6 Inch Cheesecake Recipe

About This 6 Inch Cheesecake Recipe

This 6 inch cheesecake recipe makes a mini version of classic, New York style cheesecake! 6 inches is the perfect size for small gatherings and special occasions. Why? 6 inch cheesecake cheesecake only serves 8 to 12 people!

But despite its smaller size, this cheesecake still packs a punch. It’s made with three layers: buttery graham cracker crust, dense and creamy cream cheese filling, and tart and tangy sour cream topping.

The recipe is adapted from San Francisco’s famed Miette Bakery, which specializes in small batch, 6-inch celebration cakes like this one. The only change? I included all my best cheesecake making techniques! My tips ensure that your 6 inch cheesecake comes out perfectly, with a silky smooth texture and a crack-free top.

Why You Should Make The Recipe

Now let’s talk about all the reasons why you need to make this 6 inch cheesecake recipe right now:

The recipe is adapted from famed San Francisco bakery, Miette.

One of my favorite bakeries in San Francisco is Miette. Miette translates from French to English as “little crumb.” Their baked goods reflect this name. The bakery specializes in smaller 6-inch layer cakes and cheesecakes.

I love the bakery so much that Miette’s cookbook was one of the first baking books I ever bought for myself. I baked many recipes from the book, including these Lime Meringue Tartlets, this Spicy Gingerbread Cake, this Yellow Birthday Cake For Two, and now, this 6 inch cheesecake. Most of the recipes I tried were delicious and reliable, teaching me new techniques over the years.

The recipe is small batch.

I mentioned earlier that Miette specializes in 6-inch celebration cakes. This cheesecake is no exception. Because of its small size, it is considered “small batch.”

Typically, cheesecake recipes make larger 9-, 10-, or even 12-inch cakes. According to Wilton, these sizes usually serve 24 to 40 people! However, a 6-inch cake only serves 8 to 12 reasonable people (or 6 to 10 hungry ones). It’s a more manageable and reasonable portion for small occasions.

The cheesecake is extremely forgiving and a good recipe for those looking to take their baking skills to the next level.

When I first made this recipe back in 2013, I was still an inexperienced baker. Prior to this recipe, I’d made only one other cheesecake recipe before. I’m hesitant to call it a success. Why? The cheesecake cracked, leaving a long, jagged fissure in the center of the cake.

After that experience, it took me a long time to work up the courage to try another recipe. And when I did, it was this 6 inch cheesecake recipe by Miette Bakery.

Luckily, Miette’s recipe has never failed me. Although I was still a beginner, I managed to bake a perfectly smooth, crack-free cheesecake!

The recipe incorporates all my best cheesecake making tricks and techniques.

I mentioned above that I’ve included all my best cheesecake making tips to the recipe below. Because since my first cheesecake making experience, I’ve spent a lot of time researching why my cheesecake cracked. I then learned that most recipes oversimplify the cheesecake making process!

Luckily, there are a handful of easy things you can do to make a foolproof cheesecake. I’ve incorporated these tips and tricks to the recipe below, expanding on Miette’s original recipe.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Now that I’ve convinced you to make this 6 inch cheesecake, here’s your shopping list for the recipe:

• graham cracker crumbs
• unsalted butter
• kosher salt
• cream cheese
• granulated sugar
• large eggs
• heavy cream
• pure vanilla extract
• sour cream

And let’s talk about some key ingredients and their substitutions:

Graham Cracker Crumbs

You need ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs to make the crust for this 6 inch cheesecake recipe.

How do I make graham cracker crumbs?

To make graham cracker crumbs, use a digital scale to weigh out as many crackers as needed to match the weight listed in the recipe. Use a food processor to pulse the crackers into fine crumbs.

If you don’t have a food processor, you can place the graham crackers in a zip top bag and crush them manually. Smash them in the bag with a rolling pin or heavy object.

And if all of this sounds like too much work, you can always source pre-ground graham cracker crumbs at the grocery store.

Can I use another kind of cracker, cookie, or biscuit for the cheesecake crust?

Yes! In fact, I recommend it. I like to use Biscoff or speculoos cookie crumbs instead of graham cracker crumbs for more flavor. You can also use Oreo crumbs, too.

Can I use a gluten free graham cracker instead?

Yes! If you’re using gluten free graham crackers, it makes the ENTIRE cheesecake gluten free. Why? The cheesecake batter and sour cream topping contains no gluten!

Cream Cheese

You need 2 (8-ounce) boxes of cream cheese to make the filling for this 6 inch cheesecake recipe.

Can I use low-fat cream cheese instead of regular cream cheese in this 6 inch cheesecake recipe?

Technically yes, but I don’t recommend it. Using low-fat cream cheese leads to a less flavorful cheesecake.

Sour Cream

You need ½ cup sour cream to make the topping for this 6 inch cheesecake recipe.

