Easter Egg Cheesecake (2024)

This Easter Egg Cheesecake has the silkiest, creamiest texture. A golden oreo crust forms a crunchy base and milk chocolate mini eggs are folded into the cheesecake batter and then piled on top before serving. Crunchy crust, smooth and creamy milk chocolate eggs and silky cheesecake make this a delicious and show-stopping Easter dessert and couldn't be any cuter!

Ingredient highlights

• Cream Cheese- I like to use Philadelphia cream cheese. For the best results, use full-fat cream cheese in this Easter egg cheesecake. Always use room-temperature cream cheese so you don't have little lumps in your cheesecake.
• Granulated Sugar- Just regular white sugar is needed for the cheesecake. If you are looking for a cheesecake with brown sugar, check out my apple crumble cheesecake.
• Eggs- I use large eggs when I bake. Eggs are the binder in the recipe and help produce that creamy, custard-like texture.
• Almond extract- I swapped vanilla extract for some almond extract for this Easter egg cheesecake. That distinct almond flavor reminds me of Easter and I thought it would be a good compliment to the milk chocolate mini eggs. Feel free to use less (¼ teaspoon) if you don't want the flavor as strong or just swap it with vanilla extract (use 1-2 teaspoons).
• Kosher salt- Pretty much every baked good benefits from salt to offset the sweetness. I always use kosher salt, specifically the Diamond Kosher brand. I buy mine from Amazon and the box lasts a really long time. If you don't have kosher salt, you can use table salt but decrease the amount by half.
• Heavy Cream- Heavy cream makes super luscious and smooth cheesecakes. If you prefer more tanginess you could swap it for sour cream.
• Cadbury mini eggs- A favorite at Easter time in our household, I used them both in the filling chopped up and to decorate the top of the cheesecake. Read below for how to safely chop mini eggs.

Equipment

Cheesecakes do require a couple of pieces of equipment to bake them successfully.

1. 9-inch springform pan- You need the deeper sides of the springform pan as well as the removable ring to make the cheesecake.
2. Heavy-duty foil- Heavy-duty foil is the best insurance to protect against a leaking water bath. I use 2 layers to be extra careful.
3. Stand-mixer with the paddle attachment- This one is not absolutely necessary but the paddle attachment usually only found on stand mixers is the best way to prevent whipping too much air into the cheesecake. This is my favorite stand mixer.
4. Roasting pan- A large roasting pan is needed for the water bath. It needs to be large enough for the 9-inch springform pan to fit into.

Tips for a perfect cheesecake

• Room Temperature Ingredients:This is so important! Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing it. If it is still cold, you will likely have little lumps of cream cheese throughout your cheesecake filling and will incorporate too much air trying to beat it. You also want your eggs to be room temperature before adding them as well.
• Water Bath!! This is one of the most important parts of making a cheesecake and can seem fussy but it's how to keep cheesecake from cracking. It's also super easy to do as well. To see how to set up a water bath to cook your cheesecake in, check out mybourbon eggnog cheesecake post. A water bath will provide a moist environment for the oven and allow the cheesecake to cook more evenly. Cooking without a water bath will almost ensure you end up with a cracked cheesecake. I've tried the trick of placing a pan of hot water on the rack underneath the cheesecake and it just doesn't do the trick like a true water bath does.
• Slow Cooling:To cool your cheesecake properly, when it is done cooking, turn the oven off and crack the door open. Let it cool for 1 hour in the water bath in the turned-off oven. Then, remove it and let it cool for another hour on the counter before placing it into the fridge to finish chilling for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight. This will prevent it from cooling too quickly and cracking.
• Redeeming Cracks:If worse comes to worst and your cheesecake still cracks, remember that the taste should be the same, and with this Easter egg cheesecake, you will cover it all up with mini eggs and whipped cream so no one will know any better!
• Paddle Attachment: If you have a stand mixer with a stand attachment, opt for using it. Using the paddle attachment at a lower speed prevents too much air from being whipped into the cheesecake. If you don't have a stand mixer, just beat it on a lower speed with a hand mixer.

Why cooking in a water bath isn't just for looks

I know I'm harping on the water bath, but it truly is the best way to cook a whole cheesecake. In addition to producing a prettier cheesecake without cracks or deep browning, it greatly affects the texture.

