Funfetti cheesecake: It’s fun, it’s bright, and it’s your new favorite dessert. Cheesecake is one of the most time-consuming desserts to make, but it’s also one of the most rewarding. Taking your first bite of a rich, dense cheesecake can take you to a completely different space, am I right?
Fair warning: This isn’t an endeavor you can decide to take on late on a Sunday evening. Cheesecake baking is about preparation and making sure you have a few hours to sit around waiting for the eternal cooling process. Not only do cheesecakes take a lot of time baking (usually around 1 hour), but you also need to give it time to cool down nice and slowly, and then set back up in the fridge before you can enjoy a slice of this bad boy.
I’m not going to lie – this funfetti cheesecake requires a little bit of extra TLC to get that extra perfect texture and crunchy crust, but it does make for one heck of a birthday surprise! Looking for a way to brighten up your coworkers Friday? Want to WOW your mother-in-law the next time she comes to visit? This is the delicious little treat that’s going to make it happen!
While cheesecake baking might be a bit of a waiting game, they are relatively easy to mix up and get in the pan. Once that batters poured and in the oven, you basically just have to wait and watch this delicious treat take shape before your eyes.
The trick to making any cheesecake extra special is just a little bit of sprinkles & some almond extract. Why the almond extract you ask? This little bit of flavor is actually the slight tinge of taste that you need to get that full cake-batter experience without actually using artificial cake mix in your batter. This cheesecake has all of the markings of your favorite, classic cheesecake but it’s 150% make from scratch!
Want to know how to get the perfect cheesecake texture? Check out my favorite tips below!
How do I get a flat crust base?
Use a flat measuring cup or other similar item like a drinking glass to smooth the edges. The important thing is that it has a flat bottom and clean edge – getting a nicely edged crust is important for even baking, so try to find something that will help you get that nice, thin crust.
Why do I need room temperature ingredients?
Room temperature ingredients allow your batter to come together more easily which leads to a creamier textured cheesecake! This helps prevent any unwanted chunks of cream cheese in your batter while also ensuring that you don’t get too much air incorporated to give you that dense & rich cheesecake texture.
How do I keep my cheesecake from cracking?
There are a few essential processes to keep your cheesecake from cracking: don’t overmix, use the water bath and slow the cooling. Cracks often occur when there is too much air in your cheesecake or it becomes too dry.
When mixing your batter, only mix things until they are just incorporated. You definitely want a nice, smooth batter to avoid any unwanted chunks of cheesecake, but you can achieve that by using room temperature ingredients and mixing slowly.
Secondly, make sure you use a water bath for your cheesecake! The water keeps the air in the oven moist which helps it bake more evenly and also prevents it from getting too dry and cracking.
Lastly – follow the cooling instructions step-by-step! You never want to yank a cheesecake from a hot oven to a cool counter. Let the oven cool down naturally to ensure that it doesn’t rise or fall too fast leading to cracks in your cheesecake. Sounds easy enough, right?…
Last tip: do not open the oven.
This is not a question & answer – it’s the golden rule of cheesecake baking. The second you open that door, you let all of that moisture out of the oven which throws off the entire baking process and can cause your cheesecake to crack for all of the reasons mentioned above! Wait the recommended time before opening that door – it’ll be worth it once you see that smooth, flat surface, I promise.
Funfetti Cheesecake
Sweet, creamy cheesecake recipe packed with funfetti sprinkles.
Ingredients
Cheesecake Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker or sugar cookie crumbs*
- 1/3 cup salted butter melted
- 1/4 tsp salt
Funfetti Cheesecake Filling
- 24 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract if desired
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
For the crust
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Pre-heat your oven to 350F degrees. Lightly grease your 9-inch springform with cooking spray and set aside.
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In your food processor, pulverize your graham crackers or sugar cooks to create crumbs for your cheesecake. Add in melted butter and salt, pulse until combined.
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Press the crumb mixture into your springform pan until you have an even layer that coats the bottom and goes partially up the sides of your dish.
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Place it on the middle rack of your oven and bake for ~15 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
For the filling
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In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl often to ensure if is all getting mixed properly! This usually takes ~5 minutes.
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Add in the heavy cream, vanilla extract and almond extract and mix to combine.
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Add in your room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing them to combine fully between each addition. Remember to scrape the sides of the bowl!
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Once combined, gently fold in your rainbow sprinkles until evenly distributed. Pour the mixture into your springform pan and tap it lightly onto the counter to ensure it lays in an even layer in your pan.
Baking your cheesecake
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Wrap the bottom of your springform pan in a tight layer of aluminium foil. Place the pan on the center of your baking sheet.
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Pour enough water on the sheet to create a least 1/2 inch depth around your pan. Place the cheesecake in the oven and bake for ~60 minutes, or until the center of the cheesecake moves with the rest of the cheesecake when you tap it.
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Once it's done, turn the oven off and crack the door SLIGHTLY to allow the cheesecake to start to come to room temperature. Let it sit in the oven for ~60 minutes or until the oven has cooled off.
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Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it sit at room temperature for around 30-60 minutes. From there, put the cheesecake in the fridge. Let it sit for ~3 hours or overnight. Slice + enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*Note: I like to use crunchy sugar cookies for the crust on this! You can buy them at the store, but if you’d like to home-bake them, just add ~3 minutes to your baking time once they’re done to help them get that crunchy texture necessary for a crust.