Hm, I don’t like sour cream. Do I really need the sour cream topping on this 6 inch cheesecake?

Not at all. If sour cream isn’t your jam, feel free to skip the topping! Chill and serve the cheesecake plain, or with a topping of whipped cream and fresh fruit.

How To Make A 6 Inch Cheesecake

Here are the basic steps to make a 6 inch cheesecake from scratch:

First, make the graham cracker crust.

1. Prep the ingredients for the graham cracker crust. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
   The graham cracker crust requires just three ingredients: graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and salt. Note that you need to make your own graham cracker crumbs. The best way to do so is to use a digital scale to weigh out as many crackers as needed to match the weight listed in the recipe. Use a food processor to pulse the crackers into fine crumbs.
   
   
2. Make the graham cracker crust. (Work Time: 5 minutes)
   Once you’ve prepped the ingredients for the graham cracker crust, it comes together easily. Simply combine all the ingredients for the crust in a medium bowl and toss. That’s it! Pour it into the springform pan. Press it evenly over the bottom of the pan to form the crust.
   
   
3. Bake the graham cracker crust. (Bake Time: 8 minutes)
   The crust only bakes for about 8 minutes. Once done, leave the oven on! You need still need it at 350°F to bake the rest of the cheesecake. Set the crust on a wire rack to cool slightly while you make the cheesecake filling.

Then, make the cheesecake filling.

1. Prep the ingredients for the cheesecake filling. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
   For this recipe, it’s INCREDIBLY important that the ingredients are at the temperatures described in the recipe. That means bringing your cream cheese, eggs, and heavy cream to room temperature. Cold ingredients don’t mix as well, resulting in a lumpy cheesecake batter prone to cracking. If you’re wondering how to bring these ingredients to room temperature quickly, I recommend checking out my cookbook. I have a whole section outlining my tricks on how to bring ingredients to room temperature fast!
   
   
2. Make the cheesecake filling. (Work Time: 10 minutes)
   Once your ingredients are ready to go, make the filling. Beat the cream cheese until it is incredibly soft and creamy. If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer, I recommend beating the cream cheese on speed 6 for exactly 4 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl after every minute.
   
   Once the cream cheese is silky smooth, add the sugar, then the eggs, heavy cream, and vanilla. Be careful not to overbeat the mixture after adding the eggs—doing so will result in your cheesecake cracking! If you have a KitchenAid mixer, do not increase the mixer speed past speed 2.

Next, bake the cheesecake.

1. Assemble the cheesecake for baking. (Work Time: 5 minutes)
   After you’ve made the filling, assemble the cheesecake. Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust. Don’t worry if the graham cracker crust is still slightly warm—it won’t affect the cheesecake filling.
   
   Next, make a water bath for baking the cheesecake. Wrap the bottom of the springform pan with two layers of aluminum foil. The aluminum foil prevents water from leaking into the pan and ruining your cheesecake. Set the wrapped springform pan in the middle of a 9 x 13-inch cake pan or roasting pan. Pour warm water into this pan so that it reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
   
   If you’re wondering why you need to bake the cheesecake in a water bath, check out the FAQ section below for more information!
   
   
2. Bake the cheesecake. (Bake Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes)
   Once you’ve prepped the cheesecake for baking, bake it! Set the whole thing—that is, the roasting pan with the cheesecake—in the oven and bake.
   
   The cheesecake needs around 1 hour and 30 minutes in the oven. I know that 90 minutes seems like a long time for a cheesecake. However, because 6 inch cake pans typically have taller sides, this is not a mistake. Still—I recommend checking for doneness at the 60 minute mark. The edges of the cheesecake should start to set, with the center still loose. However, if the edges are completely set, with a center wobbling ever so slightly, pull the cheesecake out earlier. And if the top of the cheesecake looks like it’s browning too quickly, loosely tent the top of the springform pan with aluminum foil.

Cool the cheesecake.

1. Cool the cheesecake in the oven. (Passive Time: 30 minutes)
   Okay, it seems silly to have an entire section dedicated to cooling the cheesecake. But I promise you—this is typically where most cheesecake recipes lead you astray! Most recipes neglect to tell you that cooling a cheesecake properly is the secret to preventing your cheesecake from cracking. Why? Cheesecakes are very sensitive to temperature changes. If the cheesecake is cooled too quickly—that is, it goes from a hot oven to a cold room—it cracks.
   
   So how do you prevent this without cranking the heat up the heat in your house? Simple! Turn your oven heat off and leave the cheesecake in the oven. However, we still want the oven to cool faster than it otherwise would. So we encourage it to do so by cracking the oven door ever so slightly. If your oven door insists on snapping shut, hold it open with a heatproof cooking utensil like a wooden spoon.
   