Because of the low and slow heat the water bath provides and the additional moisture, the texture of the cheesecake is creamier and silkier than one not cooked in a water bath.

The Handle the Heat blog has a great tutorial on setting up and using a water bath if you want to check that out

How to chop mini eggs without cutting off a finger

The Cadbury mini eggs are pretty hard so you have to be very careful when chopping them for the filling. You can't just lay them on a cutting board and start chopping randomly.

The best way to chop them is to do so one at a time. Carefully hold a mini egg between your fingers and then using a sharp knife, cut it in half first. I then chopped it once more to more or less chop it into 4 pieces for smaller pieces in the cheesecake.

It's slightly time-consuming but much less time than a trip to the ER :-).

I found that a 9oz bag is enough for one cup of chopped mini eggs and then leaves a handful leftover. It isn't quite enough to pile on the middle as in the pictures though.

How to know when cheesecake is done

Knowing when to take a cheesecake out of the oven can be intimidating. You just spent all of that time and money on this glorious cheesecake only to cut into a soupy mess or saw through an overbaked cheesecake. No one wants that!

All ovens are different so one of the most important things is to check it early to make sure you don't have an overbaked cheesecake. Begin checking the cheesecake for doneness around 55-60 minutes.

When you give the cheesecake pan a slight jiggle, you should see that the edges (about 1-2 inches) of the cheesecake are set and don't move. The middle part of the cheesecake should slightly jiggle but should not move like it is still liquid.

If you still can't tell by the jiggle test, you can also test it with an instant-read thermometer. Check in the middle of the cheesecake for a temperature of 150 degrees to 155 degrees F. Again, it's covered with the mini eggs and whipped cream so it won't matter if there is a small hole from the thermometer.

You really want to avoid an overbaked cheesecake because the texture will be slightly gritty and not creamy like we want.

The cheesecake will keep firming up while left in the oven to cool down after baking. It will firm up completely after being refrigerated for at least 4 hours or for best results overnight.

How to remove the cheesecake from the bottom of the springform pan

If you would like to serve the Easter egg cheesecake on a cake platter or other serving dish without the base of the springform pan, the trick is to line the bottom of the springform pan with a layer of parchment paper.

Unlock the springform pan ring from the base and lay a piece of parchment paper on top of the base. Place the ring over the paper and the base and then lock it into place with the excess parchment paper hanging out the sides of the pan.

After the cheesecake cools completely, run a knife around the inside edge of the ring to loosen the crust. Undo the ring and slide the cheesecake out on the base.

Carefully remove the base from the parchment paper while sliding your hand under the cheesecake. The crust sets up pretty sturdy so you will be able to lift the whole cheesecake off the base by holding your hand under the crust to support it.

Use a sharp knife to loosen the cheesecake from the parchment paper and peel it off placing it onto whatever you will serve it on. If this is too fussy for you, then just simply skip the parchment paper trick and serve it on top of the springform base!

FAQs

How to freeze a cheesecake

You can make the entire cheesecake and then freeze it if you need to plan ahead. Cool the cheesecake completely in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight. Once completely cooled, remove it from the springform pan. Place it on a round cardboard cake circle or a heavy-duty plastic plate.

Do not decorate it with the whipped cream or the mini eggs before freezing it. Wait to do that until just before serving.

Freeze the cheesecake for about an hour uncovered. It needs to be cold enough to wrap tightly without squishing it. After an hour or so, remove the cheesecake and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. It should last at least 1 to 2 months if wrapped properly.

To thaw it out, place the cheesecake into the refrigerator the night before you will need to serve it. You can also slice the cake prior to freezing it and freeze individual slices of cheesecake, wrapped in the same way as a whole one.

How long is cheesecake good for

This Easter egg cheesecake will be good for about 5 days if stored covered in the refrigerator. If you decorate it like the pictures, note that the mini eggs on top of the cheesecake will begin to lose their color and bleed into the cheesecake. They will also lose some of their crunchy texture and begin to soften slightly.

If you want to prevent this, just scoop off the mini eggs before storing the cheesecake in the refrigerator. The whipped cream should hold its shape for the 5 days.

For more cheesecake recipes, check out these:

• Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cheesecake
• Mango Cheesecake with a Coconut Graham Crust
• Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cupcakes
• White Chocolate Blondie Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

Tag me on Instagram @themarblekitchenblog if you make this and leave a star rating and comment below! Thank you and enjoy!