baking and making a stellar dessert, the process can be a little intimidating.

There are so many elements to consider, including exact measurements, baking time, altitude, and many more.

And that means there are even more ways to possibly mess up a recipe.

Trust me, I’ve had multiple baking failures in the kitchen, from cookies that flatten out to cakes that won’t rise. I’ve have muffins sink in the center, and I’ve had water seep into pans when I’m baking in a water bath.

There have been times when I’ve burned the bottoms of cookies, and I’ve even had cakes literally explode in the oven (don’t ask me how that one happened, I am still trying to figure that out myself).

So, it’s a fair statement to say: baking can be hard.

Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with baking, but then I remember that amazing feeling when you take something out of the oven and it is perfect.

Baking is a science, and honestly, it’s also an art. It takes patience and focus.

You can’t simply throw a bunch of unmeasured ingredients in a pan and make it work.

That’s why foolproof recipes like this one are the best to keep in your back pocket for whenever you just want a recipe to work.

After I have a few terrible mess-ups in the kitchen (it’s like they come in waves), rather than giving up, that’s when I turn to a recipe that I know will turn out perfectly.

It’s kind of a way to get my baking mojo back. When you have a bunch of fails in the oven, it’s nice to feel like you can get back in the saddle without fearing the absolute worst results.

This is one of those recipes I love to turn to when I am in a baking funk.

No matter what you do, this cheesecake is pretty hard to screw up. There’s only one real danger zone that comes up in the process, and that’s the water bath.

My biggest tip regarding this is to be sure that you tightly double wrap the pan in heavy duty foil, and make sure that foil comes up the sides by at least 1-2 inches.

That way, there’s no risk of the water seeping into the cheesecake, and ruining the filling or the crust.

Other than that, making this delicious dessert is a piece of cake.

The filling is the creamiest, dreamiest you will ever try. I am absolutely in LOVE with the texture. It melts in your mouth, with a cooling sensation that is pure heaven.

The flavor has that cream cheese tang that you adore about cheesecake, but with a subtle sweetness that is paired perfectly with the dark chocolate drizzled on top.

The nuttiness of the pecans makes for an excellent crunch, and added flavor that I believe far outshines any graham cracker crust that you are used to (not that there’s anything wrong with a homemade graham cracker!).

How can you resist a slice? Don’t even try to. It’s pure perfection, and it’s worth inhaling the calories. Trust me.

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Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep and Measure Ingredients

Finely chop enough pecans until you have 1/4 cup in total.

Zest a lemon until you have 1 teaspoon total.

Cube 6 tablespoons of chilled unsalted butter.

Measure out all of the remaining ingredients as listed on the ingredients list. Note that you can also use all-purpose flour in lieu of whole-grain spelt flour for the filling.

Preheat your oven to 400˚F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.

Step 2 – Make Crust

Add the flour, sugar, pecans, and lemon zest for the crust to a large mixing bowl.

Cut in the cubed butter with a pastry cutter or two knives, until crumbly. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk and vanilla extract, and whisk to combine. Add this mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until well combined.

Press the pecan mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the springform pan.

Bake for 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Set aside to cool slightly on a flat surface.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325˚F.

Step 3 – Make Filling

Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth. Make sure there aren’t any lumps, since this will affect the final texture of your cheesecake.

Gradually beat in the sugar on medium speed until combined.

Add the flour, vanilla, and salt. Beat on medium speed until combined.

Add the eggs and egg yolks to a small bowl. Whisk to combine, then pour into the cream cheese mixture. Beat on medium speed until just combined.

Add the heavy cream and beat until just combined.

Step 4 – Bake

Pour the filling into the baked crust in the springform pan.

Double wrap the bottom of the pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, making sure it is tightly sealed. This will prevent water from getting into the pan.

Place the springform pan into a larger pan with high walls. I used a roasting pan for this. Pour very hot water into the larger pan surrounding the filled springform pan until it’s about 3/4 inch deep. Don’t let the water come up higher than the foil.

To make sure you are going to have enough water, it might be a good idea to check the capacity of your roasting or other pan first. With a springform plan in place, fill it with a little more than the amount of water that you are going to need. Transfer the water to a kettle or stockpot on the stove, and bring it to a simmer so it will be hot and ready to go when you need it.

Place in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for about 1 hour.

To determine if it’s done, the center of the cheesecake should be almost set. Put on an oven mitt and move the pan a bit to see how much the center of the filling moves. It should only jiggle slightly.

Step 5 – Chill

Carefully remove the water-filled pan from the oven, and remove the springform pan from the water bath. Cool on a wire rack in the pan for about 1 hour, until the filling comes down to room temperature.

Place in the refrigerator overnight to chill.

Step 6 – Drizzle with Chocolate

This step is optional, but I love to serve mine with a pretty garnish.

Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, or in a double boiler on the stove, until melted and smooth. For tips on melting and saving seized chocolate, you can read more here.

Drizzle lightly over the top of the cheesecake. Refrigerate for 15 minutes until hardened.

When you’re ready to serve, run a knife around the edge before removing the sides of the pan.

Slice and serve.