   
2. Cool the cheesecake at room temperature. (Passive Time: 2+ hours)
   After 30 minutes, remove the roasting pan with the cheesecake and set it on a wire rack. Run a butter knife or offset spatula around the edge of the pan to loosen the cheesecake. Keep cooling the cheesecake—still in the springform pan and still in the water bath—on the wire rack until it reaches room temperature. Depending on the temperature of your house, this can take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours.

Finally, top with the sour cream topping and prep for serving.

1. Prep the ingredients for the sour cream topping. (Prep Time: <5 minutes)
   Once the cheesecake is cooled completely, it’s time to make the sour cream topping! Luckily, it doesn’t require too much prep. Simply measure out the sour cream and granulated sugar needed for the recipe. There’s no need to bring the sour cream to room temperature beforehand.
   
   
2. Make the sour cream topping. (Work Time: <5 minutes)
   In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and sugar. That’s it! This is the easiest part of the recipe, lol.
   
   
3. Top the cheesecake with the topping. (Work Time: <5 minutes)
   Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sour cream over the cooled cheesecake. Then, use an offset spatula to spread it evenly over the top of the cheesecake and smooth it.
   
   
4. Chill the cheesecake. (Chill Time: 4+ hours)
   Once you’ve topped the cheesecake, it’s time to chill it again. Cover the top of the pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until the cheesecake and topping are set, at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

Recipe Troubleshooting and FAQ

FAQ: What You Need To Make A 6 Inch Cheesecake

Baking Equipment To Make 6 Inch Cheesecake

In addition to standard equipment like a stand mixer, rubber spatula, and offset spatula, you need the following “specialty” equipment to make this 6 inch cheesecake recipe:

• a 6-inch springform cake pan with at least 3 inch sides
• a 9 x 13-inch cake pan or roasting pan to make a water bath

6-Inch Springform Cake Pan Recommendations

There is a wide selection of 6-inch springform cake pans on Amazon. However, I recommend getting a light-colored cake pan like this one by Wilton or Winco. Dark colored cake pans absorb heat more quickly than light colored pans, leaving you in danger of overcooking your cheesecake. I also recommend a springform pan with at least 3 inch tall sides. This recipe makes a fairly tall cheesecake—anything shorter will potentially lead to the cake overflowing out of the pan as it bakes.

My personal recommendation is this Fat Daddio’s springform pan. It has tall, 3 inch sides. It also has a wide base bottom that helps prevent the filling from leaking out of the pan.

Pan Recommendations for A Water Bath

To make this 6 inch cheesecake recipe, you also need another pan big enough to hold the springform pan. This pan also needs to have tall sides. Why? You’ll be setting the springform pan in this roasting pan, and then filling it with water. Doing so creates a water bath for baking the cheesecake (learn more in the next section).

To be honest, the size and shape of this pan doesn’t matter as much. As long as it can hold both the springform pan and a generous amount of water, you can use whatever pan you have on hand. I recommend any 9 x 13-inch cake pan, or a roasting pan that you would use to roast chicken.

I don’t have a 6-inch springform pan. Can I make this recipe in a regular 6-inch round cake pan?

Technically yes, but I don’t recommend it. Why? Springform pans are typically used for cakes with “sticky” and “loose” fillings for easy removal. That’s because the sides of the pan lift off, eliminating the need for you to turn out the baked good manually.

If you bake this cheesecake in a regular 6-inch round cake pan, it will still “work.” But it’s likely it will get stuck in the pan! You’ll have a whale of a time getting it out.

I don’t have a 6-inch springform pan. Can I double the recipe and bake the cheesecake in a larger 9-, 10- or 12-inch springform pan?

Technically yes, but I don’t recommend it. I suggest finding a regular-batch cheesecake recipe instead. May I suggest my favorite 9-inch cheesecake recipe by Sarah Kieffer?

FAQ: Questions About The Recipe’s Techniques

Why do I need to bake the cheesecake in a water bath?

Great question! Good cheesecake recipes instruct you to bake the cheesecake in a water bath (also known as a bain-marie). This recipe instructs you to place the springform pan with the cheesecake in the middle of a pan full of hot water (the water bath). You then bake the cheesecake in the water bath.

What’s the point? Well, the hot water in the bath surrounds the springform pan with the cheesecake and bakes it gently and evenly. How? First of all, it prevents the sides of the cheesecake from finishing baking WAY before the center of the cake. Without it, the edges of the cheesecake can puff up, sink, and crack all before the center is long done baking.

Next, it’s worth looking at it scientifically. Water evaporates at its boiling point—212°F, or 100°C. That means that, if you’re baking the cheesecake at 350°F (like I instruct you to do so for this recipe), the water bath will never get warmer than 212°F (since the water will evaporate long before it reaches 350°F). This creates a much more temperature stable environment for your cheesecake to bake in. This stable environment also helps prevent the cheesecake from cracking since cheesecakes really, really don’t like temperature changes.

So TL/DR: bake your cheesecake in a water bath to prevent it from cracking, okay?

How To Tell If Cheesecake Is Done

A cheesecake is done when the edges of the cheesecake are set but its center wobbles ever so slightly. To test a cheesecake for doneness, give it a gentle shake in the oven (with some oven mitts, of course!). If the sides and center wobbles violently, it needs more time. If the sides stay in place but the center slightly jiggles—this is perfect! Follow the recipe instructions to turn off the oven and cool the cheesecake slowly. If everything is set and nothing jiggles, bad news. You’ve overbaked your cheesecake. Don’t be surprised if its texture is oddly grainy. This is a result of overbaked cheesecake.

FAQ: Questions About Unexpected Results

Help! My cheesecake cracked. What did I do wrong?

Okay, so you skipped the majority of this blog post and missed out all the info I shared about why your cheesecake cracked. Let me summarize everything below:

Your cheesecake cracked because you didn’t use room temperature ingredients.

Ingredients like cream cheese, eggs, and cream mix together better when they’re at room temperature. This is especially important for cheesecake—you don’t want any lumps of unmixed cream cheese or eggs in the batter. These lumps could potentially cause cracks in the cheesecake. So make sure that all your ingredients are at the temperature listed in the recipe before beginning any of the recipe steps.

Your cheesecake cracked because you overmixed the cheesecake filling.

Incorporating too much air into cheesecake batter also causes cracks in the cheesecake. If using a KitchenAid stand mixer, only mix the cheesecake batter on speed “2” or lower after adding the eggs to the batter. Doing so prevents overbeating and/or overmixing the cheesecake batter.

Your cheesecake cracked because you didn’t bake it in a water bath.

Baking the cheesecake in a water bath ensures that it bakes evenly and gently. Cheesecakes are prone to cracking when parts of the cheesecake bake faster than others. Unless you’re an immediate or advanced baker, find a cheesecake recipe that bakes the cheesecake in a water bath (like this recipe!).

Your cheesecake cracked because you didn’t cool it slowly after baking.

Cheesecakes crack when they are exposed to sudden temperature changes. One of the most common causes of cracking comes from moving the hot cheesecake into a cold room. Don’t skip the recipe’s instructions to cool the cheesecake slowly in the oven.

Help! My cheesecake browned too much on top. What did I do wrong?

Don’t worry if your cheesecake browned too much! A cheesecake with a browned top is actually a classic, New York-style cheesecake look.

However, if the top looks like it’s on the verge of burning but the center is still very wobbly, that is cause for concern. But don’t panic! Simply cover the top of the springform pan with aluminum foil, tenting the foil ever so slightly to allow for air circulation. The aluminum foil reflects heat away from the top, slowing down the browning.

Help! My cheesecake has an odd texture. It’s kind of lumpy and has the texture of cottage cheese. What did I do wrong?

Uh-oh! An oddly textured cheesecake usually means one thing: you’ve overbaked the cheesecake. As a result, its filling has curdled. It’s better to pull out the cheesecake before its done-done. Its center should wobble and jiggle ever-so-slightly when gently shaken.

FAQ: Storing Cheesecake

How To Store This 6 Inch Cheesecake Recipe

The cheesecake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can store the cheesecake whole and unsliced in its springform pan—just tightly wrap the top of the pan with plastic wrap before you do. Alternatively, you can also store individual slices of the cheesecake. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

How long does this 6 inch cheesecake recipe last in the fridge?

This 6 inch cheesecake recipe lasts whole and unsliced in its springform pan for up to 3 days. However, if storing sliced in an airtight container, the cheesecake lasts 5 days.

Can you freeze this 6 inch cheesecake recipe?

Yes! This 6 inch cheesecake recipe freezes really well. After chilling the cheesecake overnight, unlatch the springform pan and lift the sides of the pan away from the bottom of the pan. Place the cheesecake on a plate, uncovered, and freeze until solid, 1 to 2 hours.

Once solid, tightly wrap the cheesecake in two layers of plastic wrap. If storing long term (that is, for longer than 1 month), wrap in a layer of aluminum foil. The aluminum foil helps prevent the cake from absorbing flavors and odors in the freezer. Freeze for up to 6 months.

When ready to serve, transfer the cheesecake to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Before serving, unwrap the cheesecake and thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing.

More Cheesecake Recipes

• Cherry Streusel Cheesecake Bars
• Flourless Gluten Free Cheesecake Brownies
• Japanese Cheesecake
• Raspberry Cheesecake Tartlets
• Sarah Kieffer’s Cheesecake
• Small Batch No Bake Cheesecake Bars
• Snickers Cheesecake Bars
• Speculoos Cheesecake Bars

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